Paul Trollope grabbed a 83rd minute equaliser to earn Northampton a point that keeps them in contention for the play off place, while making life a bit more difficult for basement battlers Carlisle.
The Cumbrians looked home and dry when Craig Farrell cashed in on their enormous pressure to fire them in front in the 82nd minute but their lead lasted 55 seconds, with Trollope levelling.
And afterwards the Cobblers boss Colin Calderwood admitted he was happy to take anything away from Brunton Park.
Calderwood said: "Carlisle were a credit to their manager, they worked their socks off, but I'm proud of our boys response after going a goal down.
"Carlisle are a team in form and they'll feel slightly aggrieved that they haven't won." Calderwood's side take on fellow promotion hopefuls Huddersfield on Saturday and he admitted: "Our forwards will have to do better than they did today." Carlisle boss Paul Simpson, whose side were 16 points adrift before Christmas, admitted: "It's a disappointment but we've taken some points from three very good sides in the last eight days and we have to carry on at Rochdale on Saturday because there's enough games still to go for us to get out of trouble.
"Overall, we dominated the game from start to finish but I was disappointed to concede a goal so soon after we scored.
"There equaliser was a bit sloppy and we had opportunities to clear the ball but Trollope put it away well." Northampton strung five men across the middle and soaked up pressure from Carlisle without troubling home keeper Matt Glennon, except for a fierce Marc Richards drive early in the game.
But for all their possession Carlisle lacked a cutting edge and it looked as though they would have to settle for a goaless draw when Craig Farrell scorned a tremendous chance in the 80th minute.
Sub Kelvin Langmead's low cross ran to him unmarked at the far post but he fired wildly wide with only Lee Harper to beat from 10 yards.
But the ex Leeds frontman made amends two minutes later, homing in on the end of a deep cross from Lee Andrews to rifle in a first timer.
Carlisle had hardly finished celebrating when Trollope equalised. First to a bouncing ball on the edge of Carlisle's area, he hooked a shot over rooted keeper Glennon.