The Cobblers went into the contest without a win in ten games while Cheltenham had not won in 12.
Those were hardly the ingredients for a classic and although both sides worked hard enough, they were clearly low on confidence.
Cheltenham played with two wingers but failed to deliver a cross of note during the match, although they did enough in the second half to consider themselves unlucky not to have got a point.
Northampton certainly had the best of the first half and Cheltenham's only real chance of note fell to midfielder Ian Westlake, whose shot was blocked by a defender.
At the other end, Northampton generally had a bit more about them and defender Mark Hughes almost opened the scoring on the half-hour when his header from a Danny Jackman corner hit the bar.
Jackman himself saw a shot held by goalkeeper Scott Brown shortly afterwards, but just as it appeared that the match would be goalless at half-time, Northampton conjured a goal seconds before the whistle.
Big striker Leon Constantine went on a strong run at the Cheltenham defence. His initial shot was blocked by a defender but the rebound fell to Jason Crowe, who beat Brown with a low shot from the edge of the box.
After a slow start to the second half Cheltenham gradually built up the pressure and right-back Chris Westwood had two good chances to equalise, the first being saved by goalkeeper Chris Dunn and the second cleared off the line by Constantine.
Cheltenham midfielder David Bird drew a fine save from Dunn when his free-kick arched over the defensive wall 15 minutes from time, but that was the last time Cheltenham threatened to salvage something from the game.
The result was their seventh straight defeat and leaves them as all but certainties for relegation.