Northampton’s stuttering promotion challenge took another hit on Tuesday when they were held to a goalless draw by AFC Wimbledon at Sixfields.

The Cobblers dominated the game but struggled to turn possession into chances as they drew a third game in a row, while Wimbledon played out a fourth 0-0 stalemate in their last six.

Northampton almost struck inside the first minute when Sam Hoskins’ shot was dealt with by Nik Tzanev at his near post before the Wimbledon goalkeeper also held onto an effort from Marc Leonard.

Tzanev continued to be a busy man in the first half as he expertly denied Jon Guthrie from close range on 20 minutes before making a more routine stop when Ben Fox glanced a tame header towards the bottom corner.

Northampton’s early momentum fizzled away and Wimbledon grew into the game, but chances were few and far between.

Opportunities were kept to a minimum in the second half as Mitch Pinnock blazed over and Hoskins flicked a header into the gloves of Tzanev before Will Hondermarck’s late shot deflected just wide.