The Cobblers 3-1 success at Vale Park keeps alive their play-off hopes while consigning their Potteries opponents to another season in League Two.
"We've lost the game because of two minutes of madness at the end of the first half," said Adams after watching Abdul Osman and Billy McKay seal the points for Town.
"They were terrible goals to concede and it isn't the first time I've had to say that.
"We weren't awful by any means and we had a real go in the second half when we were unfortunate not to get a goal which would have put us right back in it.
"But certain players didn't want the ball and went missing in the first half. If I could have taken most of them off, I would have done."