Bristol Rovers were consigned to defeat by an early Northampton goal blitz as the League Two relegation battlers gave their survival hopes a boost.
Two goals from burly striker Ade Akinfenwa inside the opening 10 minutes and a Kelvin Langmead header 10 minutes later doomed the Pirates to only their second defeat in ten games.
Craig Stanley's first goal for Rovers midway through the second half raised at least some hopes of a comeback – and a late penalty from Lee Brown brought the Pirates within sight of a point.
But it wasn't to be as the home side continued to make Sixfields an unhappy hunting ground for the visitors, who have won only once in 10 league visits to the venue.
The Pirates made three changes to the side that had started the 0-0 draw with Macclesfield three days earlier.
Striker Matt Harrold was ruled out with a tight hamstring, while Michael Smith and Andy Dorman both started on the bench.
Tom Parkes was recalled to central defence after illness with Craig Stanley starting in midfield. There was also a place for Joe Anyinsah up front.
The Pirates may not have conceded in their three previous games, but they found themselves trailing inside the opening minute.
Northampton broke down the left through Ben Harding, who knocked the ball across the box for Akinfenwa to sweep home his fourth goal in as many games.
Rovers' early woes continued as Cian Bolger was booked for scything down Michael Jacobs just outside the box – although the Cobblers man was to make the Pirates pay from the resulting free-kick.
He tormented Pirates' skipper Matt Gill as he twisted and turned his way into the penalty area before setting up Akinfenwa, who promptly took advantage of more slack defending to fire home his second goal of the evening.
Rovers had hardly had time to get any sort of foothold in the game given the Cobblers' electric start – although they did have what looked a good penalty claim turned down when Brown's shot appeared to strike a Northampton arm.
But with less than half of the opening period gone, the visitors were to find themselves three goals down.
Once again, the build-up came down Northampton's left. This time Ben Tozer was the man supplying the cross, which Langmead headed home from eight yards.
Rovers didn't manage a meaningful attempt on goal until the 30th minute, when Mustapha Carayol let fly from 20 yards.
But keeper Matt Duke was equal to it and made a low save to his left, then beat out an attempt from Matthew Lund a few moments later as Rovers at last started to ask some questions of their own. The Pirates made more of an impression as the half wore on, but Carayol saw another shot half-blocked and keeper Duke did enough to snuff out the danger before Anyinsah could capitalise.
Just before the break, Lund could only manage an air shot from the corner of the box – and Rovers trooped off at the interval desperately in need of second-half improvement.
They made a change for the second period with Smith replacing Danny Woodards at right-back – and then Akinfenwa received a standing ovation from home fans when he was replaced by Toni Silva in the 56th minute.
Harding continued to look dangerous when he ran at Rovers' defence and it needed a good block by Bolger to stop him getting another shot on goal.
It bounced away for a goal-kick and Scott Bevan was fortunate there was no Northampton player behind him when Harding's flag kick looped over his head.
Rovers glimpsed a spark of hope when Stanley fired home a right-foot volley from 10 yards after meeting Lee Brown's cross from the left on the run.
But moments later Bevan had to come to the rescue to turn Brett Williams' shot over the top after the Pirates had again given away possession to present the Cobbler with an opportunity.
With 15 minutes left, Rovers started to put the home side under real pressure with John Johnson just getting enough on Smith's cross to prevent it reaching a Rovers team-mate, and the Cobblers then survived a goalmouth scramble with the ball ricocheting around inside their penalty area.
But with five minutes left, Duke brought down Zebroski inside the box and Brown sent the keeper the wrong way from the resulting penalty.
The Cobblers had thrown away a two-goal lead in the closing stages as they were held to a 2-2 draw at Cheltenham on Saturday, and there was a palpable air of tension among the home fans over the closing stages.
But the home side saw out four minutes of stoppage-time before celebrating a win that was nervy in the end.
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