The Cobblers produced their most dominant performance of the season to record their biggest win at the expense of Exeter City.
Alex Nicholls’ seventh of the campaign, a sixth of the year for Adebayo Akinfenwa and a trademark Kelvin Langmead header saw Town back to winning ways in npower League Two with a 3-0 triumph.
This was an excellent all-round display by Northampton, who were resolute in defence, inventive and sharp in midfield and played with power and purpose in the forward line.
New Manchester City arrival Emyr Huws enjoyed a fine senior debut and in many ways produced the copybook central midfield performance.
But while Huws had some bright touches in the opening stages of the game it was Ishmel Demontagnac who was the touchstone of creativity in that period, carving out a couple of half-chances with his left foot as Town looked to take the game to their opponents.
Strikers Clive Platt and Akinfenwa, paired together in a forward two where the emphasis was most definitely on power, did a good job of reeling in the high ball and getting it wide and on the floor for the home side’s lively-looking wingers.
Scraps were generally picked up by either Huws or Ben Tozer, who was given plenty of opportunities to get the ball into the danger zone with his signature long throw.
John O’Flynn, though, should have been the first name on the scoresheet when he flicked a foot at an angle pass from the left wing only for the ball to drift the wrong side of Lee Nicholls’ left-hand post.
Exeter’s feted counter-attacking style was to the fore again on 24 minutes when Kelvin Langmead was required to make an excellent and brave block to deny what looked a certain goal for onrushing full-back Kevin Amankwaah and within 30 seconds Town had the lead.
A scruffy cross found its way to the big man at the back post, who showed presence and then poise to spear home a delicious shot into the bottom corner of the net.
The lead was doubled seven minutes before the interval, Huws creating space superbly high on the left and sending over an inch-perfect cross that Langmead timing his run with such perfection that he simply could not miss.
Their tails up, Town poured forward, Alex Nicholls running from deep and having a shot blocked and Huws firing straight at the goalkeeper with a low, left-footed effort.
This period of play was Northampton at their most dominant of the season. Even without four certain first-team players they looked a slick outfit with the ability to play both with strength and at speed.
Still, Nicholls needed to be alert to hold an overhead effort from Jamie Cureton as Exeter tried to get on the front foot in the formative stages of the second half, employing an adventurous 4-3-3 formation with former Cobbler Aaron Davies switched to the centre.
Alan Gow was a half-time introduction and was arguably Exeter’s best player – with 22 minutes of the game left he played a perfect wall pass and rattled a post with his eventual shot.
Gow was at the centre of all the visitors’ best play and threaded a pass through to Cureton that ended with the striker on the ground after a tangle with left-back Joe Widdowson. Penalties have been given for such incidents, and the visiting coaching staff made it clear they felt one should have been awarded at that moment.
Exeter’s attacking prowess was substantial enough to warrant a tactical reaction from Aidy Boothroyd, with the manager replacing the tiring Akinfenwa with central midfielder Lewis Hornby and switching to a five-man midfield with Tozer at its anchor.
Still the away side came forward, Cureton failing to convert a through-ball as his almost lazy finish was blocked to safety by Nicholls with Anthony Charles mopping up behind.
Then came the result-sealing third. Hackett swirled over a free-kick, Langmead heading it down and Nicholls met it on the run to put the contest firmly to bed.
Cobblers: L Nicholls, Hackett, Langmead, Charles, Widdowson, Demontagnac, Tozer, Huws, A Nicholls, Akinfenwa, Platt
Subs: Roofe (for Demontagnac 61), Hornby (for Akinfenwa 81), Moult (for Platt 90+2)
Not used: Snedker, Mukendi, Wilson
Exeter City: Evans, Amankwaah, Baldwin, Coles, Woodman, Tully, Oakley, Bennett, Davies, O’Flynn, Cureton
Subs: Gow (for Amankwaah 46), Sercombe (for O’Flynn 61), Doherty (for Baldwin 78)
Not used: Krysiak, Moore-Taylor, Keohane, Bauza
Attendance: 4,607
Away fans: 370