Rejuvenated Wanderers produced another away-day special to make it a hat-trick of League One wins and keep moving up the table, writes Pete Oliver.
The Whites blew Town away for 90 minutes on a stormy night at the Sixfields Stadium with a couple of goals in each half making it two wins in four productive days on their travels.
John McAtee’s early goal set Ian Evatt’s men on their way and they never looked back until leaking two injury-time goals which only took a slight edge off a commanding performance which further underlined their return to form.
Captain George Thomason coolly lobbed home the second before half-time and Eoin Toal’s first goal of the season and a sixth of the campaign after coming off the bench from Dion Charles then guaranteed a third away victory of the season.
Only late goals from former Wanderer Tom Eaves and Town captain Jon Guthrie stopped it being a perfect night as the Whites – with Ricardo Almeida Santos in imperious form – were denied a second successive clean sheet and the chance to record a biggest away win since beating Peterborough United 5-0 in February, 2023.
After a day’s heavy rain in Northamptonshire it took a couple of checks from referee Matt Corlett to give the game the go-ahead and in the soggy conditions the Whites made the slickest of starts.
Santos was given a fantastic reception by the travelling fans and it was the defender who sparked the move which produced the opening goal after just six minutes.
Santos’ perfectly weighted pass allowed Szabi Schön to burst clear down the left flank and his low cross was superbly delivered into the penalty area for McAtee – who started in attack alongside Aaron Collins – to hit a first-time finish fizzing past Lee Burge.
Wanderers looked lethal on the break and Kyle Dempsey was only inches away from a second goal as his powerful drive went just wide.
But after Nathan Baxter had shown impeccable handling to gather and a shot from Mitch Pinnock, a save he repeated later in the half, Wanderers didn’t have to wait much longer to double their lead.
And it was another classy goal as revitalised play-maker Josh Sheehan flighted a pass over the Town defence for Thomason to run through and calmly lob the ball home over the advancing Burge mid-way through a dominant first half.
With the rain finally stopping, Northampton raised the tempo after the break to try and find a way back into the game but it was Wanderers who again went closest to scoring again when Dempsey again advanced from midfield to collect a pass from Schön and sent another effort skidding just wide.
That was the cue for another burst of attacking for the Whites as they killed the game off as the hour approached as Dempsey caused Town all sorts of problems and the ever-dangerous Schön saw a shot blocked.
The wing-back’s effort was deflected wide for a corner and from Sheehan’s delivery Toal peeled around the back to bundle the ball over the line in front of the celebrating Whites’ fans.
It was then just a question of whether Wanderers would add to their tally and with seven minutes to go they rounded off an exemplary night’s work when Scott Arfield fed fellow substitute Charles to ruthlessly steer home his fifth league goal of the campaign.
The top scorer could then have added another to his tally but after opting not to pass, Burge’s touch onto the post saved the Cobblers further punishment as Wanderers stayed in the groove ahead of Saturday’s homecoming against Shrewsbury despite late headers from Eaves and Guthrie.
Wanderers: Baxter; Toal, Santos, Johnston; Sheehan; Dacres-Cogley, Dempsey (Matete 75), Thomason (Arfield 75), Schön (Williams 82); Collins (Charles 72), McAtee (Adeboyejo 72). Substitutes: Southwood (GK), Lolos.
Booked: Thomason, Schön
Northampton: Burge; Odimayo (Eaves 62), Baldwin, Guthrie, Mbete; Sowerby; Pinnock, Chouchane (McCarron 68), McGeehan; Roberts, Fosu (Hoskins 62). Substitutes: Tzanev (GK), McGowan, Willis, Fox.
Booked: McGeehan, Chouchane
Referee: Matt Corlett
Attendance: 5,730 (Bolton 633)
