Swindon relieved the pressure on under-fire boss Maurice Malpas with a spirited win over Northampton to end their run of five straight home defeats.

Billy Paynter‘s fierce 48th minute drive and Simon Cox’s 61st minute header got the boo-boys off the manager’s back before substitute Giles Coke pulled a goal back for the Cobblers three minutes into stoppage time.

Northampton started the brighter of the two teams and it needed a terrific last-ditch sliding tackle from Michael Pook to deny Luke Guttridge in the box, after he had raced onto Karl Hawley’s neat lay-off in the fourth minute.

Hawley snuck in behind a nervous-looking Town back-line soon afterwards but his 12-yard angled drive flew just over the bar, after he had latched onto Andrew Holt’s headed flick.

Ryan Gilligan’s cheeky 30-yard lob was then tipped over by the bar by back-pedalling Robins goalkeeper Peter Brezovan on the quarter of an hour mark.

Swindon mustered their first meaningful attack in the 18th minute when Lee Peacock rose above his marker to head Anthony McNamee’s cross wide from ten yards.

But Swindon had enormous let-off three minutes later as Gilligan raced through on goal onto his own headed flick and appeared to be tripped by Brezovan he nipped the ball past him on the edge of the box.

Gilligan tried to stay on his feet to put the ball into the gaping net but the off-balance midfielder stumbled to the ground and referee Andy D’Urso amazingly waved away his protests for a free-kick.

Dangerous Robins winger McNamee became more involved as the first half wore on and his fierce 16-yard angled drive hit the bar in the 24th minute, after Pook’s superb sliding tackle on Guttridge had set up the chance.

McNamee then had a 20-yard curler saved one-handed by Northampton’s on-loan Blackburn goalkeeper Frank Fielding, who initially looked to be wrong-footed but recovered just in time to make the save.

Paynter gave Swindon the perfect start to the second half when he put them ahead just three minutes after the re-start.

The 24-year-old striker collected Cox’s pass in the right channel and rode the challenge of Danny Jackman before drilling a low 15-yard angled drive past Fielding for his fifth goal of the season.

The confidence came flooding back to the Robins and Paynter fired another angled drive just wide before Peacock’s exquisite 25-yard curler hit the bar.

But Swindon didn’t have to wait long to double their lead as Cox made it 2-0 in the 61st minute.

Pook’s deep cross was headed back across goal by Sean Morrison and Cox stole in unmarked to head his 11th goal of the season past Fielding and into the corner of the net from six yards.

Northampton substitute Coke should have pulled a goal back five minutes later but, after latching onto fellow sub Adebayo Akinfenwa’s pass and slipping a tackle in the box, he slotted wide when one-on-one with Brezovan.

Brezovan then saved well from Leon Constantine before Akinfenwa headed straight at the Swindon keeper from seven yards as the Cobblers piled on the pressure.

At the other end, Cox volleyed Paynter’s knock-back over the bar from seven yards in the 84th minute.

Coke pulled a goal back for Northampton with a well-placed far post header from fellow sub Liam Dolman’s cross but it was too little, too late for the Cobblers.

Swindon Town: Brezovan, J Smith, Timlin, Aljofree (c), McGovern, McNamee (Corr 90), Pook, Paynter, Morrison, Cox, Peacock (Easton 78). Subs: P Smith, Easton, Corr, Amankwaah, Nalis.

Northampton Town: Fielding, Crowe, Jackman, Hughes (booked 11), Doig (c), Constantine, Holt (Dolman 82), Osman (Coke 63), Hawley, Gilligan (booked 38) (Akinfenwa 63), Guttridge. Subs: Dunn, Coke, Akinfenwa, Henderson, Dolman.

Referee: A P D’Urso.

Attendance: 6,643.