Full-time: Swindon Town 2 Northampton Town 1

With Halloween approaching, Swindon Town at last broke their miserable Wiltshire spell and finally won at the County Ground again.

Seventy-three days had elapsed since Town opened the season with a rousing 3-1 victory over Tranmere Rovers.

Since then Swindon fans had endured a wretched lean period of five successive defeats culminating in the recent 3-1 defeat against Huddersfield Town that prompted angry protests against manager Maurice Malpas.

But Malpas and the board held their nerve, the players refused to buckle and last night the much-maligned Swindon defence remained resolute to ensure that goals from Billy Paynter and Simon Cox delivered all three points.

Seven-and-a-half hours of football had passed since Town fans had last seen their team win at the County Ground.

Back in those heady August days, Britain's Olympians were just warming to their task in Beijing and the global banking system had yet to implode.

The world may be a different place now but the storyline at Swindon looked familiar as Town, shorn of confidence and without a win in seven League One games, struggled to get going in the opening half.

Malpas made one change from the team that lost 2-1 at Southend on Saturday, recalling Anthony McNamee to the starting line-up at the expense of Yinka Casal.

Northampton, whose confidence was high after Saturday's 3-0 hammering of Yeovil Town extended their unbeaten spell to five games, looked the brighter of the two sides.

After just four minutes midfielder Luke Guttridge almost forced his way through for the visitors.

But Michael Pook made an excellent block tackle. Karl Hawley then flashed a shot just over in the 12th minute while three minutes later Ryan Gilligan spotted Peter Brezovan off his line and his well-judged lob forced the Town goalkeeper to backtrack desperately and kick the ball over the crossbar for a corner.

In the 21st minute Gilligan was again involved in an incident with Brezovan.

The Town keeper reacted quickly to rush out of his area as Guttridge's pass split open the Town defence, but in clearing the ball he appeared to clip the ankles of the Northampton winger. Northampton's players immediately looked to referee Andy D'Urso for what could have easily been a red card for Brezovan, but the official allowed play to continue.

The incident seemed to spur on Swindon. Maybe it was going to be their night after all?

McNamee must have thought so when he cut inside from the left wing and fired a terrific right foot shot against an upright.

Just before the half-hour Lee Peacock and Pook combined to release McNamee again and this time the winger forced a smart save from Cobblers keeper Frank Fielding.

Paynter broke the deadlock in the 48th minute, drilling the ball home from 15 yards for his sixth goal of the season.

The relief was palpable and suddenly Town found their confidence again. Paynter flashed a shot across goal and then Peacock rattled the crossbar as the hosts searched for the decisive second goal.

It finally came in the 61st minute as Cox headed in his 11th goal of the season following a good build-up involving Pook and Sean Morrison.

To their credit, Northampton refused to buckle, and subs Giles Coke and Adebayo Akinfenwa both missed glorious chances to score before the former popped up with a consolation goal deep into injury-time.

Fortunately for Swindon, the referee blew up virtually straight afterwards, leaving Town to celebrate a much-needed victory.

Swindon Town: Brezovan; J Smith, Morrison, Aljofree, Timlin; McGovern, Pook, Peacock (Easton, 78), McNamee (Corr, 90); Paynter, Cox. Subs not used: P Smith, Amankwaah, Nalis.

Northampton: Fielding; Crowe (Coke, 62) Hughes, Doig, Jackman; Gilligan (Akinfenwa 62) Guttridge, Osman, Holt (Dolman, 82); Constantine, Hawley. Subs not used: Dunn, Henderson.