SWINDON Town suffered their first League Two defeat since the opening day after Northampton Town departed the County Ground as 2-1 winners on Saturday.

A poor first half from both teams, quality-wise, made way for a better second, and Jonny Williams netted his third of the season to put Scott Lindsey’s men in front midway through.

But substitute Ben Fox made a significant difference for the Cobblers, netting the first to equalise before setting up Mitch Pinnock for the second with minutes remaining.

Defeat saw Swindon drop to 10th ahead of the re-arranged League Two contest with Newport County on Tuesday.

Swindon made two changes to the side which beat Grimsby Town 2-1 with 10 men last weekend.

Saidou Khan was suspended as a result of his dismissal at Blundell Park while Tyrese Shade dropped to the bench. Jonny Williams, fresh from a week away with Wales, and Louis Reed – returning from injury – came back into the starting XI.

The Cobblers had to make do without the division's top scorer, Sam Hoskins as he was ruled out through illness. Former Swindon defender Akin Odimayo was on the bench while ex-Robins left-back Ali Koiki started.

It was Northampton who were first to show, and they almost added another to their considerable set-piece goal tally in the sixth minute. Pinnock whipped the ball in left footed and Harvey Lintott flicked on towards the back post. Sam Sherring was inches away from poking in, but he was just too late and Swindon survived.

In the 15th minute, the visitors could well have won a penalty too. Louis Appere benefitted from a poor back pass and 50-50 victory over Tom Clayton, and he attempted to round Sol Brynn and slot home. Only, as he rounded Brynn he went over. It looked like a clear penalty in real time, but referee Alan Young saw nothing doing and waved play on.

In a game which offered very little in terms of clear-cut chances, the Cobblers’ Ryan Haynes cross-shot was easily collected by Brynn 10 minutes before the break.

Moments later, fresh off the back of agreeing a new three-and-a-half-year contract extension, Jacob Wakeling picked up the ball in midfield and set off on a Lionel Messi-inspired run through the heart of the Cobblers' midfield which only resulted in a corner instead of the goal it perhaps deserved.

Former Swindon man Koiki was taken off with a concussion-related injury shortly before the break, as the two teams went in level.

Swindon created the first good chance of the second half but Williams scuffed his effort into the wall of sky blue and brown following a low Hutton cross.

Up the other end, Northampton wasted a glorious chance to take the lead shortly before the hour mark. The visitors took advantage of a quick throw-in deep inside the Swindon half, finding Pinnock inside the box. He squared Hutton up before lashing over when well set with his left.

That miss would prove costly a matter of minutes later, as Swindon took the lead. The hosts worked it around quickly down the left following a throw-in, and Williams broke into the box before calmly picking out the bottom right corner with his right.

It took just six minutes for the visitors to equalise, though. After Blake-Tracy had committed a needless foul on the corner of his own box which resulted in a yellow card to boot, Pinnock crossed into the near post, and substitute Fox flicked into the far post. Northampton’s successful free-kick made it 13 goals from 23 that have come via a set-piece so far this season.

There was almost a third goal in quick succession after Northampton’s Harvey Lintott sliced an attempted clearance across the box following a Blake-Tracy cross from the left. But despite Lee Burge’s theatrical dive across, it sailed harmlessly wide of goal.

But in the 88th minute, the Cobblers snatched the points. Fox crossed in powerfully from the right, and Pinnock controlled his volley brilliantly at the back post to divert past Brynn.

Inside five minutes of added time, substitute Ciaran Brennan headed against the post for Swindon, and Lindsey’s men suffered their first league defeat since the opening day.

STFC starting XI: Brynn, Hutton, MacDonald, Clayton, Blake-Tracy, Reed, Gladwin, Darcy, Williams, Jephcott, Wakeling.

STFC substitutes: Brann, Iandolo, Aguiar, Shade, Lavinier, Roberts, Brennan.

NTFC starting XI: Burge, Sowerby, Guthrie, Sherring, Appere, Pinnock, Leonard, Koiki, Bowie, Lintott, Haynes.

NTFC substitutes: Maxted, Fox, Hylton, Odimayo, Abimbola, Cross.

Referee: Alan Young

Attendance: 9,789 (614)