Having been linked with a move away from Sixfields in the summer as Aidy Boothroyd sought to reshape his squad, Akinfenwa's season has come to life in recent weeks and his value to the Town cause was highlighted by the after-match comments of Accrington manager Leam Richardson.
"We had worked all week on combating Akinfenwa as he has been around this league a long time and we know what he does," said Richardson, who felt his side coped well apart from a 'crazy' five minutes.
Boothroyd, meanwhile, admitted that he had feared at the beginning of the season that Akinfenwa had lost some of his edge. Some tough love, though, seems to be having a positive effect on the player and the team.
"He (Akinfenwa) likes his lie-ins but it’s a bit like your kids. I don’t give my kids what they want, I give them what they need," said the Northampton boss.