Whereas 2012 opened with the Cobblers having failed to win any of their last dozen league games, 2013 started brightly for Aidy Boothroyd's side as they eased past Dagenham & Redbridge.
Having been forced into inaction by the postponements of their games at AFC Wimbledon and Gillingham, Town took out their frustrations on the Londoners at Sixfields.
While those postponements may cause some fixture congestion later in the season they certainly allowed the Cobblers to keep their freshness over the festive period although Boothroyd felt his men were 'ring-rusty' at the start of the Dagenham game.
With games in hand on all of the teams above them Northampton lie four points off the play-off places and seven behind the team in third place.
"The result has given us the platform to push on for the play-offs," said the manager afterwards.