Town 1 Northampton 2 - Report and pictures
Shrewsbury Town missed the chance to go back to the top of League Two after Northampton left the Greenhous Meadow with all three spoils.
A goal in each half, the first from Chris Hackett and the second from Joel Byrom, proved too much for Town, despite Micky Demetriou's reply.
League leaders Burton Albion, three points ahead, lost at home to Newport County, while third-placed Wycombe could only draw with Stevenage.
That left it as you were with Town sitting second, while the visiting Cobblers climbed into the top 10 by stunning the home side with a win.
Northampton started brightly with Lawson D'Ath twice off target, with shots from the edge of the box before the Cobblers were rewarded with a 20th minute breakthrough.
D'Ath ran at the Shrewsbury defence and slipped a pass to Hackett who arrowed a fine shot from 20 yards to the far corner of the net, a finish which left goalkeeper Jayson Leutwiler with no chance.
Shrewsbury picked up as the first half developed and Scott Vernon volleyed a cross from Ryan Woods narrowly over before Vernon's close range effort was straight at keeper Matt Duke.
Shrewsbury were close to an equaliser right on half time but Vernon's cross-shot just eluded James Collins with the goal gaping.
Northampton doubled their lead two minutes into the second half with Byron powering home an angled 15-yard shot from a well worked free kick.
It was the signal for Shrewsbury to push forward in numbers and they finally clawed a goal back in the 83rd minute when Mickey Demetriou headed in a Bobby Grant free kick.
Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro then had a fine chance to salvage a stoppage-time point but nodded a Demetriou cross just wide as Shrewsbury suffered a second successive defeat.
