So after a week of stewing on their first defeat, the Shrewsbury Town response could barely have been more emphatic, writes James Garrison.

Saturday’s thoroughly deserved victory over Northampton represented just another small step in the long pursuit of the holy grail of promotion.

But it was arguably the most significant success that Graham Turner’s side have notched so far this season.

If the reverse at Gillingham posed a set of questions over how Town will respond in the face of adversity, they delivered a clinical set of answers against the Cobblers.

It was an afternoon when all the boxes were ticked – comfortable victory, strong performance and a return to the top of the table.

It was difficult to find a genuine weak leak within the Shrewsbury chain on a day when Jake Robinson took his goal tally for the season to seven and Craig Disley dictated proceedings from central midfield.

Once again victory came with no shortage of style and the performance for the opening hour offered further evidence that when Shrewsbury find their stride, they are going to take some halting.

Northampton, a side expected to be amongst the promotion contenders and who have the small matter of a Carling Cup trip to Liverpool on their agenda for Wednesday night, could have few complaints at travelling home empty-handed.

For the best part of an hour, they were stretched by the pace, movement and mobility of a Town side’s whose cutting edge was blunted by the late withdrawal of Lionel Ainsworth.

And when the visitors threatened an unlikely revival with an against-the-run-of-play equaliser on the stroke of half-time, a rapid Robinson double quickly took the game away from them.

And what of Robinson’s stark transformation from a player who stuttered through his opening season at Shrewsbury with four goals to one who has already found the net seven times this term.

His two finishes against the Cobblers was evidence of a player whose confidence is restored and has rediscovered the belief to add to his undoubted talents.

His partnership with Matt Harrold – which has already brought 11 goals before the end of September with power to add – has also got Shrewsbury fans purring about a strike pairing for the first time since Rogers-Jemson.

It was to be Harrold who made the 12th minute breakthrough, responding first to seeing his shot blocked by Seb Harris before flicking the ball over the pedestrian defender and beating Chris Dunn with a deft finish.

The early opener was no more than Town deserved for a flying start as they set about righting the wrongs of last week.

The gap could have been stretched with Mark Wright, a constant first half threat, hitting the target on three occasions as he cut in off the left flank.

But if Shrewsbury dominated possession, territory and chances, there was parity on the scoresheet by the interval, Kevin Thornton’s 25 yard free-kick beating Chris Neal on the stroke of half-time after Ian Sharps had been harshly penalised for what was adjudged a foul on Leon McKenzie.

Step forward Robinson who, with supporters still digesting their half-time refreshments, had put Shrewsbury back in control.

His first strike was all about displaying composure as he was sent racing clear when Northampton failed to deal with a routine clearance from Neal before slotting in the bottom corner.

And Robinson then displayed power and precision to drill his second of the afternoon past helpless Northampton goalkeeper Dunn from 20 yards after neat build-up play from Mat Sadler and Wright.

Two goals in four minutes for Robinson almost became three in nine, only for the striker to drag the easiest of the trio of chances wide of the post.

But that miss proved of little consequence as Shrewsbury closed out the game with the minimum of fuss, Northampton’s only two late chances coming from distance.

It was very much normal service resumed for Shrewsbury on an afternoon which again underlined their promotion credentials.