A goal by Dan Kemp midway through the second half followed by a debut strike from Gassan Ahadme gave Stevenage a 2-0 win at home to Northampton that sent them top of Sky Bet League One.
The visitors to the Lamex, meanwhile, are still searching for their first win of the season but had frustrated Boro for large parts.
However, a free-kick from Phoenix Patterson in the 67th minute was sent to the back post for Charlie Goode to nod back across goal.
The partial clearance, though, was put back into the box by the head of Jordan Houghton with Kemp arriving to flick it in.
The Boro number 10 was involved in the second in the 82nd minute, sliding it into the channel for Ahadme to hook across Lee Burge on the stretch, 90 seconds or so into his debut after joining from Charlton.
Chances had been limited before that but Northampton’s former Stevenage forward Elliott List had two of them.
He blazed the first well over after a break from his own half while another flicked off a defender and went behind.
