Liam Cross scored a brace as Northampton Town Under 18s beat Stevenage 5-1 away in the EFL Youth Alliance League on a wet Saturday morning.
Max Dyche, Josh Flanagan and Jack Connor got the other goals as the young Cobblers moved into second place in the table.
Stevenage created the first opportunity of the game early on as a deep cross was volleyed onto the bar from close range.
After 20 minutes, the Cobblers' had their first shot. The Stevenage keeper rushed out to clear a loose ball, and Liam Cross' lob from 30 yards was headed off the line.
Max Dyche opened the scoring five minutes later when a Liam Cross corner went through a crowd of bodies, allowing the centre-back to turn the ball into the top corner at the back post.
The Cobblers came close to a second soon after when Lewis Gilbert was played in down the right. He cut back for captain Tom Scott, whose close range effort was blocked.
Josh Flanagan doubled the Cobblers' lead on the half-hour-mark, jumping highest to head home another deep Liam Cross corner from 12 yards.
A few minutes later, Miguel Ngwa played the ball out wide to Liam Cross, whose drive across goal just evaded Jack Connor in the middle.
It was three moments later. Jack Connor played the ball in behind on the break, and Liam Cross slotted it past the keeper.
The Cobblers had the first chance of the second period, as Jack Connor found Lewis Gilbert on the edge of the area and the winger's shot was smothered by the onrushing Stevenage keeper.
Stevenage pulled a goal back 10 minutes into the half when an attacker ran in between Max Dyche and Peter Abimbola and went down. Dylan Berry got his fingertips on the ball, but it found the right corner.
The Cobblers won a penalty of their own after an hour when Peter Abimbola was brought down in the area. Liam Cross found the bottom left corner with his spot kick to restore his side's three-goal advantage.
With 20 minutes remaining, multiple Stevenage efforts were blocked in quick succession by Max Dyche before substitute Kieran Watkins-Robinson cleared a close range shot off the line.
Moments later, Dylan Hill curled just over from the edge of the area less than a minute before Jack Connor scored a fifth on the turn after a scramble near the penalty spot.
Kieran Watkins-Robinson blocked a clearance and the ball dropped to Tom Scott, whose half-volley from 25 yards flashed just wide with 10 minutes to go.
The Cobblers saw out the last few minutes to secure a comfortable win. They travel to Gillingham next week.
Starting XI - Berry (sub Woods, 76); Lack, Dyche, Flanagan, Hill (sub Smith-Howes, 84); Cross, Scott, Abimbola (sub Watkins-Robinson, 61); Gilbert, Connor, Ngwa (sub Ndefo, 83).
Goals - Dyche (0-1, 24), Flanagan (0-2, 30), Cross (0-3, 41), Cross (1-4, 57), Connor (1-5, 72).
Bookings - Hill (foul).