Jim Mallinder has confirmed Saints will be bringing in a long-term replacement for Louis Picamoles.

But the new player will not move to Northampton until the start of the new year.

The player Saints have signed currently has club commitments elsewhere and will complete those before he switches to Franklin’s Gardens.

Picamoles left Northampton during the summer as Montpellier bought him out of the final two years of his Saints contract.

The players’ and supporters’ player of the year has left a void that needs filling and though Saints can call on the impressive Teimana Harrison and Mitch Eadie, who joined from Bristol during the close season, Mallinder knew his team needed extra bulk.

Sam Dickinson has been drafted in on a short-term deal, having originally been released at the end of last season.

And the experienced No.8 will cover until the new player arrives in January.

“Louis Picamoles had left the club so we needed a replacement,” Mallinder said.

“We have got a long-term replacement for Louis Picamoles, but he won’t be here until the new year.

“Sam was out of contract and he’s got some things going on after Christmas but he was available on a short-term deal and it was an obvious thing to do.

“He knows the club, he’s a great leader, he’ll be pushing for a first-team spot and he’s trained really well during pre-season.

“We’re delighted he’s joined us on that short-term deal.”

George North is available for Saints’ Aviva Premiership opener against Saracens at Twickenham on Saturday.

The Wales wing picked up a hamstring injury during the British & Irish Lions series draw in New Zealand, forcing him to head home from the tour early.

He has not featured for Saints during pre-season, but is now fit enough to return.

And Mallinder will have to choose whether to put the player straight back in the squad for this weekend’s big game against the current European champions.

“George North is getting on well,” Mallinder said.

“He’s trained fully today (Tuesday) so he’ll be available for selection.

“He’s up and raring to go.”

But two players who definitely won’t play on Saturday are fly-halves Piers Francis and Stephen Myler.

Myler is still recovering from the knee problem he sustained against Saracens at Stadium MK back in April, while Francis fractured his jaw in the pre-season win against Glasgow.

And Mallinder said: “Piers will be out for a few weeks.

“He cracked his jaw so he’s already mending. It was a week and a half ago now.

“He’ll be back in a few weeks - it’s not a long-term injury.

“It’s disappointing for him to come over and be really looking forward to the start and then get that injury, but he’ll be back in a few weeks.

“Stephen Myler is making good progress and we hoped he would be fit to start the season, but he’s just been slightly delayed and he’ll be fit and ready to play in the middle of September.”

Saints welcomed Australia back Rob Horne and South Africa scrum-half Cobus Reinach to the club this week, with the pair having joined from the Waratahs and the Sharks respectively.

Both concluded their Super Rugby season in July and Mallinder will now consider the right time to throw them into action, with Monday night’s Wanderers game at Sale Sharks seemingly the most likely option.

“They have arrived,” Mallinder confirmed.

“They arrived at the weekend so they’ve been training the past couple of days and we have to make up our mind as to whether it’s too soon to put them in this weekend.

“They are available for selection but if we don’t put them in, we might be seeing them up at Sale on Monday night.

“That’s why these second-team games are really important because we’ve got a squad that has played well during pre-season - the youngsters, the experienced players, the new players joining, everyone has put their hand up for selection.

“We can only select 15 and eight on the bench so these Monday night games will really give us a chance for the other lads to put their hands up and show the coaches they’re ready for first-team rugby.”

Tom Wood is available for selection this weekend after completing his six-week ban for stamping in the final game of last season: the Champions Cup play-off win against Stade Français.

But Wood may also have to wait until Monday night, having not been able to play during pre-season.

Centre Tom Stephenson picked up a dead leg in the win against Ulster last Friday and is a doubt for this weekend.

Rusty the one-year-old the ginger domestic shorthair was taken sometime between 9.30pm on Sunday and 10am on Monday (August 28), deliberately mutilated and then left on the doorstep of the owner’s home in the Kingsley area of Northampton.

PC Andrew Glover said: “We would like anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the area to get in contact. Rusty was a beloved pet and the family are understandably devastated. I would like to stress that we are in the early stages of investigating and are considering a number of lines of enquiry at this stage.”

The family have requested their privacy be respected during this time.

Anyone with information should call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555111.

Northants skipper Alex Wakely has confirmed Adam Rossington’s injury ‘doesn’t look too promising’ after the wicketkeeper-batsman suffered a hand problem at Trent Bridge.

It was a painful second day all round for the County in the Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash with Nottinghamshire.

Ben Sanderson (hamstring) and Wakely (hand) also picked up injuries as Northants were hit by an impressive century by their former player, Rikki Wessels.

Wessels racked up an unbeaten 107 as his side ended the day on 317 for eight, having recovered from 227 for eight.

Northants are now really up against it as they are 389 runs behind the league leaders heading into day three.

And Wakely said: “We’ve been thoroughly outplayed on both days.

“It was an exceptional innings today from Riki Wessels. That’s as good a knock, especially in the situation, that you are going to come across.

“At the moment his two innings have been the defining moments in the game.

“The light has helped us out a little bit (day two ended early due to bad light) but we’ve still got a massive task ahead of us.

“We’ve got to put in the sort of performance that shows the character we’ve got in the dressing room.”

On the injuries, Wakely said: “It’s not been great for us today.

“Me and Rosso (Rossington) have both had x-rays. Touchwood mine’s okay, I did it catching Alex Hales in the slips on the first day, but Rosso’s doesn’t look too promising - it isn’t a good one.

“We don’t know how bad it is but it doesn’t look good for him, and Ben (Sanderson) walking off like that didn’t look very good - we think it’s a hamstring.”

Even the Checkatrade Trophy could not provide the Cobblers with a first win of the season as they were held 1-1 by League Two Cambridge on Tuesday night, although they at least had the comfort of triumphing 5-4 in the subsequent penalty shoot-out.

Using the revamped ABBA format, both sides put on an impressively high quality display of penalty taking and United's Liam O'Neil was the only man who failed to score, denied by Luke Coddington, as Alex Revell, Joe Iaciofano, Billy Waters, Shaun McWilliams and Ash Taylor all scored for Town to give Sixfields something to shout about.

Earlier, the first-half was not without its chances and that was reflected in the half-time scoreline with Piero Mingoia's precise finish immediately cancelled out by Revell.

But a mildly entertaining first period then made way for a quite frankly awful second that passed by almost without incident, culminating in a spot-kick contest to decide who takes the extra point, with Northampton prevailing.

Edinburgh abandoned 3-5-2 for the first time this season and instead lined up 4-4-2 for the visit of Cambridge with Waters and Daniel Powell on either wing behind a front two of Revell and Chris Long.

Town made the more purposeful start but the first chance went to Cambridge and Jabo Ibehre, whose shot from an acute angle was pushed wide by Coddington.

There were few signs of life in what was a scrappy start but Town enjoyed a more promising passage of play midway through the half when visiting keeper Dimitar Mitov was twice forced into action, denying both Revell and Powell.

Unfortunately, however, that was immediately followed by the opening goal - which came at the other end.

After a piece of neat interplay on the edge of Town's area, Mingoia drilled a left-footed shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

The lead didn't last long, though, and parity was restored within just 90 seconds when Long burst through the middle and after he lost possession, the ball rolled kindly to Revell who emphatically rifled into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

United instantly came back with two chances in a minute but both Emmanuel Osadebe and Jevani Brown saw their shots fly off target after deflections before Northampton ended the half on top.

Powell's trickery and directness had caught the eye and his outright pace led to another opportunity when he won the race to Revell's flick-on but Mitov was there again, while Waters was denied by a fantastic last-ditch block on the brink of half-time.

Only a crucial defensive touch by U's skipper Leon Legge prevented Waters from having a free header straight after the restart, but there was little else to speak of in what was a largely drab second period.

Matt Grimes shot over from 25 yards and Long headed Waters' cross wide before a ragged spell from the hosts allowed Cambridge to threatened but Mingoia slashed wildly over and David Buchanan produced a brilliant last-ditch tackle.

Young Iaciofano was introduced with 10 minutes left in an attempt to liven up proceedings but nothing would prevent the inevitably of a shoot-out, and it was the home side who earned themselves the bonus point.

Match facts

Cobblers: Coddington, Moloney, Barnett, Taylor, Buchanan (c), Waters, McWilliams, Grimes, Powell, Revell, Long (Iaciofano 80)

Subs not used: Cornell, Pierre, Smith, Crooks, Bowditch, Richards

Cambridge: Mitov, Carroll, Legge (c), Mingoia, Ibehre (Azeez 61), Osadebe, O'Neil, Brown, Lewis (Elito 66), Davies (Taylor 90), Darling

Subs not used: Iron, Squire, Norville-Williams, Worman

Referee: John Brooks

Attendance: 1,453

Cambridge fans: 143

Northampton came into the game having lost on their last five outings but Alex Revell's thumping first-half finish cancelled out Cambridge's earlier opener and earned them a draw in the Checkatrade Trophy clash at Sixfields.

And the Cobblers went on to claim an extra point by winning the penalty shoot-out as they scored all five spot-kicks while Luke Coddington made the crucial save.

"I'm really pleased for the players," said Edinburgh "It was a difficult situation with the circumstances at the minute on the back of a real tough couple of days.

"We got a result and that's what we needed, just psychologically for everyone connected with the club. It's a draw and we won the penalty shoot-out but it gives us an opportunity to go into the Doncaster game and have a better morale amongst the group.

"We'll go and do a lot of work on the training ground and give us a platform to try and build on something."

Alex Revell, Joe Iaciofano, Shaun McWilliams, Billy Waters and Ash Taylor all scored their penalties in a high-quality shoot-out.

"We scored five out of five penalties and Luke made a good save to win us the tie," added Edinburgh.

"I asked for some honesty in the performance tonight. Again I think we perhaps played better in spells in different games this season but I feel we got a trust back within the squad and we worked very hard.

"It became a bit scrappy in the second-half but we dug deep and saw the game out. We had one or two chances in the first-half and we might have had the lead but one of the big positives was the reaction after we went behind.

"There were small achievements and they might seem minor to the outside but they're huge benefit and huge belief we can take from it."

One notable feature of the evening came on the touchline where there was little sign of Edinburgh's usually frantic instructions, instead he spent much of the game sitting down and out of sight.

"It was a deliberate ploy," he explained. "I'm not hiding away from anything, it was the fact that it's not about me - it's about the players on the pitch and the supporters gave their support to them.

"I felt that if I'm there I might antagonise and it might become about me and I don't want that, I don't want it to be about me. I want it to be about what goes on out on the pitch for the 90 minutes.

"So I thought for me to take a back seat it might diffuse the atmosphere in here tonight and I think that worked."

A Northampton children's centre play garden has been ransacked by vandals a week before they open for the new term.

Staff were "shocked" to return from the bank holiday yesterday (August 29) to find broken locks and upturned sheds at The Blackthorn Good Neighbours Nursery and Family Centre, in Longmead Court, Blackthorn.

The unknown raiders kicked in the windows of a brand new playhouse, broke signs and stole 40 pairs of children's gardening gloves.

The damage comes as the nursery, which was rated "outstanding" in every area in their first Ofsted inspection in February, was set to reopen for the new term next Monday (September 4).

Manager Hayley Walker said: "We all feel gutted. We have 40 children coming back next week. We've been preparing all summer and now we've come back to this.

"There's nothing of expense out here but it's just a nuisance. I can't think why they've done it. It's been ruined overnight. The biggest worry is they might come back."

Northamptonshire Police say the vandalism took place between 4pm on August 27 and 8.45am on August 29.

Hayley said: "We've just got to try and put it back together before the children come back. I almost don't want them back until it's perfect for them.

"We've had some great support from people on Facebook. People care about this place.

"I feel gutted for the children, and the staff too, who work really hard for the nursery."

A spokeswoman for Northamptonshire Police said: "Witnesses or anyone with information related to this incident are asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111."

Terry Steers of the St Giles Ale House said there are three no entry signs on the Castilian Street junction but St Giles Street has none - leading to many drivers wrongfully turning right.

This comes after a £3m revamp to the independent shopping destination, which saw St Giles Street undergo widening pavements, adding parking bays on St Giles Square and adding features to the eastern end of the street intended to slow traffic and make it easier to cross.

Terry said he has personally complained to the council about the inadequate signage. "On one occasion I saw two cars come up Castilian Street and then turn right and drive the wrong way up St Giles Street - normally at speed - and I've even witnessed one go all the way up to Spencer Parade traffic lights," he said.

"It happens pretty much every day, this street is thriving at the moment but the busier it gets, the more dangerous it gets.

"When I spoke to the contractors I was told they raised concerns about the junction and signage but the council has a de-clutter policy, which means minimal signage on the roads, I don't know what the solution is to it but it's only an amount of time until someone gets hurt."

But a spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council has now said more signs on Castillion Street have been proposed by the authority.

“The initial sign design aimed at keeping street clutter to a minimum with a view of monitoring its operation in the short term," he said.

“The location and traffic movements have been monitored and it is recommended that additional signs on Castillion Street are required.

“Northamptonshire Highways are continuing to review the signage in place and are due to hold discussions with the road safety team to establish what further signage is required.

“The comments received are helpful and will be used as part of the review process.”

Bob Twiselton, 70, from Northampton, discovered the signed fourth edition copy of "The Twins at St Clare's", published in 1943, buried in a haul of books donated to the Cynthia Spencer Hospice collection point in Moulton Park.

Inside the front cover is a handwritten note by the Famous Five author herself, addressed to a fan named Barbara, that has been hidden between the pages for decades.

It was Bob's first day on the job when he uncovered the find on August 18.

He said: "I never expected it. I was sorting through the books and saw her name on the spine, and I thought, 'this might be worth something'. But then I opened it and saw it was signed by her too."

The note appears to be a reply from Enid to a fan named Barbara who wrote to the author asking for a copy of her book.

The note from Enid to her fan reads: "You sent me such a nice little letter that for once in a way I will do what I usually cannot do - send you a book of mine.

"Yours with love, Enid Blyton."

The Cynthia Spencer warehouse specialises in posting donations on eBay, but the charity says they think the book could go to auction.

Charity administrator Debbie Roe said: "We're quite amazed at it. We don't know what we want to do with it yet.

"It could have got thrown away buy thankfully Bob is so meticulous. It makes you think how many of our books have come through without us realising their real value."

With no sending address, there are no clues who Barbara could be or who donated it to the charity.

Andrew Lewer joined forces with the Canal & River Trust for a narrowboat trip of the Grand Union Canal to see how the charity is working with the community, in a bid to transform the Northampton arm.

To commemorate the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Northampton arm in 2015, a mural was created at Gayton Junction, where it joins the Grand Union Canal and a mosaic bench at Lock 17 where the canal meets the River Nene.

Sandie Morton, IWA Northampton branch secretary thought of linking the two together. She said: "I wanted to encourage more people of all ages to walk and cycle the arm. So I came up with the idea of a nature trail with mosaic plaques at each lock.

"Local children from Briar Hill and Delapre Primary Schools created the beautiful designs and manufactured them under the guidance of mosaic artist, David Bowers from Mosaic Madness.’’

In total 17 mosaics will be laid - one at each of the locks along that stretch of canal.

For the past four years, the trust has worked closely with the Northampton branch of the Inland Waterways Association, which has adopted the arm, clocking up over 5,000 volunteer hours, which include task parties to tackle vegetation clearance, weeding, and maintaining locks.

Canal & River Trust’s waterway manager, Vicky Martin said: “The Northampton arm is a canal in bloom. It is really wonderful to see the canal bringing the community together and the community, in turn, helping us to transform the waterway.’’

At the helm of the boat, Andrew Lewer MP also learnt how the trust is working with other parts of the community, including Upton Scouts, who have adopted a short stretch of the canal around lock 17 and tourism students from the University of Northampton, who have adopted a stretch of canal at Cosgrove.

The project is being funded by IWA Northampton Branch through a legacy left by long-standing member, John Faulkner.

A fortnight ago Old Northampton Group announced plans to knock down the former Fat Cats bar in Bridge Street and revert it back to its former name - The Angel Hotel - as part of £10 million scheme.

But Jonathan Williams, the managing director of St Giles-based tailors Montague Jeffery and fellow director Sally Williams, have called on the developers to try and locate a hidden relic buried in an unknown location there.

The brother and sister have a connection to the Angel Hotel stretching back to 1908, when their great-grandfather Francis Tonsley, was its proprietor.

Their grandfather Percy Williams later ran the premises, believed to have been one of the UK's oldest coaching inns, between 1923 and 1947 and their father, David Williams was even born in the front room there in 1934.

But, though they are thrilled at the promise of the hotel being brought back to life, they are hoping a time capsule long thought to have been buried 'in' a stairwell there can be located.

Sally said: "Father always used to say to us that there was this time capsule buried in the steps at the Angel Hotel.

"I don't know when it was put in there but it was a long time ago, maybe 40 or 50 years ago.

"We didn't want the developers to come along with a big bulldozer and not see it.

"It would be really interesting to see what is in there."

After being approached by the Chron, a spokesman for Old Northampton Group said he would be happy to allow Mr and Mrs Williams onto the site once building begins.

The group is yet to submit a full planning application for the site, which was mostly destroyed by fire in 2013, but has worked closely with English Heritage to develop the proposals.

Jonathan said he has very little more detail about the time capsule or why it was placed beneath the stairs of the hotel. His father David, a lawyer for the firm Hewitsons, sadly died in 2002.

"The problem is there is no one alive in the family now to ask about it," said Jonathan.

"My father said to me if anything happens to the Angel Hotel, please remember there is a time capsule buried in the steps. It would be nice to see it preserved."

Plans for the new Angel Hotel are set to be submitted in September, with construction work due to commence in “early 2018”.

For more about the proposals, click on the link here.

The vehicle came to a stop on the exit ramp of the motorway at around 7am and it has resulted in slow moving traffic.

There are currently delays of 10 minutes against expected traffic and normal traffic conditions are expected around 8.30am.

Two separate incidents on the M1 southbound this morning have resulted in delays for drivers in Northamptonshire.

Increasing delays of around eight minutes are expected between junctions 18 and 19 travelling southbound with an average speed of 10mph.

This is due to a broken down vehicle which should be cleared between 9am and 9.15am, with normal traffic conditions returning soon after.

An earlier accident involving a car colliding with the central reservation between junctions 16 an 17 resulted in police holding traffic while the recovery vehicle removed the car.

All lanes were re-opened following the successful recovery.

It’s official - trusting your gut instinct is the way forward for major life events.

A poll of 2,000 Brits revealed that instinct is the best judge when it comes to making big decisions such as buying a house or taking a job.

One in three admit setting aside logic and advice and ‘going with their gut’ on important life choices.

The survey also found three quarters believe their gut instinct usually leads them to a correct decision.

On average, the nation has had to trust its inner decision-maker four times per year - with three of those choices turning out to be the correct ones.

Nearly every Brit polled believe there is such a thing as gut instinct - with 93 per cent admitting it exists.

Correct decisions

A spokesman for online casino Casumo.com, which conducted the study, said: “It’s amazing how many Brits believe in gut instinct, and the perception that going with your gut usually leads to correct decisions.

“Our poll found that Brits are usually confident in going with their guts, and many people will go with their initial instinct despite advice otherwise.

“Almost all of us have, at one point or another, trusted our gut when it comes to a decision - whether it was a big one or a small one.”

The most common areas for us to trust our gut instincts are in relationships, at work and deciding on whether to become friends with someone.

Most found trusting their instincts paid off in other ways.

One man booked a once-in-a-lifetime trip for himself and his wife, who was unwell, to the USA. It proved to be their last trip together before she became too ill to travel.

Nightmare scenario

Another interviewed a candidate for a job who on paper appeared to have all the right attributes.

The employer’s gut instinct, however, said to pass. That candidate then went to work for a rival company, and turned out to be a nightmare.

Many suggested their gut instincts had paid off when making a bet, with one coming up trumps with a 250 to 1 winner in a horse race.

One in five Brits has had their gut instinct proved right by following their internal reactions despite advice telling them to do the opposite - although a tenth say this didn’t turn out well for them.

Half of the population believe people who have a habit of listening to their gut instinct are typically happier than those that don’t.

And when we have a really big decision to make, gut instinct is the second most important factor to help us decide - after seeking advice from partners.

It usually takes a week’s deliberating over a big decision like buying a house, a car or taking a new job, with smaller decisions like buying clothes reached in under two days.

The Casumo.com spokesman added: “Gut instinct is such a difficult thing to define. It’s just something within you that feels right or wrong.

“Some respondents described it as feeling like a compelling force, guiding the right direction - most usually coming from the pit of the stomach.

“And although gut instinct doesn’t always steer us in the right direction, the overwhelming majority of Brits think that their gut is trustworthy enough to follow, most of the time.

“Gut instinct can be an important part of reaching a decision - but make sure that you take on board advice from friends and loved ones as well.”

1 MUSIC
The Three Degrees, Lighthouse Theatre, Kettering, August 31
The Three Degrees are an American female vocal group, formed in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The group has remained a trio with two original members since Sheila Ferguson left many moons ago. A firm favourite with Prince Charles, they sang at his 30th birthday party and were guests at his wedding to Princess Diana.
www.lighthousetheatre.co.uk
2 MUSIC
Fox Chapel, Roadmender, Northampton, September 1
Fox Chapel are headlining the Roadmender on Friday. The noisy post punk quartet have been working on material to follow the single Lie Low which was released earlier this year.
www.theroadmender.com
3 MOVIE
Top Gun and Beauty and the Beast, Stanwick Lakes, September 1 and 2
It is a tale as old as time but enough about Top Gun, both of the films will be shown in the open air this week. The much loved 80s movie features both Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer. It is the most recent Beauty and the Beast which will be shown. Tickets must be booked in advance.
www.lunaflix.com
4 FOOD AND DRINK
Artisan Market and Beer, Cider and Cocktails, Wharf Distillery, Potterspury, September 2
This is the first ever festival held by the venue in Potterspury in the south of the county.
An artisan market takes place from 10am to 4pm showcasing some of the best local food vendors, while a beer, cider and cocktails event will be running until 8pm.
www.facebook.com/wharfidstillery
5 FAMILY
Little Foot Festival, Stanwick Hall, September 2
A fundraising, fun-packed event for kids young and old. The Littlefoot Festival’s theme is “All the fun of the Circus”.
Activities include circus school, meet and greet with reptiles, Dad Dancing competitions and a toddler disco.
The event is being opened at midday by Tyler West from CBBC and the actor Larry Lamb.
www.ilttlefootfestival.co.uk
6 MOVIE
In the Heat of the Night, Errol Flynn Filmhouse, September 3
Sidney Poitier stars as an African American police detective who is asked to investigate a murder in a racially hostile southern town in this Oscar winning movie.
www.errolflynnfilmhouse.com
7 FAMILY
Dahlia Festival, Kelmarsh Hall, September 3
The popular event makes a return to the Northamptonshire country house this year with a programme of specially-themed activities.
The historic walled kitchen garden is home to a wonderful, varied display of dahlias and in recent years, new American-bred varieties have been added to the collection.
www.kelmarsh.com
8 THEATRE
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Milton Keynes Theatre, from September 4 to 16
This will be the final stop on the National Theatre’s critically production. Based on the book of the same name, it sees Christopher Boone’s life turned upside down when he investigates the murder of a neightbour’s dog.
www.atgtickets.co.kuk/miltonkeynes
9 MUSIC
Great Knight Folk, Old White Hart, Northampton, September 5
Great Knight Folk is back at The Old White Hart in Northampton on Tuesday with singer songwriter Phil Hare. With a career of 30 years, Hare is regarded as one of the most distinctive guitarists on the circuit. Doors open at 7.45pm and tickets are £8.

10 AUDITIONS
Blackadder’s Christmas Carol auditions, Willow Room, Berrywood Hospital, September 5
Duston Players is celebrating its 200th productionwith this very different take on the Charles Dickens story. But the show can not go ahead without the right casting and that is why the group is seeking enthusiastic actors to take part in this show. They will need to be available for the shows taking place at the end of November and December as well as for rehearsals on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
www.dustonplayers.org.uk

Cobblers boss Justin Edinburgh is not ruling out bringing in more new signings ahead of the closing of the transfer window at 11pm on Thursday night.

The under pressure Town boss was relieved to see his team end their five-match losing streak with a 1-1 Checkatrade Trophy draw with Cambridge United at Sixfields on Tuesday night.

It was a far from convincing performance from the Cobblers against a team from a division below them, but the stalemate did at least call a halt to that demoralising losing run.

Edinburgh also believes the result ‘gives everyone a lift’ following Saturday’s crushing 4-1 derby defeat at the hands of Peterborough United, a loss that came off the back of a 4-1 defeat at Charlton Athletic.

The Cobblers are now without a game until September 9, as this weekend’s scheduled clash with Wigan Athletic has been postponed due to international call-ups, and Edinburgh says he will be talking to the club’s board to assess if the Town squad needs to be strengthened further.

Chairman Kelvin Thomas has already sanctioned the signing of 14 new players since the end of last season, but asked if there could be more new arrivals, Edinburgh said: “My immediate thoughts after the Peterborough game was about getting the team prepared for Tuesday.

“Now that’s done, we’ve got 48 hours until the deadline and that’s time for me to reflect and speak with the board and see if there’s possibilities or reasons why we could add to the squad and improve it.

“We’ll have to wait and see.”

There is no doubt these are difficult times for Edinburgh, who has now gone 14 games without a win as Cobblers boss, a run stretching back to March 14.

He was the subject of boos and jeers, as well as chants of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ from large sections of the Town supporters during the humiliation at the hands of Posh.

But he is prepared to weather the storm, and reiterated his belief that he is the right man to take the Cobblers forward, saying the effort put in by his players on Tuesday night showed the squad is still right behind him.

“I’ll always try and remain positive without being blasé,” said the Cobblers boss, who has been in charge at Sixfields for eight months.

“I’m passionate, I’m professional and I’m hard-working and I wear my emotions on my sleeve but I can’t hide behind that.

“They were difficult results (Charlton and Peterborough) and it’s been a difficult period for me as a manager but this gives me optimism and gives me hope and shows that my team are working hard for me.

“I think it gives everyone connected to the club a lift.”

One of the main things that has frustrated fans in recent weeks is Edinburgh’s insistence on playing three at the back, but on Tuesday he did switch to a 4-4-2, and certainly in the first half against Cambridge it produced a much-improved performance, with Billy Waters and Daniel Powell providing some much-needed width and cutting edge in attack.

After the match, Edinburgh admitted he is ‘a stubborn guy’ and that he is still a believer in the 3-5-2/3-4-1-2 formations, but that switching to four at the back for the visit of Cambridge was the right thing to do.

“I’m a stubborn guy but I believed, and we may go back to it and probably will stay with it, we had to go back to basics tonight,” said Edinburgh

“We had to strip it back and get the players to believe in a system that they could go and win the game, and that’s what we did.

“It wasn’t the most fluid, but that comes with getting results and hopefully this could be the kick-start of what we’re looking to achieve.”

It wasn’t a defeat, and it at least stopped the rot, but this was hardly the rip-roaring performance and resounding victory that many craved following Saturday’s events against Peterborough.

With Justin Edinburgh abandoning 3-5-2 and reverting to 4-4-2, Northampton produced a decent first-half display followed by a ragged second as they were held 1-1 by League Two Cambridge United in the Checkatrade Trophy.

The Cobblers did at least create chances as Daniel Powell and Billy Waters utilised their pace and directness to good effect, though their tendency to cut inside meant Town’s play became too narrow on occasion.

Shaun McWilliams’ energy and Matt Grimes’ quality were also features of the evening while Alex Revell’s thumping strike was just what the doctor ordered after Piero Mingoia’s precise finish had everyone fearing yet another defeat.

In truth, and as expected given the stature of the competition and the form of these two teams, there was little to shout about throughout the game, particularly in a quite frankly dreadful second-half that followed what had been a mildly entertaining first 45 minutes.

The penalty shoot-out was of an impressively high quality at least, and those in Cobblers colours shone most. Youngsters McWilliams, who enjoyed another decent outing, and Joe Iaciofano both emphatically dispatched their spot-kicks while Waters and Revell also had little trouble before Ash Taylor rolled home the winner.

That claimed an extra point – hurrah – and at least gave Sixfields some sorely-needed cheer. It does not, however, paper over the cracks.

With no game this weekend, the Cobblers have 10 days to get their act together before Doncaster come to town.

How they rated...

Luke Coddington - Routine early stop from Ibehre but Mingoia’s crisp strike left him grasping at thin air. Got his hand to two of the first three spot-kicks before finally saving the crucial fourth... 7

Brendan Moloney - Wasn’t able to bomb on as much as he usually tends to having been moved from wing-back to full-back, and survived a nasty second-half fall... 6

Leon Barnett - Cleared the stand with an ambitious 25-yard volley, but it’s at the other end where he’s more at home. Relatively comfortable night, bar the odd scare... 6

Ash Taylor - Scored the winning pen, and won countless aerial duels during the game itself. Odd mix-up with Barnett as they went from a three-man central defence to a two-man... 6

David Buchanan - Terrific last-ditch tackle denied Azeez a late winner as he returned to the more familiar surroundings of full-back... 7

Billy Waters - Pushed out to the right where he caused problems for Cambridge, particularly when cutting inside. First goal remains elusive but he’s getting closer... 6

Shaun McWilliams - Produced the best penalty of the lot, smashing into the top corner, and showed a real eye for a pass in another promising outing... 7

Matt Grimes - Busy figure in midfield, getting around the pitch and always seeking out possession. Displayed a good range of passing and whipped in a couple of dangerous set-pieces... 7

Daniel Powell - At the heart of most of Town’s first-half chances, with his trickery and directness from the left-wing a feature of the evening. Faded out after half-time... 6

Chris Long - Worked hard up top without having much to show for it.... 6

Alex Revell - Having seen his improvised flick well saved by Mitov, he was not to be denied a second time, thundering in Town’s equaliser. Also converted his penalty well... 7 CHRON STAR MAN

Substitutes

Joe Iaciafano - 6

Grease the musical is definitely the one that you'll want. From the start it has you gripped and being such a classic it doesn't disappoint.

The start of show sets the scene perfectly as the cast and choreography go hand in hand to provide the perfect dose of nostalgia.

Tom Parker stars as Danny Zuko, and to play such a huge role he pulls it off so well. The Wanted singer really showcases his voice and his dance moves providing the perfect leader for the renowned T-Birds.

Rizo is played by Louisa Lytton who is well known for her part in Eastenders and Strictly. Louisa plays the part so well, especially in Marty's bedroom scene and really reminding you of the feisty and outspoken character from the film.

Danielle Hope who plays Sandy is perfect for this part as the looks and the voice couldn't be better. She plays the vulnerable sandy at the start and then is transformed at the end with the brilliant you're the one that I want.

Ryder High School has been thoroughly thought out and the dance off scene was one of my favourites with Natasha Mould playing the role of Cha Cha just like the original film.

The costumes,musical staging and the sets throughout were really well done and the famous car played a big part. The humour and choreography were outstanding and the orchestra performed all the iconic songs which had the audience singing along.

Grease is great for all the family to enjoy, really worth watching and lots of fun.

Grease can be seen at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday September 2. For more details visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/miltonkeynes.

A cyber-attack on Electronics retailer CeX has compromised the personal data of up to 2 million customers, the company has confirmed.

Hackers walked away with names, addresses and phone numbers of 2 million CeX customers but no financial details were stolen.

In an e-mail to affected customers on Tuesday, August 29, CeX confirmed that they had suffered an online security breach that compromised personal data belonging to millions of customers.

Hackers behind the cyber-attack could not get their hands on any financial data but managed to compromise encrypted data from expired credit or debit cards that CeX stored prior to 2009.

Data compromised by the hackers includes first names, surnames, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers of registered CeX customers. Following the breach, CeX admitted that even though they had a robust security programme in place, additional measures were required to prevent such a sophisticated attack. The same have been implemented by the retailer with the help of a cyber-security specialist.

CeX has advised all registered users to immediately change the passwords for their webuy online accounts and to ensure that the old passwords weren’t used in any other accounts.

“Although your password has not been stored in plain text, if it is not particularly complex then it is possible that in time, a third party could still determine your original password and could attempt to use it across other, unrelated services. As such, as a precautionary measure, we advise customers to change their password across other services where they may have re-used their WeBuy website password,” the retailer said.

The retailer is now working with the police and other relevant authorities to find out who conducted the cyber-attack and exactly how much data was stolen.

A young woman was racially assaulted as she walked in Northampton last Friday.

The 19-year-old on Lorne Road, Semilong, between 4pm and 4.10pm, on Friday, August 25, when two men approached her from behind and started shouting racial abuse at her.

One of the men then pushed her before ripping a veil from her head.

Both men were Asian, around 5ft 5in, of thin build with short hair. One of the men was wearing a black jumper, dark jeans and dark trainers. The other was wearing a blue hooded top and jeans.

Witnesses or anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.