The sheer outpouring of relief was palpable as Saints finally ended their painful losing streak.

Seven Aviva Premiership games had come and gone without the taste of triumph.

Saints had only won one of their past 13 matches in all competitions.

So this meant so much to the supporters who had stuck with their team, roaring them on from the stands.

The atmosphere in the final moments of the match was reminiscent of that Leicester Tigers Premiership play-off semi-final in 2014.

A win on this occasion may not have brought the big prize of a trip to Twickenham and the potential of a league title, but it was still extremely significant.

Saints needed to arrest the slide that started when they lost at Gloucester in early October.

And, after showing immense steel to battle back from 19-8 down, they got their new year's wish.

A penalty try, earned in the same area of the field as Tom Wood scored against Leicester, put Saints ahead.

And just as against Tigers, they still had to gather the kick-off and keep the ball.

They did, and Harry Mallinder booted the ball out from almost the same blade of grass Stephen Myler did in that semi-final.

It sparked similar scenes of celebration, with the coaches punching the air in delight, just as Jim Mallinder did when his team toppled their old rivals.

And the noise levels were not much different, with the Saints fans letting go of their frustrations and soaking up some much-needed cheer.

The performance was far from perfect, with plenty of basic errors made by both teams.

And the lineout was again a bit of a struggle for Saints, with Gloucester reading it well.

But those issues were eclipsed by the desire and new-found resilience the green, black and gold displayed.

Their defensive performance was night and day to the one they produced at Twickenham seven days earlier.

And in attack, they eventually managed to find enough composure to prevail.

It was the perfect tonic at the start of 2018 and the only frustration is that there is not another league game next weekend.

In fact, Saints don't return to Premiership action until the trip to Bath on February 9.

And that is a shame because they would love to build up some momentum in the league under the guidance of Alan Gaffney.

The Australian's arrival earlier this week clearly had an instant impact, but he is keen to stress it is the other coaches who have done all the hard graft so far.

Gaffney has just come in and given a few words of wisdom to his new charges.

He has helped to lift confidence levels with his shrewd advice and he joked that he didn't know what all the fuss was about after this win.

He has now seen two games at the Gardens since moving to Northampton, taking in the Wanderers' win against Worcester and this victory against Gloucester.

It has been a nice start for the 72-year-old, who will know things will get tougher against Clermont Auvergne and Saracens in the weeks to come.

But for now, Saints can be forgiven for simply savouring this long overdue Gardens success.

How they rated...

AHSEE TUALA
Saints looked more balanced with the Samoan at full-back and he showed a few glimpses of his style... 7

BEN FODEN
Made a couple of key interventions as Gloucester tried to put Saints under pressure and was much improved... 7

ROB HORNE
He always puts his body on the line for the team and the Australian made some important hits here... 7

LUTHER BURRELL
Produced one lovely offload during the first half and relished the front-foot ball he got before being forced off injured... 6

KEN PISI
Came in for his first league start since November and was hugely impressive, scoring the first try and playing a key role in the second as he gathered the kick-off... 8

HARRY MALLINDER
Aside from a couple of misplaced kicks from hand, this was an accomplished display from the youngster... 7

NIC GROOM
Lifted the tempo for Saints during the second period and showed good awareness to write his name on the scoresheet... 7

CAMPESE MA'AFU
Has helped to steady the scrum and he certainly fronts up around the park, making his presence known... 7

DYLAN HARTLEY
The captain had received some criticism from pundits but he produced a decent response here... 6

JAMAL FORD-ROBINSON
A better display from the prop, who held his own in the scrum and didn't let his team down in open play... 6

API RATUNIYARAWA
Provides plenty of physicality for Saints and though he couldn't get his offloading game going, he was still crucial in possession... 7

COURTNEY LAWES
Yet another big display from the lock, who carried the fight time and again, putting Gloucester under pressure... 8

TOM WOOD
Threw everything he had into the game, showing his desire once again and making some important contributions... 7

JAMIE GIBSON
Was the only Saints player to impress at Twickenham a week earlier and he picked up where he left off here, making a couple of key tackles and some good metres... 8

TEIMANA HARRISON - CHRON STAR MAN
A huge display from the No.8, who never takes a backward step and who is a picture of energy... 8

Replacements (who played more than 20 minutes)

KIERAN BROOKES (for Ford-Robinson 47)
Looked strong in open play, carrying well and showing his freshness after a spell on the sidelines... 6

TOM STEPHENSON (for Burrell 48)
Looked really impressive after coming on, making plenty of metres and putting Gloucester on guard... 8

MIKE HAYWOOD (for Hartley 55)
The hooker wasn't able to improve the Saints lineout, which was being read by Gloucester, but his energy was key in helping the team over the line... 7

Teimana Harrison admits he had forgotten what it felt like to win before Saints beat Gloucester at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday afternoon.

Harrison claimed the man of the match award as he propelled his team to a 22-19 victory, ending a run of seven successive Aviva Premiership defeats.

Saints had only won one of their past 13 matches in all competitions.

But a late penalty try, added to earlier efforts from Ken Pisi and Nic Groom, gave them a precious four points against Gloucester in the first game of 2018.

And Harrison said: "It's awesome. We've been waiting a long time for a win.

"We got close a few times, put in some good performances but our defence let us down.

"For it to come together - it was by no means perfect - it's a good feeling.

"I'd kind of forgot the feeling of a win so it's good to get that back."

There was a huge roar as Harry Mallinder booted the ball out to bring an end to the game.

And Harrison was so happy to earn the victory for the Gardens faithful.

"It's amazing to get the win, especially for the crowd," the No.8 said.

"They show up every week and to give them what they want to see is an amazing feeling."

The following people were sentenced at Northampton Magistrates’ Court:

NOVEMBER 14:

Davy King, aged 31, of no fixed abode, stole two bottles of Jack Daniels worth £50 from Waitrose; jailed for six weeks, ordered to pay compensation of £50.

NOVEMBER 15:

Tommy Buswell, aged 32, of Bouverie Road, Northampton, assault; community order made, ordered to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work, pay a sucharge to victim services of £85 and costs of £85. Failed to surrender to custody; community order made.

Mindaugas Kampius, aged 27, of Campbell Street, Northampton, failed to comply with a community order; jailed for two weeks, ordered to pay costs of £60.

Damien Culverhouse, aged 23, of Fairfield Road, Northampton, drunk and

disorderly; fined £40, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30

and costs of £85. Failed to surrender to custody; fined

£120.

Zac Freeth, aged 18, of Arnull Crescent, Headlands, Daventry, no insurance; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points. Driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £220.

Jed Howard, aged 23, of Ryland Road, Moulton, failed to stop at an accident; fined £73, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points. Failed to report an accident to a police officer; fined £73.

Alex Macchiarelli, aged 18, of Baronson Gardens, Northampton, failed to stop at an accident; fined £440, ordered to pay a surcharge of £44 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points. Failed to report an accident to police; fined £440.

Angela Nagy, aged 41, of Duston Road, Northampton, driving at 83mph in a 50mph zone on the M1; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Andrew Spencer, aged 20, of Keble Close, Daventry, driving at 51mph in a 30mph zone; fined £404, ordered to pay costs of £85, banned from driving for 12 months.

Dumitru Neagu, aged 33, of Little Gull Close, Northampton, driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £83. No insurance; fined £250, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points. No test certificate; fined £83.

Christopher Pettitt, aged 36, of Middlemore, Northampton, failed to give information relating to the identity of the driver; fined £660, banned from driving for 12 months. Similar charge; fined £660. Similar charge; fined £660.

Raymond Shodunke, aged 39, of Malthouse Close, Northampton, no insurance; fined £300, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points. Driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £36.

NOVEMBER 17:

Tara Thakrar, aged 30, of Longford Avenue, Northampton, failed to provide a breath test; fined £120, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 12 months. No insurance; fined £120. No test certificate; no separate penalty.

NOVEMBER 20:

Samuel Alex, aged 21, of Mounts Court, Northampton, failed to notify authorities of changes relating to Employment and Support Allowance; fined £38, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £105.

Stacey Edwards, aged 38, of Sharrow Place, Northampton, assault; fined £126, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85.

Lee Murton, aged 40, of Brington Road, East Haddon, made a threatening phone call; community order made, ordered to pay a surcharge of £85 and costs of £85. Sent an offensive text message; community order made.

Jerica Richardson, aged 37, of Harlestone Road, Northampton, assault; community order made, ordered to pay compensation of £50. Drunk and disorderly; community order made, ordered to pay compensation of £50. Caused a police officer harassment, alarm or distress; community order made. Failed to surrender to custody; community order made.

Anton Bourne, aged 35, of Purser Road, Northampton, assault; jailed for eight weeks suspended for 12 months, ordered to pay a surcharge of £115 and costs of £85. Resisted arrest; jailed for two weeks concurrent suspended for 12 months.

Continued on page 38

The following people were sentenced at Northampton Magistrates’ Court:

Nicholas Komba, aged 51, of Glendower Close, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 158mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; jailed for 12 weeks, ordered to pay a surcharge of £116, banned from driving for 60 months. Driving not in accordance with a licence; no separate penalty. No insurance; no separate penalty.

Liam Heasman, aged 20. of Ringway, Northampton, used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour; fined £450, ordered to pay a surcharge of £45 and costs of £165. Failed to surrender to custody; fined £100.

James Martin, aged 23, of Jasmine Street, Northampton, drug-driving; fined £140, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 12 months.

Danielle Curley, aged 21, of no fixed abode, stole a bottle of champagne worth £24.99 belonging to Waitrose; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay a surcharge of £20 and costs of £40. Stole another bottle of champagne worth £24.99 belonging to Waitrose; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay compensation of £24.99.

Mustafa Dhugdhugle, aged 37, of Arthur Street, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 47mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; fined £130, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 12 months.

Revaughn Dornelly, aged 21, of Mordaunt Lane, Northampton, possession of a knife in a public place; community order made, fined £200, ordered to pay a surcharge of £85 and costs of £85.

Jerome Kerr, aged 26, of Dryleys Court, Northampton, possession of cannabis; fined £66, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85.

Nicholas Jett, aged 34, of Vantage Meadow, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 113mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; community order made, fined £100, surcharge of £85 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 48 months.

NOVEMBER 21:

Helen Doyle, aged 30, of no fixed abode, assault; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay compensation of £100.

Benjamin Hopkins, aged 29, of Middleton Road, Daventry, drug-driving; fined £120, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 12 months. Driving not in accordance with a licence; no separate penalty. No insurance; fined £120.

NOVEMBER 22:

Mitchell Coles, aged 19, of Cowley Close, Wootton, Northampton, damaged a wardrobe door and two plastic storage boxes; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay a surcharge of £20 and costs of £85.

Tony McDonald, aged 26, of Louise Road, Northampton, breach of a court order; community order made, ordered to pay a surcharge of £85 and costs of £85. Commission of a further offence while on a conditional discharge for harassment; no action take on breach.

Jamie Cooke, aged 33, of no fixed abode, breach of a court order; jailed for two weeks, ordered to pay a surcharge of £115. Further breach; jailed for two weeks consecutive. Failed to surrender to custody; jailed for two weeks concurrent. Begged for money in breach of a court order; jailed for two weeks consecutive. Failed to comply with a community order; jailed for two weeks consecutive.

Igor Turculet, aged 26, of Strelley Avenue, Northampton, failed to comply with a community order; order varied, fined £100 and ordered to pay costs of £60.

Steven Boscott, aged 60, of High Street, Whittlebury, driving at 35mph in a 30mph; fined £100, pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85, banned from driving for six months.

Anthony Hill, aged 35, of Lawson Crescent, Northampton, driving at 80mph in a 70mph zone on the A45; fined £185, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with three points.

Jean Idor, aged 43, of Drydale Avenue, Northampton, driving while using a mobile phone; fined £125, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85, banned from driving for six months.

Nikolae Plaian, aged 24, of Nursery Lane, Northampton, no insurance; fined £250, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Jamie Rowe, aged 23, of Harborough Road, Northampton, driving at 37mph in a 30mph zone; fined £107, ordered to pay a surcharge of £35 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with three points.

Bela Zold, aged 32, of Poole Street, Northampton, driving at 45mph in a 30mph zone; fined £276, ordered to pay a surcharge of £20 and costs of £85, licence endorsed

with four points. Driving at 40mph in a 30mph zone; fined £138, ordered to pay a surcharge of £20 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with three points.

Mark Kendrew, aged 26, of Shire Place, Northampton, no insurance; fined £660, licence endorsed with eight points. Driving not in accordance with a licence; no separate penalty. No test certificate; fined £50, ordered to pay a surcharge of £66 and costs of £85, banned from driving for six months.

Tudor Mihai, aged 39, of Bitten Court, Northampton, no insurance; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge of £66 and costs of £85, banned from driving for six months.

Vince Shelton, aged 28, of Overslade Close, Northampton, failed to give information relating to the identity of a driver; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Axinieie Steluta, aged 31, of Holly Road, Northampton, failed to stop at an accident; fined £221, licence endorsed with eight points. Failed to report an accident to a police officer; fined £147. Driving without due care and attention; fined £147, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85.

Marian Toader, aged 52, of Abington Square, Northampton, no insurance; fined £253, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85. Similar charge of no insurance; fined £253, ordered to pay costs of £85 and banned from driving for six months.

Simon Turay, aged 39, of River View, Northampton, failed to give information relating to the identity of a driver; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Adam Wade, aged 24, of Park Road, Northampton, driving without due care and attention; fined £220, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

NOVEMBER 23

Rick Drage-Dawes, aged 27, of Windsor Road, Northampton, assault; jailed for 12 weeks suspended for 18 months, ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work, pay compensation of £150, a surcharge to fund victim services of £115 and costs of £85.

Kieran McBride, aged 19, of Longland Court, Northampton, assault; pleaded guilty, sent to Northampton Crown Court for sentence.

Tomas Philips, aged 19, of Bideford Close, Northampton, assault; pleaded guilty, sent to Northampton Crown Court for sentence.

Natasha Abrams, aged 33, of Drywell Court, Northampton, dishonestly failed to disclose information relating to Job Seekers Allowance entitlement; jailed for four weeks suspended for 12 months, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £115 and costs of £85. Similar offence relating to Housing Benefit; jailed for four weeks consecutive suspended for 12 months.

Anatolie Babara, aged 34, of Artizan Road, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 82mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; fined £540, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £54 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 20 months.

Sarah Doyle, aged 27, of Rosenella Close, Northampton, failed to provide a breath test when suspected of drink-driving; fined £230, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 12 months.

John Gilheaney, aged 43, of no fixed abode, breach of a court order; conditional discharge for 18 months, ordered to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £20 and costs of £85. Breach of a court order; conditional discharge for 18 months.

Ashley Manning, aged 22, of Stockmead Road, Northampton, failed to comply with a community order; order to continue, ordered to pay costs of £60.

Brian Grange, aged 43, of Maidencastle, Northamtpon, possession of cocaine; fined £120, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85.

Lee Welch, aged 34, of Helmdon Road, Northampton, possession of cannabis; fined £120, ordered to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £30 and costs of £85.

Martin Abraham, aged 53, of Hinton Road, Northampton, assault; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £20 and costs of £85.

Scott Clark, aged 44, of Norwood Road, Northampton, drug-driving where the proportion of a controlled drug in driver’s blood exceeded legal limit; community order made, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £85 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 18 months. Drug-driving where the proportion of a controlled drug, namely cocaine, in driver’s blood exceeded limit; community order made, banned from driving for 18 months.

Ahmed Mohammed, aged 28, of HMP Rye Hill, assaulted a prisoner custody officer; jailed for three months, ordered to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £115.

Levi Rendell, aged 18, of Emley Close, Northampton, stole cash worth £60; fined £120, ordered to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £30, compensation of £60 and costs of £85. Commission of a further offence while subject to conditional discharge order for taking a car without owner’s consent, theft, obstructing a police officer, common assault, assault by beating and robbery; no action taken on breach.

Daniel Stratford, aged 37, of no fixed abode, had an offensive weapon in a public place and threatened another person with immediate risk of harm; jailed for 26 weeks suspended for 12 months, ordered to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £115 and costs of £620.

NOVEMBER 24:

Amelia Decairos-Parr, aged 24, of Teesdale, Northampton, dangerous driving; jailed for eight weeks suspended for 12 months, banned from driving for 12 months. No insurance; no separate penalty, ordered to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £80 and costs of £85.

Petricia Girigan, aged 23, of Shar Close, Northampton, failed to provide a breath test when suspected of drink-driving; fined £200, ordered to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £30 and costs of £105, banned from driving for 16 months. No insurance;

no separate penalty. Failed to surrender to custody; fined £50.

A portable Dimplex product have been recalled due to a risk that they catch fire.

A safety issue has been detected with the range of Dimplex portable dehumidifier units where a component in the product may overheat, resulting in the product catching fire.

Affected products can be identified by the serial number, which is located on the product rating plate. This is accessible by removing the water tank.

The items at risk have a serial number starting with 501 through to 652. The manufacturer say that anyone having an affected model should stop using it immediately by switching it off at the mains socket and then unplug the dehumidifier from the socket.

Dehumidifiers with a different model number or that start with a different serial number are not affected.

Owners of one of the dehumidifiers in question can call the Dimplex helpline on 0800 028 53 86

(Monday-Thursday 8.30am-5pm, Friday 8.30am-4pm) where a replacement product can be arranged.

The elderly, pregnant women and children with chronic illness in the UK are being urged to get vaccinated as the threat of the Australian ‘flu reaching our shores heightens.

A Public Health England spokeswoman said: “The current ‘flu vaccine is still the best defence we have against the virus. We therefore encourage all those who are eligible to take up the offer of the vaccine.”

The warning comes following reports of several deaths in Ireland of people who contracted the H3N2 strain.

The H3N2 strain, which caused one of Australia’s worst ‘flu outbreaks last year, can lead to pneumonia and other life-threatening conditions.

Symptoms are similar to normal ‘flu but are more severe.

If people continue to feel really ill after a week it could indicate something more serious.

To limit the spread of the virus, PHE suggests washing hands frequently, sneezing into tissues and discarding them and regularly cleaning often-used surfaces such as keyboards, and phones.

A sugar additive found in cream cakes, fruit juices and jams has fuelled the rise of a killer superbug, according to new research.

The study shows that the sugar – known as trehalose – is metabolised by the potentially deadly bacterium Clostridium difficile.

It suggests the common ingredient has helped trigger epidemics across the world. Trehalose is also used in dried and frozen foods, nutrition bars, fruit fillings, instant noodles and rice and white chocolate. It occurs naturally in small amounts in mushrooms, honey and seafood. In recent years the UK, Europe and the US have seen a sharp increase in hyper-virulent strains that cause severe disease.

Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite, nausea and abdominal pain. But the factors contributing to their emergence have been unclear – until now.

Contributing to hypervirulence

The study found two genetically distinct C. diff strains that have caused epidemics – known as RT027 and RT078 -have independently acquired unique mechanisms to break down low concentrations of trehalose.

Importantly it also showed this ability to metabolise the sugar was linked with disease severity in mice with a humanised form of C diff. Bacterial strains can be analysed through differences in bits of DNA called ribosomal RNA – and assigned to particular ‘ribotypes’.

Professor Robert Britton and colleagues used whole-genome sequencing and comparative analysis to discover the link. It identifies the C diff strains and the widespread adoption and use of trehalose as a sugar additive in the human diet, and suggest that a harmless food additive may inadvertently select for pathogens.

Prof Britton, of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said: “Clostridium difficile disease has recently increased to become a dominant pathogen in North America and Europe, although little is known about what has driven this emergence.

“Here we show that two epidemic ribotypes (RT027 and RT078) have acquired unique mechanisms to metabolise low concentrations of the disaccharide trehalose.”

The study, published in the journal Nature, found RT027 strains contain a single mutation in the trehalose that increases its sensitivity to trehalose by more than 500-fold. Prof Britton said: “Furthermore, dietary trehalose increases the virulence of a RT027 strain in a mouse model of infection.”

Meanwhile RT078 strains acquired a cluster of four genes involved in trehalose metabolism. Prof Britton said: “We propose that the implementation of trehalose as a food additive into the human diet, shortly before the emergence of these two epidemic lineages, helped select for their emergence and contributed to hypervirulence.”

Jimmy Ballard, a microbiologist at Oklahoma University who reviewed the study for the journal said it provides a possible explanation for C diff outbreaks since 2001.

He said: “Of particular concern has been the correlation between RT027 and a dramatic increase in deaths related to C. difficile.

“The mystery of why this ribotype and a second one, RT078, became so prevalent apparently out of thin air has remained largely unsolved.”

Ballard said prof Britton’s team “raise the possibility that the seemingly harmless addition of a sugar called trehalose to the food supply contributed to this disease epidemic.”

Mark Wilcox, Professor of Medical Microbiology at Leeds University, said it was “an interesting and well conducted study.”

Dietary changes having unintended consequences

C diff came to prominence in the first decade of this millennium as a cause of life-threatening gut inflammation and diarrhoea, he said.

The ‘live’ part of the study was in mice and it is important to know whether the effects seen are replicated in humans.

Prof Wilcox said: “The association that trehalose can be used by virulent types of C. difficile may be one part of the jigsaw explaining why these became more common.

“However, the association with trehalose does not explain why the more virulent types of C. difficile increased in countries at different times and then were successfully controlled in some of these, as happened for example in the UK over the last 10 years.

“Earlier research has shown that other factors, including the use of particular antibiotics (e.g. fluoroquinolones) that were inactive against virulent types of C. difficile played a key part in their rise to prominence and then their fall.”

Brendan Wren, Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “This study provides a good example of how changes in human activity (e.g. changes in food additives) can have unintended consequences relating to the emergence and ultimately the global spread of an infectious agent.” As a food additive trehalose is artificially produced from corn starch using several bacterial enzymes.

Boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has warned rival clubs that the Cobblers will not spend over the odds on players regardless of their current predicament at the bottom of Sky Bet League One as he continues to reshape his squad with more movement expected over the coming week.

Hasselbaink and Northampton have wasted no time in getting to work this month, already snapping up Hildeberto Pereira, Shay Facey and Jack Bridge while also letting go Lewis McGugan and Ryan McGivern after their contracts expired last week.

But that’s only the start of what will be a busy few weeks in terms of incomings and outgoings as Hasselbaink looks to bring in the right type of players who will help his side in their battle against relegation this season.

“Hopefully there will be some more movement,” he confirmed after Saturday’s 3-1 win over Southend United. “We’re still looking and I think you’ll also see some players go out but we’re looking to strengthen ourselves a little bit more.

“It’s not easy to do business because all of the clubs are holding onto their best players and that’s what we want to do as well but we also want to add to the squad with more quality and more power if we can.”

However, despite the pressing need to sign quality, and despite having funds available, Hasselbaink says the Cobblers are not prepared to pay above their valuation of any potential targets.

He added: “The thing is, with the position that we are in, clubs look at us and they see that we need to do something and they can maybe put extra on players.

“But obviously we want value for money and we won’t pay over the odds. If it’s too expensive, we can’t do it even though we might have a bit of money.

“It has to be the right figure so we are looking and we want to add but we also want to put more money into the club, if you understand what I mean, with the right talent so that they can grow here at the club.”

On what he’s looking to bring in and when it might happen, Hasselbaink continued: “Don’t get me wrong, we can’t only sign youngsters because we also need experience in the team.

“Hopefully, in the next few days, we can add some more experience to our side.”

There have been widespread rumours regarding Alex Revell’s future at the club after his exuberant celebration on Saturday. After scoring Northampton’s third goal against Southend, Revell ran straight towards the bench and appeared to shout ‘that’s why’ several times in the direction of Hasselbaink.

It was the first time the 34-year-old striker has even made the matchday squad since his sending off against Bristol Rovers in the 6-0 defeat on October 7, and the goal was only his third of the season.

“Alex is part of the squad and it’s been frustrating for him because he’s had an injury and before that he wasn’t in the best of form,” added the Town manager.

“But he’s come back with energy and he was gagging to play on Saturday. He took his goal very well and he showed that he wants to play and that’s what we want to see.

“We want that positive reaction. If he keeps scoring, he’s allowed to celebrate like that a million times – it’s not a problem for me!”

Tom Wood says Saturday's win against Gloucester has taken a huge weight off Saints' shoulders.

But he now wants his team to back up the 22-19 Aviva Premiership success in the weeks to come.

Wood started in the back row as Saints ended a run of seven successive league defeats at the weekend.

And they will now head into the Champions Cup clashes with Clermont Auvergne and Saracens with renewed belief.

"I was a bit reluctant to do the lap of honour as though we'd won the league and some silverware, but we were so desperate, we just needed a win and to get it is a weight off everyone's

shoulders," Wood said of the weekend win against the Cherry and Whites.

"It's brilliant to be able to do it for the fans at home, for some of the senior guys and the coaches.

"It's nice to be able to front up to the press and say something positive for once.

"Hopefully we can reverse our fortunes from the first few months of the season.

"We need to back the win up and move forward with this now."

Saints' new coaching consultant Alan Gaffney started work at the Gardens last week and was able to have an instant impact.

Wood has been impressed with the Australian and believes his influence will become even more apparent in the weeks and months to come.

"He's taken a back seat a bit and just observed," the flanker explained.

"I guess he's doing a lot of work with the coaches and a lot of work with the backs individually.

"Forwards wise we haven't seen a lot of him yet.

"He's had a few blunt chats in meetings and he questioned a few things we were doing, which I'd rather not go into.

"We're going to see a lot more of him and his influence is starting to tell with the coaches more than the individual players."

Work is due to get underway this month on a scheme to make improvements on a busy roundabout in Northamptonshire.

More than £3 million is being invested in the upgrade at the roundabout on the A5 at Old Stratford, south Northamptonshire, where it meets the A422, A508 and Old Stratford Road.

The work will be carried out in the evenings or at weekends, where they will be some full weekend closures of the roundabout later in the year. Highways England says there will be no work during weekdays but a 40mph speed restriction will need to be put in place at the junction for the duration of the work, which is due to finish in the summer.

Capacity will be increased by widening two of the main approaches to the roundabout - the A508 and A422 - to create an additional lane, with improved lane markings, a spokesman for Highways England said.

Signing and lighting will also be improved, a new carriageway surface put down, new safety barriers installed and a better drainage system put in to prevent flooding.

In March 2017, the Government announced a further £220 million of funding to cut congestion and journey times on motorways and major A roads. This saw an extra £9.9 million invested in the Midlands to improve specific parts of the network.

Highways England project manager, Simon Wagstaff, said: “As well as improving journeys for thousands of motorists this scheme will improve safety and support local and wider economic growth.

“We will do our best to keep disruption to a minimum and I would like to thank people for their patience while we make sure this route can serve commuters and other drivers for many years to come.”

Matt Adcock reviews Hostiles (15)

Heavy-duty hatred, redemption and everything in between are here in post civil war frontier America where Captain Joseph Blocker (Christian Bale), a troubled soldier is given a thankless mission which will change his life.

After a lifetime of killing and fighting the native Americans, he is ordered to escort one of his sworn enemies, Cheyenne Chief Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi) and his family back to his homeland in Montana because he’s dying of cancer.

Hostiles tells the tale of the party’s journey – the fraught relationship between Blocker and his captive is the main focus but there are many encounters along the way. They are hunted by bloodthirsty Comanches, given an untrustworthy US prisoner to take with them in the shifty form of Sgt. Charles Wills (Ben Foster) and find a broken widow whose family has been massacred.

Rosamund Pike's Mrs Quaid is a fantastic study in grief and grit. She clings to Blocker as her protector and their uneasy relationship is both touching and shot through with vulnerability. The acting is excellent throughout and the storytelling gives each character space to develop and through their interactions and challenges to the point that when the body count rises you really care who makes it.

As a western, Hostiles is incredibly relevant in dealing with the darkness in men’s hearts and is a fascinating study of how hatred and prejudice can be grappled with and maybe even eventually overcome. Seeing the actions of those who think their cause is righteous can lead to suffering for those they meet, while ugliness and beauty, courage and redemption permeate the battles and struggles that each face.

The cinematography by Masanobu Takayanagi is superb and emotive, capturing the intensity of the situations and delivering some truly awe inspiring landscapes and vistas. Hostiles is a film that will move you and touch your soul.

Director Scott ‘Black Mass’ Cooper serves up plenty to of troubles for the characters to deal with – even those who have a faith – as Blocker says at one point "God’s been blind to what's been going on here for a long time".

You don’t need to be a western fan to find much to enjoy in Hostiles. It’s bleak and brutal for sure but also offers a glimpse of a possible tonic as we struggle with the injustice and hatred which still haunts our world today.

Plans for a Northamptonshire care village which will create at least 300 jobs have been unveiled.

Developer Crown Care hope its Middlemore project in Daventry will become a blueprint for similar future developments, providing housing for elderly people through a variety of care options in a £60m scheme.

Planning permission has been granted for 307 homes made up of apartments, bungalows and houses with central facilities forming a new care village.

Director of Crown Care Baldev Ladhar said:"“We pride ourselves on providing thriving homes with a philosophy of care that puts the needs of our residents at the centre of everything we do and how we do it.

"Middlemore is the first to focus on the care village model – communities at the heart of the community where they are based.

"Crown Care is investing not simply in new homes but in taking the whole care concept to the next level.

"The company has attracted some of the leading clinicians and managers from across the care sector who have contributed to achieving what are uniformly high standards of excellence. We look forward to getting on site and creating homes for hundreds of residents."

The Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) includes an 83-bed care home overlooking Drayton Reservoir, will provide housing including assisted living, extra care or very sheltered housing and close care.

Close care is a term used to describe various models of housing where there is sheltered/retirement accommodation linked to or on the same site as a care home. Some close care housing will be available on a rental basis and other units to buy.

Discussions have taken place with Daventry and Northamptonshire Care Commissioners to ensure the CCRC delivers the services.

The extra care building will offer a range of services for all residents including a doctors’ surgery, consultation rooms, cafe, bar/restaurant, reminiscence library, shop, nursery, gym and spa.

There will be an on-site team responsible for delivering care to residents (other than care home residents) throughout the retirement village based on individual personal care plans.

Residents within any unit across the Middlemore retirement community will be able to access a range of services including housework, laundry services and short-term support from care staff if necessary.

There will also be transport provided via minibus and pool cars for easy access to the surrounding area, as well as staff accommodation. The £60m scheme is expected to create 300 jobs with phase one starting early this year to be completed by early 2019.

The care home will be similar to the company’s Claremont House in Beverley, East Yorkshire, which opened in April.

There will be treatment rooms where professional beauticians and therapists can offer spa treatments, manicures, pedicures, massages and facials, plus a hair salon; a restaurant where residents can have their meals while also booking tables to dine with family and friends and a bistro will have a licensed bar and a la carte menu also for residents and anyone visiting.

There will also a library, with internet café, a quiet lounge, a social TV room and free wifi access.

A 31-year-old man who was arrested in connection with the deaths of five cats in Northampton has been released under investigation.

A 31-year-old man who was arrested in connection with the deaths of five cats in Northampton has been released under investigation.

He was arrested on Saturday (January 6) but has not been charged with the offences.

Last year, five cats were all found mutilated in different areas of Northampton in August and November. They were linked to the so-called Croydon Cat Killer by campaign group SNARL (South Norwood Animal Rescue).

In a statement, Northamptonshire Police said it was working closely with the Metropolitan Police as part of its investigation, Operation Takahe.

Speaking to the national media, a spokesman for SNARL said they did not believe the arrested man was the Croydon Cat Killer and that he was still at large. They believe that up to 400 cats have been killed across the country.

The five cats from Northampton were all dismembered in a similar way.

The first, one-year-old Rusty, was left in a plastic bag on the owner's doorstep on August 28.

The family's 14-year-old daughter made the grim discovery.

Topsy, a 15-year-old, went missing after it was last seen on the driveway of its owner's home.

The next morning, on September 6, the cat's mutilated remains were found stuffed inside a carrier bag and left on a path outside the house.

On October 7 and 13, two unnamed cats were found in Duston before the latest discovery on November 18, which prompted Northamptonshire Police to issue advice to owners, which includes keeping all cats and rabbits indoors at night.

In the last case, a mutilated cat was discovered placed on top of a car near the owners' home.

The deadline for parents to apply for their child's primary school place in Northamptonshire is fast approaching.

Parents or carers of children born between September 1, 2013 and August 31, 2014 are being warned not to miss the cut-off point of 5pm on January 15, 2018.

You must apply for a place at a school for your child, even if it’s linked to your child’s current nursery or primary school.

Parents must apply to the county council for a primary school place, even if a name has been put down at a school or the child has an older sibling at that school.

An application must be made for every child starting school in September 2018.

Parents are encouraged to list five preferred schools on their form as school places cannot be guaranteed – failing to include second, third and fourth and fifth choices could lead to children being allocated school places parents would not have chosen.

Parents will find out which school they have been allocated on National Offer Day on April 16 and appeals will be held for admission to schools during June and July.

All councils have teams to help parents get their children into schools.

Drivers are being warned of delays on the A45 between Northampton and Wellingborough after a car overturned.

Highways England reported that the accident happened on the A45 between the junctions with the A509 North and the A5076 Northampton East.

Normal traffic was expected to return between 11.30am and 11.45am, Highways England said.

There are no details as to the nature of the accident, nor any injuries.

An amazing £2,783.87 was raised for Warwickshire Northamptonshire Air Ambulance by Bikers and Scooters at the 5th Annual Chilly Willy Ride out 2018.

More than 280 bikers and scooters left All Seasons Cafe, Billing Garden Centre on Sunday January 7, raising money for the air ambulance.

A spokesman for the charity said: "They headed out on a circular route which took them down to the outskirts of Bedford, through Olney then back up to Northamptonshire before a straight run back down the A45 returning to the cafe. It was an overwhelming sight to see so many bikers out raising money, year on year this event gets bigger and raises even more money for the charity.

"Huge thanks to Northampton Biker Community for organising the event and making it happen, in particular to Rich Moore and all the Marshalls en-route for looking after the riders and making sure they all had a safe ride and to Julie and Dave from All Seasons Cafe and all their staff," he said.

Heather Burton and Richard Durham, both volunteers for the charity, have supported and attended these events for the last five years and were overwhelmed by the fantastic amount raised and received on behalf of the charity.

Over the last five years the Chilly Willy Ride outs have raised an amazing amount of more than £6,300 for the local air ambulance.

The date is already in the diary for the next one. All bikers/scooters over 125cc are welcome to take part and all spectators are welcome to come along too. The event will be on Sunday January 6, 2019, leaving from All Seasons Cafe.

Without wishing to blow his own trumpet, young Shay Facey had a premonition that his Cobblers debut, made against Southend United on Saturday, would end with the man of the match award. Ninety minutes later, after a steady, composed performance at right-back, it turned out he was right.

Most Northampton fans would not have known a great deal about the inexperienced full-back ahead of his transfer on Friday, when he completed his switch from Manchester City and signed an 18-month deal at Sixfields, but all it took was one impressive performance for them to learn their side have signed a player with talent and potential.

Despite not playing a competitive senior game for almost a year, his transition from Man City’s U23s to League One was seamless as he replaced Brendan Moloney and produced a performance that had all the hallmarks of an experienced pro, not a youngster still finding his way.

Strong in the tackle and calm in possession, the only thing missing from his game were penetrating runs forward but that will surely come as he finds his feet and builds up his fitness levels. For now, with three points in the bag alongside his bottle of champagne, he can be pleased with a fine start to his Cobblers career.

He said: “It can’t get any better, can it? To be fair, I had a bit of an idea that I might get man of the match. That seems like I’m blowing my own trumpet but I had a feeling because I haven’t played for so long.

“I just wanted to come out and show everyone what I’m capable of as soon as possible and fortunately we’ve got the three points and I had an all right game, so I’m happy to come away with the champagne!

“I found out just before the game that I’d be starting. I had an idea and obviously I had my fingers crossed that I’d be playing but you don’t want to think you are in case you’re not.

“So when my name came up I was over the moon and I was buzzing to get out there.”

Facey has already spent over a month training with Northampton and it showed against Southend when the back four defended as a unit to keep the visitors relatively quiet, bar one lapse.

“It’s just about getting my positioning right and seeing how the team play,” he added. “They were trying to play the long ball and it was a matter of being in the right position and communicating with Regan (Poole), who played fantastic as well.

“I think Ash (Taylor) is our leader at the back. He’s very commanding and it’s all of our responsibility to speak and communicate with each other. I think we did a good job of that and it showed.

“Apart from that ridiculous decision, we would have had a clean sheet for sure.”

As he settles into his new club, the 23-year-old promises fans they can soon expect to see more marauding runs forward, adding: “There were little glimpses but it was more about saving my legs and doing the hard stuff and defending. The more fluent we get, the more I’ll get up the wing.”

Facey was not the only new face to catch the eye on Saturday. Also impressing was fellow debutant Hildeberto Pereira who shone during an action-packed second-half cameo.

The Portuguese winger has signed on loan until the end of the season, with Facey adding: “He’s like lightning! He can do that and we’ve already seen it in training. I’ve also played against him as a young boy when he was at Benfica so I know what he’s all about.

“The fans have seen that as well now and I think he can do a lot more so it’s good to have him here.”

As for the game itself, John-Joe O’Toole saw his fortunate opener cancelled out by Jason Demetriou’s penalty but Matt Grimes netted his own spot-kick and that was the cue for Northampton to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Chances came and went, Peirera shooting wide and hitting the bar, but Alex Revell’s pinpoint finish in the final minute ensured Facey could celebrate a winning debut.

“I think we deserved it,” he added. “It was a bit of the battle in the first-half but were anxious to put on a good performance and get the three points because we knew we could do that at home.

“Once we settled down and the nerves went, I thought we were fantastic and created chances for fun - it could have been four or five so it was really good to be involved in the second-half.

“We’ll take our momentum from this game into the next one. We have to stay confident and not fear anyone and we’ll just focus on ourselves.”

The Cobblers have swooped to sign Rotherham United goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell - with loanee Matt Ingram returning to Queens Park Rangers.

The experienced O’Donnell has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at Sixfields.

His arrival means the Cobblers now have four contracted goalkeepers, with O’Donnell joining David Cornell, Luke Coddington and James Goff on the squad list.

O’Donnell is 29 and has made more than 250 senior appearances for a host of clubs, including Sheffield Wednesday, Bristol City, Oldham Athletic, Walsall and Wigan Athletic.

Standing at 6ft 2in tall, O’Donnell began his career with the Owls in 2006, going out on a number of loan spells as he gained experience.

He joined Chesterfield on a free transfer in 2012 and then moved to Walsall in 2013, where he won the club’s player of the season award during their 2014/15 league one campaign.

His form for the Saddlers saw him attract interest from Wigan Athletic, and he joined the Latics for the 2015/16 league one season, again on a free transfer.

He made only 12 appearances at the DW Stadium before joining Championship side in Bristol City on loan in January 2016.

He then completed a permanent move to Ashton Gate for an undisclosed fee shortly afterwards.

He made 32 appearances for the Robins before joining Rotherham United for an undisclosed fee in January 2017.

O’Donnell went on to make 27 appearances for the Millers, and has played 15 times for them this season.

His most recent appearance was in a 2-1 defeat to Shrewsbury Town on November 18 last year.

Ingram returns to QPR having only been at the Cobblers since the final day of August, joining the club the same day Justin Edinburgh was sacked.

He made 20 appearances for Town.

Cobblers physio Anders Braastad is leaving the club to return to his native Norway.

Satruday’s trip to Bradford City will be his final game as first team physio before he leaves to take up a role at Norwegian club Odds Ballklubb, which is based in the city of Skien.

The club plays in the top flight of Norwegian football and competed in this season’s Europa League, going out at the third qualifying round stage following a 2-1 aggregate loss to Dinamo Zagreb. They have qualified for the Europa League for the past three seasons.

The Cobblers are in the process of recruting a new physio.

“We would like to thank Anders for his work,” said Town manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

“We are sorry to see him go, but the chance to return to his home country and work for a side who have played in the Europa League in the last few seasons was clearly a huge factor for him and we understand that.

“Anders will be leaving us after the Bradford City game, and we have been in a recruitment process where we will be looking to recruit the best possible candidate to replace Anders.

“We would like to thank Anders for his hard work while at Sixfields and we wish him every success in his new role.”

Braastad has been at Sixfields since 2014, originally joining the club as the academy physiotherapist, before moving up to first team duties under Chris Wilder’s management.

A host of celebrities have signed up for a charity football match at Sixfields Stadium to support the Northamptonshire-based charity, Niamh's Next Step.

The match takes place on Sunday April 15, 2018, has been organised by Sellebrity Soccer, who stage similar events across the country with each game guaranteeing fun for all the family.

Chris Curry, founder of Wellingborough-based Niamh’s Next Step, said “Niamh’s Next Step are very excited and proud to be working with Sellebrity Soccer and Northampton Town FC to bring this fantastic celebrity football match to Sixfields.

“This fantastic family-friendly event will be raising vital money and awareness for our charity. Money raised will go directly towards funding vital research into childhood cancers and help families with children fight the rare childhood cancer Neuroblastoma."

Kevin Cooper, of Sellebrity Soccer, added: “We are very excited to be organising this celebrity match for Niamh's Next Step at Northampton Town FC.

"We are pleased to support such an amazing cause and raise as much funds and awareness as possible. Some of the celebrities taking part are patrons of Niamh's Next Step which makes this game extra special for them. Please come along and support what will be a great family fun day out some great memories while enjoying what should be an excellent game of football."

Tickets are now on sale and are priced at £10 for adults and £5 for under 16s.

There are special “around the Dug Out” seats also available at £20 adults, £10 under 16s and these can only be purchased at the club’s ticket office or via the charity by calling 01933 223907. These numbers are limited.

Hospitality tickets are also available at £80 per person and include a two-course pre-match meal, half-time refreshments, and an opportunity to meet some of the celebrities.

Mascot and other pitch side packages are on sale.

A man parked in a Northampton street on Christmas Day had his car damaged by a man with a large piece of wood, police reported today.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said the incident happened at about 11pm on December 25.

"A man was sitting in his car, a Dark Grey Mercedes E class, in Poachers Way, Kingsthorpe. As he waited, a man approached him, asking him why he was there," he said.

"The man became aggressive so the victim drove around the corner to Barley Lane. The man followed him with a large piece of wood and began to hit the victim’s car, causing damage.

"The offender is described as white, in his mid-30s, about 5ft 9in with a medium build and a tanned complexion. He had dark brown or black hair in a short back and sides style, was clean shaven and wore a dark navy blue polo t-shirt with an orange logo on the breast, possibly a work shirt. He carried a piece of wood," he added.

Anyone with information is asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.