Northants batsman Rob Newton has labelled the Sophia Gardens pitch as ‘shocking’ – despite the fact he scored his first century of the season on the surface.

The County closed day three on 522 for four in reply to Glamorgan’s first innings score of 570 for eight declared, but they failed to take the maximum batting points as their progress was too slow.

It does means that 1,092 runs have been scored for the loss of just 12 wickets in Cardiff, with five players scoring centuries, and although Newton was one of those five, he wasn’t impressed.

And he suggested there will be no sorts of deals done between the skippers to try and set up a chance of a positive result on the final day.

“The pitch was shocking,” said Newton, who put on 303 for the first wicket with Ricardo Vasconcelos, who hit a career best 184.

“There was no carry, pace or movement and we had to graft for our runs on this slow, low pitch.

“As we will continue batting on the last day, I’m afraid it’s going to be rather tedious watching.”

Rob Keogh is 73 not out overnight, and Adam Rossington is unbeaten on 32, and it seems likely that Northants will again take to the crease on Sunday’s final day.

As well as the centuries for the openers, Josh Cobb hit 60 while the only failure was skipper Alex Wakely, who was dismissed for 18.

Glamorgan’s Billy Root didn’t agree with Newton’s verdict on the wicket, and suggested the Northants batters made harder work of the situation than necessary.

“Our bowlers stuck to their task well, and it did give opportunities to the spinners who got plenty of practice as the seamers were able to rest,” said Root.

“I thought it was a very good pitch, as we showed when we got our bonus points in only 92 overs.”

Changing Rooms aims to help users of Northamptonshire County Council's employment and disability service to overcome the barriers they face in getting a job by offering support, coaching and a free interview clothing service.

Pop-up shops will open in Northampton, Kettering, Wellingborough, Towcester and Corby offering employment advice and the chance to pick a suitable interview outfit, free of charge.

If participants get a job they can come back and select more items to start their working wardrobe.

Anna Earnshaw, director of adult social care at the council, said: “This scheme is all about empowering people to re-join the workforce.

"We want the people we support to feel fantastic about themselves when they go to their interview.

“A job interview can be extremely daunting and often a stressful experience and we hope this initiative will make the process that little bit easier."

The scheme is being run by county council staff and users of the Learning, Information, Volunteering and Employment (LIVE) team.

Donations of professional clothes suitable for job interviews including suits, shoes, bags and accessories will be accepted at locations across the county:

These are:

Drovers Hall, London Road, Kettering

6, Harrowden Road, Wellingborough

Abington Park Cottage, Abington Park, Northampton

EADS, Patrick Road Resource Centre, Corby

Clothing can also be dropped off to the county council offices at One Angel Square in Northampton on Tuesday, April 23.

Councillor Sandra Naden-Horley, cabinet member for adult social care said: “Interview appropriate items are sought for both men and women and this really is the perfect opportunity for local residents to be part of someone’s success story and donate garments that could help change their life by getting them back into work.”

Who impressed and who struggled? Find out with James Heneghan's player ratings - scroll down and flick through our picture gallery to see how each player performed.

A district and borough council in the West Northamptonshire region paid just two officers each on salaries of over £100,000.

The annual Town Hall Rich List, compiled by the TaxPayers’ Alliance, shows that in 2017/18 both Northampton Borough Council and Daventry District Council had two employees each earning over the amount.

The councils compare rather favourably to some of the other authorities in the East Midlands region, given the respective size of the boroughs. Kettering Borough Council, for example, had four employees being paid over that amount.

Earlier this week, we reported how Northamptonshire County Council had employed 19 people earning over £100k, the joint tenth highest in the country.

The numbers are naturally much smaller at the district and boroughs in the county. At Northampton Borough Council, the then director of customers and communities earned £132,000 overall, made up of a £113,000 salary and £19,000 in pension contributions.

And the council’s then chief executive earned £126,000 overall, with a £117,000 salary and £9,000 in pension contributions.

It is understood that since then, a senior management restructure has ensured that the chief executive alone is paid over £100,000.

And the findings for 2017/18 were roughly similar at Daventry District Council. The chief executive earned £146,613 overall. This was made up of a £123,111 salary, £1,483 in expenses, £18,919 in pension contributions and an unspecified sum of £3,100.

Meanwhile, the deputy chief executive earned slightly less, coming in at £125,452 overall. This included the £105,679 salary, £952 in expenses, £17,128 in pension contributions, and a similarly unspecified sum of £1,693.

Figures for South Northamptonshire Council were not available. The TaxPayers’ Alliance says that this was either because no employees were paid over £100,000, or it didn’t publish its accounts in time for their research.

Finding reasons to get excited for games like this one can be tricky at such a late stage of the season but there was one thing that made Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Mansfield a worthwhile exercise for the Cobblers: the performance of teenager Scott Pollock.

In an underwhelming season full of false starts and false dawns, performances of individual players have provided many of the highlights and this one was right up there with the most impressive and the most encouraging of the lot.

Pollock’s rise to prominence has been truly unique. A star of YouTube club Hashtag United, who have half a million subscribers, the 18-year-old is no stranger to the spotlight and that showed during his remarkably calm and composed full debut for the Cobblers on Saturday.

He caught the eye for a variety of reasons. Whilst his technical quality in possession should be no surprise given his route to first-team football at Northampton, it was how he coped with a physical Mansfield team that really impressed.

He won headers, made tackles and buzzed about the pitch with typical youthful exuberance. He also drifted into pockets of space and picked up countless loose balls before regularly finding a team-mate. On the evidence of this game, he should be feature heavily between now and the end of the season.

As for Town’s performance in general, it was about on par with expectations given their mid-table league position and how things have gone in recent games, but visitors Mansfield were desperately disappointing for a team supposedly chasing promotion.

They barely laid a glove on their mid-table hosts throughout, even after Mal Benning’s freak opener gave them a fortunate and undeserved lead. It was only late on when they showed upped the ante and showed some urgency, though even then Town were comfortable, not conceding a shot on target throughout.

Goalkeeper David Cornell has been solid and dependable between the sticks this season but his error for Benning’s corner, which somehow ended up in the net, was a reminder that he can expect far great competition for his place next season.

Otherwise, the Cobblers defended without cause for concern. Keith Curle resorted to a back three as Charlie Goode and Jordan Turnbull returned to central defence and, along with Aaron Pierre, they made the adjustment well.

The first 45 minutes were a snapshot of Northampton’s season. More than a match for the second-placed Stags in general play, they were let down by their lack of guile in one penalty box and a moment of indecision in the other to somehow trail at the break.

The second-half was an improvement and the source of Town’s leveller came as no surprise: a set-piece. This time delivered by Pollock, who collected a deserved assist to cap his fine display, Sam Foley judged his run and jump perfectly to head home.

Substitute Danny Rose missed a couple of chances to snatch all three points late on but, had he done so, it would only have papered over the cracks of a subpar performance from the visitors, who will surely need to play better if they are to finish in the top three.

As for the Cobblers, it was an improvement out of sight compared to their previous showing at home, when they were humiliated by 10-man Port Vale, and they also had the bonus of discovering a potential star of the future.

There may be little on the line and nothing to play for over these remaining four games but, in young Scott Pollock, Curle might just have found another piece of his jigsaw for next season.

Cobblers boss Keith Curle will leave ‘speculation to other people’ after confirming that Shaun McWilliams, Ash Taylor and Jack Bridge were left out for selection reasons and not injury after Saturday’s draw against Mansfield Town.

While midfielder McWilliams has been in and out of the side with a hamstring problem during recent weeks, Taylor’s omission caused much more of a stir given the regularity with which he’s featured under Curle.

Since returning from injury in January, the 28-year-old centre-back had started 13 successive matches up until the visit of Mansfield on Saturday when he was left out of the squad altogether, despite Curle opting for a three-man defence.

Charlie Goode and Jordan Turnbull were instead chosen over Taylor as they returned to the back three alongside Aaron Pierre, with George Cox the only defensive option on the bench, while Jack Bridge, who started the previous two matches, was also reduced to a spectator on Saturday, watching on from the press box.

“They weren’t injured,” confirmed Curle after the 1-1 draw. “But the headlines have got to be about the emerging talent (Scott Pollock) and the 18 that performed and represented the club on Saturday.

“There’ll be a lot of talk if players don’t make the starting line-up from now until the last game of the season but that’s speculation for other people.”

Curle has previously suggested he’s already decided who to keep and who to let go once the campaign ends on May 4 but his mind could still be swayed should his players impress during the four remaining matches of the season.

“There will always be talk between now and the end of the season regarding the future of players at the football club,” he added.

“I fully understand that but it’ll be the same answer - the right thing to do is that the players will be the first person to know.

“That is how I operate and as soon as the season ends, I’ll have a conversation with the players individually and they will be made away of my future plans and that’s how it has to be.

“From now until the end of the season, I think we should talk about the performances and the individual players that are playing and representing the football club.”

Alex Wakely was happy to give his bowlers some much-needed rest as Northants racked up a whopping 750 all out at Glamorgan.

Ricardo Vasconcelos (184), Rob Keogh (150) and Rob Newton (105) all made centuries in the Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash at Cardiff.

Glamorgan had made 570 for eight before declaring in their first innings, and they eventually finished the match on 70 for one in their second.

That meant Northants had to be satisfied with a second draw in as many matches after a stalemate in their Championship curtain-raiser against Middlesex.

And Wakely said: "I thought it was a very poor pitch, and as you saw, very difficult for the bowlers to take wickets.

"Our bowlers had a long bowl in the last game against Middlesex and in the first innings here, and it did them good to have a rest.

"It was difficult to score quickly and we weren’t prepared to declare."

Glamorgan head coach Matthew Maynard appeared to be slightly critical of Northants for not attacking more at Sophia Gardens.

Maynard said: "The (Glamorgan) batsmen batted aggressively on a good pitch, the bowlers were disciplined and had we taken the five chances in the field, things might have been different.

"We can’t comment on the way Northants played, but had we been in their position, we would have certainly attacked more, declared and had a go at winning the game."

Harlequins boss Paul Gustard was 'gutted' after his side suffered late heartache at the hands of a Saints side he labelled 'cynical'.

Alex Mitchell's last-minute try and James Grayson's nerveless conversion handed Saints a crucial 20-19 Gallagher Premiership win at the Stoop on Saturday afternoon.

It cut the gap to fourth-placed Quins to just four points with three games of the regular season to go.

And Gustard, who has now seen his side lose four successive league matches, was far from happy after the game.

"I'm obviously gutted because we had the game under control," Gustard said.

"We fought our way back into it because our game management from 10 minutes to 40 minutes wasn't good enough.

"We gave them field position and it was our errors - we lost the breakdown, lost aerial contests had a set piece that went awry on two occasions and gift-wrapped them points in the first half.

"Second half, we were much better, we defended exceptionally well, our set piece was good, they were a little bit cynical when we had linebreaks, got into their 22 and they managed to cheat and hold us and not let us get that second score that would have made a big difference.

"But then we were still leading by six points with two minutes on the clock and to lose the game from there is hard to take."

Gustard was impressed with some aspects of Saints' style.

He added: "I thought Dan Biggar controlled the field very well.

"They obviously came here with a plan to play structured in the first 30 minutes, they kicked the ball off the field and they wanted to attack our lineout.

"They wanted to play a territory-based game, the wind was swirling around a little bit and we kept running and running and running inside our own half to put ourselves under pressure.

"We got turned over twice at the breakdown and we got things wrong.

"We were exceptional from the restart in the second half and got ourselves into a commanding lead so to lose it is tough to take."

Quins must now regroup ahead of a trip to table-topping Exeter Chiefs, who lost at home to Wasps this afternoon, on April 27.

Gustard's men will host Leicester Tigers on the following weekend before finishing their season at fifth-placed Wasps.

"We're actually in fourth and with three games left, destiny is in our hands," Gustard said.

"We've got to pick ourselves up because we've lost four league games on the spin for different reasons.

"We were inept against Gloucester, against Saracens we were good for 40 and poor for 40, and we went up to Sale and I thought we were the better team, just ill-disciplined and gave them the points.

"Then on Saturday, we should have closed the game out and didn't. Hopefully it won't cost us."

Harlequins will have to do without wings Nathan Earle and Cadan Murley in the coming weeks as both players suffered horror injuries against Saints.

"It looks like Cadan has dislocated his elbow and Nathan's got a bad knee injury unfortunately," Gustard said.

"We'll find out the full extent over the next couple of days but our thoughts are with them for a speedy recovery."

In the build-up to Saints' clash with Harlequins, Chris Boyd used the same phrase in several interviews.

He was that happy with it that he repeated it to one of his players after concluding the weekly media session.

"Cometh the hour, cometh the man, eh Reecey," he said to Reece Marshall as he merrily left the room at Franklin's Gardens after completing his interview duties.

It was apt that Marshall was the player moving into the media hotseat in Boyd's place as the hooker is perhaps the best example of Saints' squad depth this season.

With Dylan Hartley, Mike Haywood and James Fish injured, Marshall has stepped up in strong fashion.

Cometh the hour, cometh the Marshall.

And he's not the only one.

Time and again this season, players have answered Boyd's call to fill in for injured team-mates - and they've done it well.

In recent weeks it has been particularly necessary to have talented replacements as Saints have been hit with more injuries than an army in Game of Thrones.

They had 17 before naming the team to travel to Quins and were then hit by the withdrawal of Mitch Eadie on the eve of the match.

And when battle began, things only got worse as George Furbank and Piers Francis were forced off with injuries and Ahsee Tuala had to exit the stage with cramp.

Then, to exacerbate the situation, Saints, who scored in the final minute thanks to super-sub Alex Mitchell, were unable to call on their world-class fly-half for the crucial conversion as Dan Biggar had also suffered a problem that prevented him kicking.

But cometh the hour, cometh the man once again. And this time it was James Grayson who delivered.

In a moment reminiscent of so many during the title-winning season of 2013/14, when 'Iceman' Stephen Myler continually landed late, match-winning kicks, Grayson held his nerve to slot a far from easy conversion.

The Academy graduate will have watched Myler deliver those big moments - now it was hit turn.

And how vital it could be as Saints closed the gap to Quins, who currently occupy the final play-off place despite having lost four successive matches.

The home side have not impressed in either meeting with Saints this season and they should have been much further behind than the 13-6 lead the black, green and gold held at half-time.

Boyd's team had bossed the first period, dominating at the breakdown and in the set piece, while showing far more strength in defence than they had against Gloucester just in days earlier.

Quins did do better after the break but it would have been a huge missed opportunity if Saints had not walked away with the win.

Because although they were continually forced to reshuffle - Grayson came on at full-back and scrum-half Cobus Reinach ended the game on the wing - they still looked like a far worthier top-four side.

And with players like Mitchell and Grayson continuing to show maturity, confidence and composure well beyond their years, they look primed to challenge for the play-offs not only this season but in many to come.

How they rated...

GEORGE FURBANK

Didn't have any time to make a real impact as he suffered a head injury and was stretchered off after receiving lengthy medical attention

AHSEE TUALA

Did everything he had to extremely effectively and managed to etch his name on the scoresheet with a simple finish out wide before being forced off with cramp... 8

RORY HUTCHINSON

Was tested defensively, but looked as classy as ever in attack, with his tidy break and offload opening the door for Saints' opening try... 7

PIERS FRANCIS

Had to come off early in the second half with a knee injury but had done well up to that point, making a crucial tap tackle on Nathan Earle... 7

TAQELE NAIYARAVORO

Tried to make things happen in attack, getting some key metres under his belt, and even produced a big counter-ruck in a decent enough display... 6

DAN BIGGAR

Controlled the game well for Saints during the first half and battled on bravely after taking some big knocks, eventually doing some good breakdown work to help his side score late on... 8

COBUS REINACH

Buzzed around in trademark fashion for the full 80 minutes and provided vital support for Alex Mitchell's late try... 7

FRANCOIS VAN WYK - CHRON STAR MAN

A really strong showing from the prop, who just keeps getting better and better. He won some crucial turnovers and also impressed in the set piece... 8

REECE MARSHALL

His passing was a bit off in the first period but he made a crucial turnover to help Saints grab their first try and he was good in the set piece... 7

PAUL HILL

Another strong showing from the prop as he gave Harlequins a tough time in the scrum and battled on after a blood injury... 7

API RATUNIYARAWA

Made 14 tackles without missing one and he continually tried to carry Saints through traffic to victory... 8

COURTNEY LAWES

Always a key presence for the team and this was no different as he overcame a clash of heads with Hill to produce another good showing... 7

JAMIE GIBSON

The flanker was unable to stop Jack Clifford from scoring but that wasn't really his fault as he was left in a difficult situation and he largely did well... 6

TOM WOOD

A great man to be able to bring back into the squad as his work rate and determination really showed throughout... 7

TEIMANA HARRISON

Another hugely eventful afternoon for the No.8, who displayed trademark tenacity and his tempo play as he topped the tackle count, making 18 and missing none... 8

Replacements (who played more than 20 minutes)

ANDREW KELLAWAY (for Furbank 15)

Missed a couple of tackles but he was impressive going forward, adding a real spark to Saints' play as he kept Quins on their toes... 7

JAMES GRAYSON (for Francis 44)

A superb cameo from the 20-year-old, who not only held his nerve to land the match-winning conversion but who made a try-saving tackle from full-back to stop Marcus Smith... 8

BEN FRANKS (for Hill 51)

Used his experience and made his tackles as Saints showed great character to battle back late on... 6

The following people have been sentenced at magistrates courts in the county:

Gareth James Lawless

Balham Close, Rushden. Age: 38

On 16/02/2019 in Wellingborough wilfully obstructed PC King in the execution of his duty.

Plea: Guilty. Fined £80, surcharge to fund victim services of £30, costs of £85.

Masimba Solani

Cobden Street, Kettering. Age: 37

On 17/02/2019 drove a green VW Polo in Horsemarket, Northampton, after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in your breath, namely 75mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, exceeded the prescribed limit.

Plea: Guilty. Fined £120, surcharge to fund victim services of £30, costs of £85, banned from driving for 36 months.

Dale Robert Thompson

Hillfield Road, Oundle. Age: 32

On 16/02/2019 in Northampton failed to provide a specimen of breath for analysis in the course of an investigation into whether you had committed an offence when suspected of having been in charge of a vehicle; in Wellingborough resisted PC King in the execution of his duty.

Plea: Guilty. Fined £575, compensation of £100, surcharge to fund victim services of £34, costs of £85, driving licence endorsed with 10 points.

Kenneth Stuart Campbell

Welford Avenue, Irthlingborough. Age: 62

On 09/02/2019 in Irthlingborough, assaulted a female by beating her.

Plea: Guilty. To participate Building Better Relationships programme for 60 days, pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £85, costs of £85.

Daniel Ashby

Judes Court, Kettering. Age: 35

Between 25/01/2019 and 14/02/2019 in Kettering pursued a course of conduct which amounted to the harassment of a female and which you knew or ought to have known amounted to the harassment of her in that you continually called, messaged and pestered her, causing her to feel harrassed.

Plea: Guilty. To participate in Building Better Relationships programme for 60 days, restraining order prohibits defendant from 1) contacting victim directly or indirectly 2) going to a named street in Kettering 3) going to a named school in Kettering. This order lasts until 05/03/2021. To pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £85, costs of £85.

Nicholas Paul Chandler

Valley Walk, Kettering. Age: 34

On 07/01/2019 in Kettering assaulted a female by beating her.

Plea: Guilty. Fined £80, surcharge to fund victim services of £30, costs of £85.

Scott Joseph Hargin

Oakley Road, Corby. Age: 31

On 11/02/2019, 31/12/2018 and 04/02/2019 in Corby assaulted a female by beating her; on 11/02/2019 in Corby assaulted another female by beating her; on 14/02/2019 in Corby resisted PC Katie Hibbert in the execution of her duty.

Plea: Guilty. Jailed for 17 weeks suspended for 24 months, to have treatment for drug dependency as a non-resident for four months, to participate in Building Better Relationships programme for 60 days, to pay compensation of £150, surcharge to fund victim services of £115, costs of £85, restraining order prohibits defendant from 1) contacting first victim directly or indirectly 2) going to a named street in Corby. This order lasts until 05/03/2021.

Hollie Pentelow

Obelisk Road, Finedon. Age: 28

On 02/05/2018 and 05/05/2018 stole five face creams, of a value unknown, from Boots, Rushden Lakes.

Plea: Guilty. Fined £80, compensation of £79, surcharge to fund victim services of £30, costs of £85.

Aaron Roden Stuart Charles

East Field, Northampton. Age: 29

Between 29/12/2018 and 12/01/2019 in Kettering pursued a course of conduct which amounted to the harassment of a female and which you knew or ought to have known amounted to the harassment of her in that you sent unwanted WhatsApp messages, emails and text messages, and made unwanted contact by phone on numerous occassions.

Plea: Guilty. To participate in Building Better Relationship programme for 50 days, restraining order prohibits defendant from 1) contacting victim directly or indirectly 2) going to a named street in Kettering. This order lasts until 05/03/2022. To pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £85, costs of £250.

Paul Mark Tennant

Cartrill Street, Raunds. Age: 33

On 05/05/2018 stole electrical items, of a value £778, from Boots, Rushden Lakes.

Plea: Guilty. To carry out unpaid work for 40 hours, pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £85, costs of £85.

Alekseys Nikitins

Squire Close, Corby. Age: 34

On 02/02/2019 drove a Renault Clio in Oakley Road, Rushton, after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in your breath, namely 93mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, exceeded the prescribed limit.

Plea: Guilty. To carry out unpaid work for 100 hours, pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £85, costs of £85, banned from driving for 23 months.

Outward has cult classic potential.

To set the scene you play an adventurer who must survive through a combination of stealth and battle against the threat of creatures and extreme environmental conditions.

Indeed one of the biggest threats you must protect yourself from are infectious diseases. Not to mention making sure you get enough sleep and stay hydrated.

Aurai is a deadly but imaginatively crafted world and the key to success is coming up with a winning formula to survive in the wilds as you explore alone or in co-op mode.

Nine Dots Studio claims Outward offers a unique experience with every playthrough.

On paper it should be a chart topping must-play open world RPG but it doesn’t quite hit those lofty heights.

In terms of graphics it’s not a feast for the eyes. This could be forgiven if there was an awesome innovative combat system and faster loading times. But there isn’t. Beginning your adventure with next to nothing you are thrust into the world with only the basics and your wits to survive and progress.

There is no level system to this game and your main boosts come from training by speaking to NPC’s and the crafting or finding of better weaponry and armour.

You guide your way around the world with the help of a static map with just a few main structures/areas pointed out but that is all the help you will get.

You have to recognise your area in order to make your way to key points which actually works really well as you find yourself exploring and not just running directly to your goal point. But combat is very rigid and your actions feel delayed from when you actually press the button which I found very frustrating. You can however speed up your dodging and moves by dropping your backpack which is a nice touch.

There is an element of replay appeal to the game which seems to offer many ways to complete quests. But the negatives counteract that in many respects.

At £27.99 or thereabouts you are kind of getting what you pay for and you will be hard-pressed to find better value anywhere else, particularly on PS4. I can see many months from now that Outward may well be offered up on as free download on the PS Store at which point it will undoubtedly prove very popular and may just become something of a cult classic. But for a purchase right now it is lacking in too many areas.

On: ps4, XB1 & pc

Rating 6.5/10

Cobblers manager Keith Curle has heaped praise on Scott Pollock after the young midfielder’s impressive debut performance against Mansfield Town at the weekend.

The 18-year-old was handed his full debut by Curle for the visit of the promotion-chasing Stags on Saturday, nearly three months on from his very first appearance for Northampton when he came off the bench at Cambridge United.

Pollock rose to prominence at YouTube-based club Hashtag United before signing a two-year scholarship with the Cobblers in September and he quickly made a name for himself with a string of goalscoring performances for the youth team.

The teenager’s blossoming career ticked off another milestone on Saturday when selected from the off against Mansfield, and he produced a highly accomplished display in central midfield, setting up Sam Foely’s second-half equaliser and named man of the match.

“Today’s got to be about the effort, the commitment, the acceptance of the challenge and the performance of young Scotty Pollock,” said his impressed manager afterwards.

“He’s another product of the youth department. He’s come through and integrated very well with the group and he put in a performance that shows the belief that we have in him.

“It was an opportunity for Scotty to enjoy it and an opportunity for the supporters to show their appreciation to a young man who’s found a different pathway into the club and into the first-team.”

Pollock was substituted in stoppage-time on Saturday and Curle confirmed that was to allow the supporters to show their appreciation of the young midfielder’s performance.

“He’s worked extremely hard,” added the Town boss. “He’s kept his focus, he’s kept his desire and belief and he’s enjoyed the occasion today and it was important for him to share that with the supporters. As they say, he’s one of our own!”

Jordan Turnbull, who retreated back into defence to make way for Pollock’s inclusion in central midfield on Saturday, was also impressed by what he saw from the teenager.

“Of course I’m pleased for him and it’s brilliant to see him come into the team and being so calm in possession and working hard in midfield,” said the defender.

“The lads are really happy for him and hopefully he can build on that performance.

“We’ve had quite a lot of youngsters with us throughout the season and another batch got their contracts not so long ago so it’ll be fantastic for them to be in and around the first-team in pre-season.”

A man bit off the top of a policeman’s ear and attacked his fellow officer after he was told he was being taken back to jail.

Northampton Crown Court heard how Louey Kostromin, 37, of no fixed abode, attacked two of the officers who had arrived at a probation office in Bridge Street, Northampton, to take him back to prison.

Kostromin had breached the terms of his early release from jail for a previous offence by turning up late for a probation appointment.

So, on Monday, August 6 last year, probation officers told him he would be returned to jail. He had been described as ‘agitated’, but by the time the police arrived, it was believed he had calmed down.

Appearing before Judge Adrienne Lucking on Friday (April 12) , Kostromin’s 37th birthday, the defendant was found by a jury to be guilty of wounding with intent. He had admitted wounding but denied that he meant to cause serious harm.

During her instructions to the jury, Judge Lucking described how the defendant hit one of the officers in the jaw before biting down on another police officer’s ear for about fifteen seconds. He then bit on his arm while colleagues tried to prise him off with ‘his legs and arms thrashing around’.

Police officers, who captured the incident on their body-worn cameras, tried to get Kostromin off their colleague and eventually had to surpress him using pava spray, after kicking out at him and punching him did not stop him.

Witness PC Beckett said that Kostromin had an expression of anger on his face while he had his arm wrapped around him, adding: “My only option was to punch the defendant. I punched him two or three times before he reacted enough to stop biting.”

The court was told that Kostromin was ‘desperate’ and did not want to return to jail. He said he had not slept for 72 hours and had been hallucinating. He told the court he ‘thought he was going to die’ when he was arrested and did not remember the attack. He said it was ‘absurd’ that he had thought about what he was doing at the time of the attack.

Kostromin was remanded in custody and will be sentenced in June.

The police officer who had his ear bitten off was said by Chief Constable Nick Adderley last year to be making a good recovery following surgery.

Highways England says the southbound carriageway from junction 16 to junction 15a has a lane closed so workmen can carry out emergency repairs to a barrier.

It follows an earlier collision involving a lorry.

A spokesman for Highways England said: "Traffic is busy so please take some extra time if heading south."

At just before 9am, delays were estimated at 12 minutes.

Northampton’s Sky Bet League Two game at Bury on Easter Monday could be under threat if players and staff at the Gigg Lane club are not paid this week.

Reports emerged last week that Bury’s players had gone on a 48-hour strike after salaries for March continued to go unpaid but an agreement was reached ahead of their home clash with Colchester United on Saturday, which they won 2-0 to climb back into second place in League Two.

BBC Radio Manchester reported that wages are due to finally be paid this week although the club’s off-field situation was described as ‘extremely concerning’ by the EFL on Thursday.

A statement read: “The board is extremely concerned about the developing situation at Bury and has asked the Executive to provide whatever practical assistance it can to the club.”

At the start of April, the club stated they were working to resolve “unforeseen circumstances” which led to the delay on paying wages.

The Shakers had a winding-up petition adjourned in the High Court until May 15 last Wednesday, with HM Revenue & Customs owed approximately £277,000.

Chairman Steve Dale said: “As promised, I secured the court outcome I requested, and this allows us the time to address the problems that have surfaced from the previous owners, which are substantial.

“I am pleased to say our new bankers will have opened our new account this week, so the money frozen in our NatWest account will be released to the new account, allowing the residual wages to be paid. I thank all for standing by the club whilst this was getting sorted.”

Northampton Labour group are calling for an all-weather pitch off Nene Way, Kings Heath to be restored and reopened after they branded it "unusable", having watched it fall into disrepair over the course of several years.

At the Northampton Borough Council budget meeting on March 11, Labour suggested that the council should invest in the pitch, in order that it can generate income that can be redistributed, as opposed to measures such as increasing town centre car parking charges.

Meetings have now been set up to discuss their proposal in the coming weeks, so the facility can benefit of the whole town.

Cllr Terrie Eales (Lab, NBC Kings Heath) said: “We've had many previous meetings with the council and private companies to try and get something moving, retaining free community access, but none of this came to anything.

"Hopefully we may now be about to make a breakthrough. I know there are many people from within the local community on Kings Heath that are so keen on this, they would be willing to volunteer to make it happen.”

Cllr Gareth Eales (Lab, NCC Dallington Spencer) said he believed money given to the borough council by developers as a condition of building new homes should be directed towards the pitch.

Councillor Eales said: “At the back end of last year, I made the point that with the proposed Dallington Grange development, money from that should have been invested into adjacent areas, on things like this pitch.

"Residents who live in estates like Kings Heath, will bear the brunt of the impact of these new 3,000 homes and yet there is not one penny being offered to these areas, to give some benefit.

"That is simply unacceptable and unfair and I have asked for that to be reviewed.

"Who knows, maybe NBC will squeeze some money from a developer to fund what would be both an income generator and a well-used community space.”

Northamptonshire County Council still has more than 150 children without an allocated social worker.

The figures have been revealed in a report which will be looked at by the authority’s overview and scrutiny committee next week, after councillors asked for more detail about what is happening in the children’s services department following a damning Ofsted report six months ago.

Ofsted inspectors found that there were 267 unallocated cases where children did not have a social worker and that ‘social workers were drowning in work’.

After the findings the Government sent experienced children’s commissioner Malcolm Newsam to the department to ‘oversee improvements’.
The report looks at the number of children in need without an allocated social worker, how the service’s front office is now working and also at the long-standing issue of social worker recruitment and retention.

It says that there are still 152 children in need without a dedicated social worker and that the average amount of time for a child waiting to be allocated is two weeks. The longest wait was 75 days.

It reads: “The negative consequence of families not being allocated to a named social worker is that visits are undertaken by different workers on each occasion, the work is limited to a monitoring function and plans of support and intervention agreed with families during the assessment phase cannot be actioned.”

The report said there has been a full review of the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub, which is the first point of contact for many who report concerns about a child. It had been criticised by Ofsted for not being ‘effective in ensuring that risk and need is addressed’.

But according to this latest report there are still a significant number of social workers with higher than target caseloads.

It says: “Simply put, within the safeguarding team we need 10 social workers to allocate all cases. It is our number one priority as agreed with our children’s commissioner; at present 23 per cent of the safeguarding service is agency staff, while this is a real improvement from Northamptonshire’s historical position this is still a challenge to us.”

Speaking at the health and wellbeing board last Thursday (April 11) the council’s deputy director of children’s services Sharon Muldoon said the department was ‘making good progress but there is much more to do.’

Chairman of the overview and scrutiny committee Labour Cllr Mick Scrimshaw said there is still ‘ a genuine real problem’ within the department.

He said: “These figures are still too high which is why scrutiny wants to look at this issue. We hope to understand the problem that still exists and offer any recommendations that could help the council.”

The scrutiny meeting will take place on April 24 at One Angel Square, Northampton.

How do you improve on what is already one of the best family days out for miles around?

If you’re in charge of attracting more visitors to Warwick Castle, add an inventive display featuring some of the most amazing sights nature has to offer, that’s how.

New for 2019 is the Falconer’s Quest, the UK’s biggest birds of prey show, featuring everything from barn owls and harris hawks to condors and eagles.

What’s especially engaging about this show is the story around which the birds’ appearances are woven.

We follow the journey of Hobby, who sets off to find as many birds as he can to bring back to Warwick Castle so he can fulfil his dream of becoming a falconer.

Taking place on the riverbank, the show makes good use of its setting with rows of benches enabling the audience to enjoy the performance in comfort.

Not too much comfort, however.

One of the most thrilling aspects of the show is just how close you come to these magnificent creatures.

Time after time they swoop over the heads of the crowds, coming so close you can feel the beat of their wings as they pass.

It’s all quite safe, of course, with the birds fully focused on their next meal rather than anything else!

And the best thing is the show is included in the admission price.

Also taking place throughout the day and free to drop in on are talks about the giant catapult, or trebuchet, and longbow demonstrations.

The latter is particularly entertaining, being a combination of informative and, most importantly, fun.

There’s plenty to fill your day with at Warwick Castle - in fact, too much to fit in to one day really.

Other recommendations include the Horrible Histories maze, the opulent interiors and awesome armour found in the Great Hall, the amazing views from the ramparts, and the peacock garden.

In fact, there are sights to see around every corner - whatever you choose to do, you won’t be disappointed.

With a variety of refreshments available, from burger vans to sit-down restaurants, all your needs are catered for, which all helps to make a visit to Warwick Castle a truly memorable day out.

All you need to know to plan your day out:

www.warwick-castle.com

Warwick Castle has over 1,100 years of history, with the area originally being settled by Ethelfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great and used to defend against the invading Danes. The first castle to appear on the site was a wooden motte and bailey constructed in 1068 at the command of William the Conqueror. Throughout the middle ages, under successive Earls of Warwick, the Castle was gradually rebuilt in stone to resemble the structure now seen today.

The Falconer’s Quest

The Falconer’s Quest is the UK’s new biggest birds of prey show, showing daily at the Castle from 6 April until 3 November 2019. The Falconer’s Quest show is included in general Castle admission price.

Day visits

Summer pricing (from Easter 2019 – end of Halloween)

Castle entry: Access to 64 acres of grounds, Castle & live shows excluding Castle Dungeon experience. Prices start from £19 per person when booked online at least 5 days in advance, or £28 for on the day walk-ups.

Kingdom entry: Access to 64 acres of grounds, Castle & live shows including Castle Dungeon experience. Prices start from £24 per person when booked online at least 5 days in advance, or £33 for on the day walk-ups.

Winter pricing (from November 2019)

Castle entry: Access to 64 acres of grounds, Castle & live shows excluding Castle Dungeon experience. Prices start from £14 per person when booked online at least 5 days in advance, or £20 for on the day walk-ups.

Kingdom entry: Access to 64 acres of grounds, Castle & live shows including Castle Dungeon experience. Prices start from £17 per person when booked online at least 5 days in advance, or £24 for on the day walk-ups.

Northampton Baseball Club have been playing on St Crispins Park for the past three years and must put up temporary nets and shelters for every game and training session.

The team has now asked for permission to build two 2.4 metre-tall permanent dugouts and a 23 metre-long mesh fence in the corner of the field closest to Frank Large Walk.

But more than 30 residents have now written to the council asking them to reject plans for the four-metre high fences and the two shelters.

I object to this proposal," one resident wrote to the council. "I have witnessed antisocial behaviour against our new community centre and fear that such a permanent structure will provide a base for the perpetrators to hang around."

Another resident wrote: "I feel the concrete structures will attract youths up to no good, and graffiti, and the fencing will prevent the community from using the field for a sport that's not particularly popular. They barely use the fields once a week."

Other residents say their view of the park will be "ruined" by the four metre-high fence and want the field to be open "to everyone".

Meanwhile, Duston Parish Council wrote to say they had "serious concerns" about the dugouts attracting anti-social behaviour.

However, one resident wrote to "wholeheartedly support" the plan and saying they believed it would boost sports facilities for young people.

The consultation for the plans ended in March, and the results will be put to the borough council's planning committee at a later date.

Promotion-chasing Mansfield Town were made to look ‘average’ by the Cobblers during Saturday’s 1-1 draw at the PTS, according to manager Keith Curle and defender Jordan Turnbull.

The Stags made the trip to Northampton sitting second in Sky Bet League Two and boasting the best defensive record in the division as they looked to continue their promotion challenge following back-to-back victories over Exeter City and Cambridge United.

But they never got going against Town and were fortunate to be ahead at half-time after a first period in which they were second best, with Mal Benning’s early corner somehow finding its way into David Cornell’s net.

That was Mansfield’s only shot on target though the game - if it can even be classed as a shot - as Sam Foley’s header from a Scott Pollock corner earned a deserved share of the points for mid-table Cobblers.

“This is not being disrespectful but I thought we made them look average,” said Curle. “They are a reliable and consistent team and they are a threat but I thought we matched them and we were on the front foot.

“We had some performances that worried them. The challenge for the changing room was to go up against a team second in league and the players had to accept that challenge, enjoy it and go and face it head on. We did that, individually and collectively.”

Turnbull, who returned to defence on Saturday having mostly played in midfield this season, echoed the thoughts of his manager and felt the Cobblers should have been disappointed not to have won the game.

“I think we can be disappointed to come away with a point,” he added. “We’re unhappy with the goal we conceded because it came from a set-piece and that’s something we’ll have to look at.

“But throughout the game I thought we were solid, we were on the attack and our strikers did brilliantly to upset their defence so it’s disappointing that we couldn’t take all three points.

“We did well all over the pitch, especially Scotty in midfield because he helped break up play with Foles and the two strikers upset their defenders and I felt we were solid at the back so it was quite a comfortable afternoon for us.

“We didn’t have many clear-cut chances and that’s what we can work on but the performance is something we can build on.”