Henry Taylor and Ryan Olowofela both scored on their Franklin's Gardens bow but Saints were beaten 34-26 in a lively pre-season game against Leinster.

The home side had headed in at half-time 22-7 down, but after making a raft of changes they produced a huge response in the second half.

Scrum-half Taylor, a summer signing from Saracens, started it off with a score seconds into his first Saints appearance, and former England sevens wing Olowofela and Academy graduate Tommy Freeman were also able to cross the whitewash in the second period.

But Leinster, who had gone behind for the first time at 26-22 down, issued a late riposte, scoring twice to ensure they would finish their pre-season campaign with a 100 per cent record.

For Saints it was a useful workout ahead of next Saturday's Premiership Rugby Cup opener at Sale Sharks.

And there were some hugely promising signs, especially as a couple of their tries came from trademark free-flowing moves.

What will also have impressed boss Chris Boyd was the way his side bounced back after being under early pressure.

Leinster had looked strong from the start, winning the ball in their own half after James Grayson got the game underway.

After camping in the Saints half for a few minutes, having initially come close to scoring, Leinster eventually got over as No.8 Caelan Doris picked up from a scrum and dotted down.

Wing Fergus McFadden converted, but Saints responded really well, winning a penalty in midfield and then going to the corner to crank up the heat.

But Leinster stood firm to stop Saints' slick interplay having an effect.

And it was the away side who were able to score again as some lovely movement from left to right opened the door for outside centre Jimmy O'Brien to race in.

It wasn't long before lively Leinster scored again as they knocked loudly on the door before blowing it down thanks to Hugh O'Sullivan's assist and Peter Dooley's try under the posts.

The Saints fans were desperate for something to shout about, and they got it thanks to a scything move that started with Connor Tupai's break and ended with Ollie Sleightholme kicking ahead for the speedy Tom Collins to score.

Grayson converted with aplomb before a big scrum battle took place, with Saints winning a penalty from the first close to the Leinster line, and the away side winning the second, allowing them to clear.

And after Grayson got caught isolated on the edge of his own 22, Leinster won a penalty, which fly-half Ross Byrne, on for the injured Ciaran Frawley, kicked.

Saints were keeping Leinster on their toes at the other end of the field, with Sleightholme again having an impact before Fraser Dingwall was met with a blue wall in the 22.

Both sides made wholesale changes for the second half, with Teimana Harrison coming on to skipper Saints.

And Harrison made an instant impact, picking up a superb offload from Taqele Naiyaravoro and charging forward before giving the ball to Taylor for his first Gardens try.

Tommy Mathews missed the conversion, but he was soon making amends with a more successful effort after Saints scored another delightful try.

Fraser Strachan, Reuben Bird-Tulloch, Taylor, with a lovely offload, and young full-back Freeman were all involved, with Freeman putting the finishing touches to it.

There were now just three points in it and some of Saints' new players were making a real impression, especially JJ Tonks, who produced some huge hits in the six shirt.

Leinster were struggling to get out of their own half and after Olowofela was stopped just short by a brilliant last-ditch tackle, he eventually got over, flying into the line and over the whitewash.

Mathews converted and Saints led for the first time at 26-22 up.

But Leinster weren't behind for long as a clever crossfield kick put them within range and Rory O'Loughlin finished things off.

Byrne missed the conversion to leave Saints just a point behind, but Leinster continued to push on and Connor O'Brien put the icing on the cake with a late score.

Saints: Tom Collins (Freeman 40); Ollie Sleightholme (Gillespie 40), Fraser Dingwall (Bird-Tulloch 40), Fraser Strachan (Olowofela 62 (Dingwall 68)), Ryan Olowofela (Naiyaravoro 40); James Grayson (Mathews 40), James Mitchell (Tupai 21 (Taylor 40 (Tupai 78))); Alex Waller (c) (Davis 21 (Franks 40 (Trinder 62))), James Fish (van Vuuren 40), Paul Hill (Garside 21 (Painter 40)); Devante Onojaife (Bean 40), David Ribbans (Coles 40); Tom Wood (Tonks 40), Ollie Newman (Harrison (c) 40), Mitch Eadie (Uru 40).

Leinster: Hugo Keenan (J O'Brien 62); Fergus McFadden (A Byrne 50), Jimmy O’Brien (O'Loughlin 40), Joe Tomane (C O'Brien 40), Cian Kelleher (Kearney 40); Ciarán Frawley (Ross Byrne 28), Hugh O’Sullivan (Gibson-Park 40); Peter Dooley (B Byrne 66), Rónan Kelleher (Milne 66), Michael Bent (Salanoa 66); Ross Molony (c), Ryan Baird; Max Deegan (Doris 62), Scott Penny (Connors 50), Caelan Doris (Fardy 40).

Referee: Ian Tempest

Freddy's Chicken on Weedon Road was given a one out of five by Northampton Borough Council after an inspection in February. Management claim improvements have been made and they are confident of being rated higher when they are next inspected. Read the full story here.

The south Wales outfit travel to Town sitting in second place in Sky Bet League Two, having won four and drawn three of their seven fixtures to date.

Michael Flynn’s side will in fact be defending a 17-match unbeaten run in the league, dating back to March 12 - when they were beaten by the Cobblers!

Joe Powell’s stunning late strike was the difference between the teams on that occasion at the PTS, but the result sparked a 10-match unbeaten run that saw County book a place in the promotion play-offs, only to lose in the final to Tranmere Rovers.

But Town boss Keith Curle and his players can take heart from that result and performance, as they bid to become the first team to beat Newport in the league this campaign.

And they can also take heart from the fact Newport have lost on all five of their previous visits to Sixfields.

“Newport have an air of confidence about them, and have an understanding of how they play,” said the Cobblers boss, who could welcome fit-again midfielder Alan McCormack into the squad for the first time since the opening day of the season.

“They get the ball forward, they get people in the right areas, they play the numbers game and flood areas.

“They have good ball retention, keep the ball alive, and they get the ball into the box at every opportunity.”

While Newport are unbeaten, the Cobblers slipped to their fourth defeat of the league season on Saturday when they went down 2-1 at Bradford City.

But Curle is upbeat about his side’s chances.

“Every game that we have played we have been very competitive in, and it won’t be any different on Saturday,” he said.

“It will be a tough game, with both teams trying to get on the front foot.

“I think it will be an entertaining game, I think both teams will try to dominate possession, and it’s going to be a case of which team is forced on to the back foot first.”

The number of working days being lost due to staff sickness at Northampton Borough Council is ‘significantly dropping’.

That is the verdict of the latest corporate performance report, which details how the council is performing across all areas and services.

The figures were presented at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening (September 11) at The Guildhall. Ironically, an updated and ‘more accurate’ corporate report was circulated to cabinet members on the evening, as the original report included in the agenda had been compiled in haste ‘due to staff sickness’.

The report states that there has been a ‘significant drop in the amount of staff hours reported as lost to sickness’. It adds that work is continuing to ensure that such reporting is ‘accurate’.

According to the report, the average number of days lost to sickness, for a rolling 12-month period, was 11.2 days at this time last year. But this time around, the number is down to 7.76. The improvement appears to be a recent development over the last three months, as the figure was still as high as 11.36 as recently as March.

Deputy leader Councillor Phil Larratt said the new figures showed the council was ‘heading in the right direction’.

Back in October, the borough council had ditched an unpopular policy of not paying workers for the first day of sick leave. In 2016, it had been as high as three days.

The latest figures for the borough council prove better reading than their neighbours across the road at Northamptonshire County Council. Last week the authority predicted it would lose more than 40,000 working days to sickness this year, with each member of staff having an average two weeks off work due to illness. Unions and opposition councillors said this had been largely impacted by staff being ‘overworked’.

Former Cobblers winger Tommy Robson, a member of the Dave Bowen team that played in the top flight of English football in the 1965-66 season, has revealed he is suffering from motor neurone disease.

The 75 year-old, who is the club record appearance holder for Town's rivals Peterborough United, was diagnosed recently, but says he’s determined to make the most of his remaining years.

Robson, who survived a triple by-pass heart operation six years ago, is due to see a specialist later this month when he will be told his life expectancy. There is no known cure for the disease.

The Gateshead-born player started his career with the Cobblers, signing on at the County Ground in 1961.

Robson was a key part of the team that won Town’s only promotion to the top flight of the English game, playing in 36 of the 42 league matches that saw Bowen’s men finish as runners-up in the second division behind Newcastle United.

Robson then made a further 15 league appearances in the top division for the Cobblers, scoring three goals - two in a 4-3 defeat to West Brom at the County Ground, and one in a 2-1 home defeat to Burnley - before being sold to Chelsea for £30,000.

In all, he scored 20 league goals for Town over a five-year stay.

After stints at Chelsea and Newcastle United, he signed for Posh for a record fee of £20,000 in 1968 and he has been part of the furniture at London Road ever since.

Robson made a record 559 appearances for the club in his 13-year playing stint, and only another former Cobbler Jim Hall has scored more than his 128 goals for Posh in the Football League era.

He he also had a stint in the Peterborough United commercial department and a spell as youth team manager, and to this day he still entertains sponsors and guests at home games.

Robson expects to have no more than three to four years to live so he hopes to be able to arrange a benefit football match and dinner to help pay for his care.

Robson lives with his wife Helen in Bretton. They live on their pensions.

Speaking to the Peterborough Telegraph's Alan Swann, Robson said: "It’s all come as a shock as I’ve always been so active.

“But I am going to fight it for as long as I can. I’ve always done that. I thought I was a goner six years ago when I had a heart attack but I came through it.

“I first realised I had a problem about four months ago when my finger just locked.

“Most people apparently struggle with the muscles in their legs first, but for me it’s been in my arms. They are not working properly when I take them above waist height.

“There is no cure. There isn’t really any treatment apart from tablets so I’m now just waiting to hear how long I have left.

“Whatever they say I will keep working at the football club for as long as possible.

“In a way it’s harder for the families of sufferers than the sufferer themselves so I’m hoping to raise money to make things a bit easier for Helen in particular.

“The thought of a wheelchair and even a stairlift is not pleasant, but we will get on with things as best we can.

“It would be nice to arrange a game or a dinner to raise some money to help with my care.

“My son read that the illness has been linked with playing football in Italy so maybe I shouldn’t have kept playing so long. I was 62 when I last headed a ball!”

Saints CEO Mark Darbon is looking forward to another 'memorable occasion' at Franklin's Gardens after it was announced England Under-20s would be returning to Northampton next year.

The Red Rose youngsters will take on their Ireland counterparts in an U20 Six Nations Championship encounter on Friday, February 21 (kick-off 7.45pm).

The Gardens often hosts England Under-20s fixtures, with the most recent coming last March, when Scotland were the visitors.

Saints have had plenty of representation in the Under-20s side in recent times, with the likes of Alex Coles, Fraser Dingwall and Ollie Sleightholme all involved.

And Darbon said: "After the success of last year's fixture, in which more than 5,000 supporters saw England defeat Scotland, we are once again proud to be hosting the future stars of the game.

"We all know about the fierce rivalry between the two nations and followers of Under-20s rugby will know that Ireland are the Grand Slam champions, beating England in both the Six Nations and World Rugby U20 Championship last season so I'm sure England will be looking to set the record straight.

"Those that attended last year were treated to eight tries and an exciting contest and we look forward to making this a memorable occasion under the lights here at Franklin's Gardens."

England men U20s fixtures

Saturday, February, 1, 2020: France v England, 8pm GMT, Stade des Alpes, Grenoble

Friday, February 7, 2020: Scotland v England, 7.30pm GMT, Myreside, Edinburgh

Friday, February 21, 2020: England v Ireland, 7.45pm GMT, Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton (tickets: englandrugby.com/tickets)

Friday, March 6, 2020: England v Wales, 7.45pm GMT, Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester

Sunday, March 15, 2020: Italy v England, 5.30pm GMT, Payanini Rugby Center, Verona

New rules about what gifts and hospitality can and cannot be accepted by Northamptonshire county councillors are being added to the code of conduct.

Tickets for premium sporting events, use of someone’s flat or hotel and discounted services from contractors have all been labelled as unacceptable gifts to take, while working lunches to discuss authority matters, invitations to a professional dinner and special occasions where invited as a representative of the county council are deemed acceptable.

A report to be agreed by the full council next Thursday (Sept 19) says the current code of conduct needs to be amended to make sure the constitution is ‘fit for purpose’.

It says: “The council’s internal auditors have recently undertaken a review of the council’s procedures for managing the recording of gifts and hospitality received by councillors and officers. While the audit has found that the procedures the council has in place are operating satisfactorily, a recommendation has been made that the guidance in place for councillors and officers be updated, and the form used to register gifts and hospitality be refreshed.”

The internal audit has not as yet been made public.

As part of the new rules, councillors must notify the authority every time they are offered hospitality that has a value of more than £25, even when they have not accepted it.

The suggested code says: “As a public service there is a need to demonstrate impartiality and merit in remaining totally open about anything received and understanding the perception of the general public regarding offers or gifts or hospitality.”

This rule is in block capitals in the report paper.

The code says when deciding whether to accept a gift councillors should consider the likely motive of the gift being offered, the perception created by accepting the gift and whether hospitality has also been offered to their partner.

The code of conduct does not mention whether officers working in the authority have to abide by the same rules.

An investigation into the activities of NEA properties – an unaudited company owned by the council – found no evidence of councillors declaring gifts and hospitality from Northampton Saints Rugby Club.

The investigation found that in July 2015 NEA properties gave an £80,000 grant to the sports club and as a ‘recipricol goodwill gesture’ the club gave private use of a 16-person executive box with complimentary meals and drinks.

It said the declarations should have been made.

However council leader Matt Golby, who enjoyed the hospitality on a few occasions, did not declare it on his interests.

Labour county councillor Anjona Roy welcomed the changes and said the council had to be transparent.

The man charged with rebuilding Northamptonshire County Council has been given a second big job by the Government.

Leader commissioner Tony McCardle will be heading up a Department for Education review into support for special educational needs children.

The review is taking place five years after reforms were introduced and the Government has said it aims to improve the services available to families with special needs children and end the postcode lottery they currently face. It also will look at ways to equip schools.

Introducing the review, new Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said he wanted parents to know the Government is committed to boosting outcomes for children with special educational needs.

Taking on his role, Mr McArdle, who was previously chief executive at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Delivering better SEND outcomes will require consistent, strong leadership across a range of partners.

“I look forward to ensuring that this board supports the sector with what it needs to bring that leadership to bear.”

Alongside his chairmanship of the SEND System leadership board he will also act as an adviser to the review.

Since being appointed to Northamptonshire County Council in May 2018 – following the authority running out of funds – the commissioner has led a team which in the most recent financial year has balanced its books.

However, this achievement was helped by a special dispensation granted by Government which allowed the council to use £70m of capital receipts (largely from the sale of council headquarters One Angel Square) to help set a balanced budget and replenish reserves. The county was also allowed to raise the council tax levy by five per cent without a referendum.

The council’s chief executive has said the authority is still in a fragile state and is losing sleep about unknown legacy problems that may be lurking round the corner.

Northamptonshire County Council has confirmed Mr McArdle will continue in his lead commissioner role at the authority as well as this new task.

A woman, aged 25, has been released by Northamptonshire Police after being pictured grabbing a little girl's neck.

A spokeswoman from Northamptonshire Police told the Chronicle & Echo yesterday (Thursday) that the police force had received reports of a toddler being assaulted in Fish Street.

The incident took place in Northampton, at about 6.20pm on Tuesday, September 10.

This came after a video, which had been widely circulated on Facebook, appeared to show a woman with her hands around a little girl's neck while the toddler sat in her buggy.

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman told the Chron this afternoon (Friday) that following an investigation, the woman has been released and no further action has been taken.

Phil Dowson highlighted the contributions of some of Saints' youngsters after the pre-season defeat to Leinster.

It was an all-action affair at Franklin's Gardens on Thursday night as the Irish outfit eventually ran out 34-26 winners.

Saints had come back from 22-7 at half-time to lead 26-22 late on.

But Leinster eventually got a second wind, scoring twice more to ensure they finished their pre-season campaign with a blemish-free record.

For Saints, it was a hugely productive game, which should stand them in good stead for next Saturday's Premiership Rugby Cup opener at Sale Sharks.

And forwards coach Dowson picked out a few players who he felt impressed against Leinster.

"I thought JJ (Tonks) defended really well. For a young man, he put some great shots in.

"Henry Taylor looked lively, Connor Tupai again was brilliant. He hasn't played a huge amount of rugby.

"Across the board there was a huge amount of effort and there are some things we need to fine-tune.

"First half we weren't good enough and we stood off. Second half there was much more intent and Tei (Harrison) really led from the front.

"We got ourselves back in the game, it's just unfortunate we ran out of steam with five, 10 minutes to go."

Dowson was happy to see what the Saints squad were made of after so many weeks of pre-season training.

He added: "We've had a long pre-season and we needed a game to see where we are and, as Chris (Boyd) likes to say, see who's who in the zoo.

"It gave us a really quality opposition to test ourselves against, and we did that.

"We found some areas were lacking and some were quite good.

"There are a few bits and pieces we need to pick up, but as a first hit-out it was good for the gents."

Wakely hit an unbeaten 44 in the second innings at Grace Road on Friday to help seal a seven-wicket win for the County against Leicestershire.

It moved David Ripley's men up to second in the standings, and with three teams going up this year, Northants are now in a great position.

They host Durham next week before going to Gloucestershire for the final fixture of the campaign.

And Wakely said: “We worked hard for this (the win at Leicestershire).

"Four-day wins generally mean more than one-day wins because you have to fight your way through difficult spells, and at times it wasn't easy.

“The same was true this morning. They bowled quite well, used a couple of spinners and we had to bide our time and get over the line.

"It was all about the win, it didn't matter how we got there.

“I feel in decent touch, I'm enjoying batting without the pressures of captaincy, playing with a smile on my face. But everything is easy when you're winning!

“That said, momentum is huge, we're playing with a lot of confidence, the balance of the team looks good and we're in a very good position.

"It's in our hands now, and next week against Durham is a massive game.

"We want to finish second if we possibly can.”

Northants bowled Leicestershire out for 308 in the first innings and then just 189 in the second.

And the home side were eventually well beaten on the final day as Ben Curran set the tone with 40 and Wakely and Richard Levi (11no) finished the job.

Leicestershire head coach Paul Nixon said: “We're disappointed, we've been outbowled in this game.

"The Northamptonshire seamers bowled relentlessly in good areas, whereas we were too short or too full, we leaked runs too often, didn't build enough pressure.

“It's frustrating because 308 first up after being put in was a very good score, and we didn't back it up in our second innings.

"Their disciplined bowling outshone our batting. We have to learn from that.

“There were positives for us in some of the individual performances, but they are flying high in the table for a reason.

"They are doing the basics very, very well, they have a lot of belief and those are the standards we have to meet to compete.”

A man with links to Northampton is wanted by police in connection with several burglaries and thefts.

Romans Kacailo is known to frequent the St James, Wellingborough Road and Semilong areas of Northampton.

The wanted appeal for the 27-year-old man of no fixed abode is part of Operation Crooked, Northamptonshire Police's campaign to reduce burglaries.

As part of the operation, the burglary team ensures every burglary victim in Northamptonshire is guaranteed a visit from police.

They are also working to review and drive-up the quality of investigations, manage and progress forensic hits, hunt down wanted people, organise police patrols in areas of concern and gather intelligence to prevent burglaries before they happen.

Anyone with information regarding Kacailo's whereabouts should call Northamptonshire Police on 101. If you see him, call 999.

Newport County boss Michael Flynn believes the Cobblers will 'be a force' in Sky Bet League Two once the squad has had time to 'gel and click'.

The south Wales side are the visitors to the PTS Academy Stadium this weekend, with Flynn's men hoping to extend their impressive seven-match unbeaten start to the campaign.

But the County boss is anticipating a very difficult afternoon for his players, as he has already seen close up exactly how much quality there is in the Cobblers squad.

“It’s going to be a very tough game," said Flynn, who has this week been linked with the vacant manager's job at Lincoln City.

“When we were out in Spain doing our pre-season work, they were there as well – same place.

“I spoke to Keith Curle and he watched a little bit of our game (vs Al Ahly) before going off to train.

“I could see they had a strong squad then. They probably have started a little slower than they’d have expected but they have had an overhaul.

"Once they gel and click, they’ll be a force in this league.”

Newport are unbeaten in their past 17 league two matches, with their most recent defeat actually cioming at the PTS back in March.

That was the Exiles' fifth straight defeat at Sixfields, and Flynn remembers it well.

“I remember it was the 89th minute and a great strike from Joe Powell, who recently played against us again for West Ham," said the Newport boss, who then oversaw a 10-match

unbeaten run to steer his team to a top seven finish.

“I didn’t think we’d get into the play-offs after that as I think it put us seven or ten points behind Colchester.

“It wasn’t a very good evening but clearly we responded well and broke some records.”

A cafe and a shop owner are warning traders to be wary of two young men who are believed to be using a scam tactic to steal money from small businesses.

The duo are known to have hit two local firms already using an advanced credit card fraud trick.

Colin Ingle of The Drovers Return cafe in Hunsbury Hill Country Park was defrauded of £890 by the young men when they entered his premises at the end of August.

"They completely fooled us," he said. "And the credit card company is refusing to help us as well."

The two young men, one of whom is noticeably stocky and Asian, ordered £8.90 worth of food at the Drovers Return and went to pay for it at the till using what turned out to be a fake card.

One of the duo distracted Mr Ingle while the other quickly added two zeros to the price of the transaction on the handheld card reader and - somehow - bypassed the sale so it went through.

The duo then demanded a refund for their apparent £890 bill - which they claimed was simply the result of the cashier adding too many zeros.

At this point, it appears they used sleight of hand to place a different card in the chip and pin reader to receive the refund.

It was not until two weeks after the incident that Mr Ingle was told the initial transaction was from a fake card - and that he had, in fact, simply paid out £890 onto a different card.

"They make you feel like it is a genuine mistake" said Colin. "You think you've just pressed some extra zeros, but they have done that themselves.

"One lad did this great act saying 'my dad will kill me, he just topped up my student loan' when asking for the refund."

Mr Ingle shared details of the incident on Facebook and within days had been told of three other sightings of the boys in the greater Northampton area.

Michelle Coleman - the owner of Cottonbuds in St Leonard's Road, Far Cotton - also had £720 stolen from her florists on August 31 from what was almost certain to be the same two people, having compared CCTV footage.

They used an identical method after ordering an £7.20 bouquet at the till at around 4.30pm.

Sadly in both cases, the companies running the chip and pin machines have refused to reimburse the shops as the refunds were authorised.

"That could be a month's take for a little business," said Michelle.

"I want them to be caught so they don't do this to anyone else."

Northamptonshire Police has called for anyone who recognises the men to come forward.

Newport County have been dealt a blow with the news that central defender Ryan Inniss has been handed a five-match ban by the Football Association, and will miss Saturday's trip to take on the Cobblers.

Inniss only joined the the Exiles on loan from Premier League Crystal Palace at the end of last month, but was sent off in his second game for the club in their 5-4 leasing.com Trophy defeat to West Ham United Under-21s.

He was dismissed near the end of the match after a clash with Hammers youngster Reece Hannam, and would normally bring have been handed an automatic three-game ban.

But an allegation of biting from Hannam surfaced after the final whistle and Inniss was subsequently issued with a charge of violent conduct by the governing body.

In a statement, Newport said Inniss had admitted a breach of FA Rule E3(1) and that he now suspended for the next five competitive first-team matches by an independent regulatory commission.

The FA stated: "The members of the commission ordered that the standard punishment of a three-match suspension in this instance be set aside and replaced with a five-match suspension."

When charging Inniss with violent conduct, the FA had said: “It is alleged that his behaviour in or around the 90th minute constitutes violent conduct, in circumstances where the standard punishment that would otherwise apply is clearly insufficient.”

Meanwhile, Newport have also issued a statement saying there has been no approach for their manager Michael Flynn from Lincoln City.

The Imps are looking for a new boss following Danny Cowley's departure to take over at Huddersfield Town, and Flynn is among the favourites to replace him, along with Wycombe's Gareth Ainsworth and former Bolton manager Phil Parkinson.

The club say there has been no contact with Lincoln, and Flynn was playing a straight bat as he spoke to the media ahead of Saturday's trip to the PTS Academy Stadium.

“As far as I know, there has been no interest, all I’m concentrating on is Northampton," said Flynn, who guided Newport to the play-off final last season.

“It’s always flattering (to be linked with other jobs), and it does show that you’re doing things right.

“I’ve sat here many times and just got on with what I needed to do. I think I’ve always been professional in the way I’ve handled it, and it has never affected the players.

“You’ve got to do things right, and until I’m told anything different, I’ll be doing my best for Newport County.

“Every time there’s a vacancy this comes up, but I can’t do anything about it.

"I’m just concentrating on doing my job and it’s not a bad job we’re doing, so I’m really focused on getting the points at Northampton.

"It just goes to show what a good job the players are doing, not just myself and the staff. They deserve a lot of credit for that.

“The way they’ve started the season has been fantastic.

“We’ve got a tough couple of games coming up now. We’ll give it our best shot and try and get the three points, and then worry about Macclesfield next Tuesday.”

Joe Elmore's girlfriend required reconstructive surgery after he punched her in the face during an argument at their home earlier this year, Northampton Crown Court heard.

The 28-year-old, of Dands Drive, Middleton Cheney, was sentenced to 22 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to two counts of assault, one which caused actual bodily harm.

Recorder Mark Watson said: "You abused your position of trust. You were her partner, you should have been there to care for her and protect her, not to assault her."

Elmore and his partner got into an argument in the kitchen after she came home with her three and two-year-old children on April 29, the court heard.

He pushed her so she walked into the hallway. He followed her and pushed her again, so she slapped him - "not an unreasonable response," recorder Watson remarked.

"Taking place in front of your daughters, you then showed her who was boss," he said.

"You took your shirt off, wrapped it around your fist, told her you were going to punch her then did just that, punching her square in the face and breaking her nose."

Elmore's partner went to hospital for treatment but lied about what happened.

After the grabbing incident a week later, Elmore was arrested but blamed his girlfriend for everything, which recorder Watson described as a "cowardly move".

Elmore, who has a previous conviction for assault from 2016, initially denied the charges but changed his plea to guilty before an arranged trial.

As well as the jail term, he was given a restraining order so he cannot contact or see his girlfriend unless it is to meet or talk to his children.

Recorder Watson said: "Your victim was vulnerable, she had been your victim in the past.

"Her size compared to yours was slight and she was an ongoing victim of domestic violence at your hands."

Northamptonshire Police is appealing for the public’s help to find a man who is wanted on recall to prison.

Bradley Buchanan, aged 32, of No Fixed Abode, has been recalled to prison after breaching the conditions of his licence.

Buchanan was sentenced in September 2015 for possession with intent to supply and was recalled to prison on September 5, police today confirmed.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Buchanan should call Northamptonshire Police on 101, stating incident number 19000485468.

Saints' pre-season fixture against Leinster at Franklin's Gardens on Thursday night could certainly be placed into the entertaining category.

The two teams slugged it out in a match that was much better than most friendlies you will see.

Because even though new players were continually introduced to the action, the flow of the game never really stopped.

There were some eye-catching tries, particularly from Saints during the second period, and there were impressive fightbacks on either side.

Saints recovered from 22-7 down at the break to lead 26-22.

But they couldn't hold out as Leinster found a second wind, scoring twice more to win it 34-26 and end their pre-season campaign on a high.

So what did we learn from the Saints display?

The new players have promise

There were several new signings on show for Saints, and many of them looked like they had been strutting their stuff at the Gardens for many years. They have clearly been given real belief by the coaching staff, and that showed, especially after the break as Saints pushed a Leinster side containing the likes of Ross Byrne and Dave Kearney all the way.

JJ Tonks loves a hit

No, it wasn't the second coming of Christian Day at the Gardens on Thursday night, it was another man wearing a red scrum cap. And that wasn't the only striking thing about the young back row forward's display. Tonks clearly possesses a huge desire for the game and a couple of jackhammer hits really caught the eye. You certainly wouldn't want to meet him down a dark alley, or any alley for that matter.

Ryan Olowofela is a difficult player to keep grounded

The young wing, who has joined Saints from the England sevens circuit, spoke earlier this summer about bulking up to compete with the demands of the Premiership, but if his first outing is anything to go by, he won't have much trouble mixing it in the top division. Olowofela bounces off players like a football off a wall and he refuses to be stopped, getting up again and again to cause problems. He was stopped just short of the line by a last-ditch Leinster tackle, but he would not be deterred as he picked himself up, dusted himself off and flew into the line to score a deserved try.

The Franks brothers could be a fearsome combination

With Owen Franks set to arrive at Saints on November 1, Saints will have the Franks siblings in their ranks. Ben Franks was playing predominantly at tighthead last season, but he was wearing the No.1 shirt on Thursday night, which suggests he will switch over to loosehead to compete with the likes of Alex Waller and Francois van Wyk this season. That would open the door to a Franks double in the Saints front row, which will not fill opposition sides with joy.

The appetite for rugby remains

There was a sizeable crowd at the Gardens on Thursday night, once again showing that the buzz is back around the Gardens. A year ago, there was excitement about what boss Chris Boyd would bring to the club, but now fans know exactly what he is able to get these players to achieve, and the hunger to watch it all unfold is clearly there.

Saints are going to be tough to stop again

The rugby on show at Franklin's Gardens last season was, at times, nothing short of sensational with the club often providing a nominee or two to the Premiership try of the month competition. And it seems there will be plenty more where that came from if Thursday night is anything to go by as Saints scored some absolute beauties against Leinster. The offloading game was there for all to see - even new hooker Michael van Vuuren delivered a delightful one! - with tidy support lines and some really good synchronisation.

There is still plenty of work to be done

As you would expect with just a few match minutes under the belt, Saints have still got a lot to work on before the Premiership starts at Saracens next month. The lineout was a particular area of weakness early on, but with so many players missing and so many who have not played together before, that was no real surprise. There is plenty to be done in not too much time, but Saints now know what they must work on and they will do just that in the Premiership Rugby Cup in the coming weeks.

The new kit is nice

Okay, so it's not the most important subject, but it does matter a lot to supporters who like to show their love for their favourite team. You can never really tell how good a new kit looks until you see the players wearing it on the pitch, and it turns out the designers have done a great job as this season's strip is one to savour. It has a touch of the retro about it, as it is supposed to, and it is all very Saints.

The new stadium announcer has made a good start

Pete Nuttall is the man who has been chosen to take over from the legendary Geoff Allen, and he did well on Thursday night. He was not over-dramatic and he gave fans plenty of information during the match, while not taking away from the action on the pitch. It will take time for supporters to get used to the new voice of the Gardens, but this was a good start.

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Keith Curle is confident Cobblers playmakers Nicky Adams and Matty Warburton will soon click into top creative gear.

The pair are crucial cogs in Town's attacking strategy this season and despite both playing well and impressing in games, for different reasons they have struggled to hit top goal creating and taking form so far.

Warburton is still very much finding his feet in the full-time professional game, having signed from non-League Stockport County in the summer, but Curle has been delighted with his progress, and insists the 27-year-old will only get better.

Adams was arguably the club's marquee signing of a hectic summer.

The 32-year-old has a proven track record of assists in Sky Bet League Two, topping the divisional charts last season as he created 15 goals for Bury on their way to promotion.

He also directly made 13 goals in the Cobblers' title win of 2016, and the season after was responsible for 16 of Carlisle's goals as they reached the promotion play-offs.

Adams will have also had a crucial hand in scores of other goals in those seasons, and throughout his career.

In nine games this season to date, Adams has yet to provide a direct assist or score a goal, and that is a similar story for Warburton in his eight games, although he has netted once, in the Caribao Cup defeat at Swansea City.

Stats alone prove nothing of course, and both players have made telling contributions in the build up to goals and in creating chances that have been missed, but there is little doubt Curle will be wanting more as the season progresses.

Both are expected to start in Saturday's clash with unbeaten Newport County, and the Cobblers boss believes it is a matter of when, and not if, the assists and goals start to flow.

As far as Warburton is concerned, Curle has nothing but praise for the former PE teacher who scored 24 goals as Stockport County won the Vanarama National League North last season.

"I think Matty has done excellently, and the one thing he hasn't done yet in the league is score a goal," said the Cobblers boss. "But his understanding, adapting, his attitude and application have been exemplary.

"He is finding the pace of it, finding the level of it, the day-to-day training and he is adpating to all of that, although it does take a little bit of time.

"Matty is seeing it as a challenge, and the best thing about it is he is enjoying the challenge.

"Some of his link up play, some of his combination play, some of his positional play and his understaning of the game has been very good.

"There are things that he still needs to work on, and it is that attitude and that willingness to learn, listen and develop that is exemplary."

It has been a difficult few months off the pitch for Adams, who admitted that the events surrounding his departure from his former club Bury, and that club's ultimate demise, had hit him hard.

But he insists he has shrugged that off, and although he has yet to replicate the form he showed in his previous spell with the Cobblers, Curle, who managed Adams at Carlisle, knows the player will give all he has to create and score goals this season.

"Nicky has hit the post twice with efforts, and he has yet to go on that run of the assists that we know he is capable of," said the Town manager. "But he is enjoying the football club.

"I think that is massive, and he has a passion for the football club which I think is infectious for the changing room.

"The results and performances matter to Nicky, and that is why he has been made club captain.

"He has the characteristics that we want in and around the football club."