Adam Rossington reflected on a mixed first day for Northants against Durham.

The County battled back impressively before the close, with red-ball captain Rossington leading the charge with the bat.

He smashed a superb 82 from just 70 balls to help Northants reach 217 all out.

And Durham then struggled in reply, finishing on 37 for four from 15 overs as Ben Sanderson bagged three for 20 before bad light brought a slightly premature end to Monday's action.

Northants are currently in the promotion places in Specsavers County Championship Division Two, with Durham just outside.

And after the first day's action, Rossington said: “The wicket did plenty and after we battled well up top.

"Durham began to bowl well and I was running out of partners so I tried to get a few away to the short side and managed to get a batting point.

“At one stage we were a long way away from that point but we managed to sneak one and then started really well with the ball.

“We think 217 is a good score so it’s important to come back and get as big a lead as possible.”

Experienced seamer Chris Rushworth took five for 68 for Durham.

And Rushworth said: "We were honest at lunch and said we hadn’t bowled as well as we should have.

"You can’t get much better conditions for a seam bowler and we just didn’t put the ball in enough good areas.

“We came out and bowled well in the middle session but Adam Rossington just teed off and has put them on the front foot.

"We knew what was coming and trying to defend it when the boundary is so short is easier said than done.

“They’ve come out and bowled a lot better than we did but the forecast is better for tomorrow and someone has to stand up and put in a big shift for us.”

His sister and mother paid tribute to the "caring and doting" father outside Northampton Crown Court following the hearing yesterday (Monday, September 16).

But the overall mood among his loved ones was of anger as Mohammed Rahman, 21, of St James' Park Road, Northampton, was jailed for 26 months for causing death by careless driving and perverting the course of justice.

Stephen's sister Tracey Fox told the Chronicle & Echo: "The system is just wrong. 26 months and he's going to serve 13 months of that. It's not justice.

"I'm cross because he can get on with his life and we've got to learn to live without Stephen and try to get through things.

"When it comes to birthdays, celebrations, and Christmases, which we know he loved so much, he's not going to be there so it's really, really hard to struggle with."

Stephen, 39, died after he was struck by a Vauxhall Corsa being driven by Rahman as he crossed Wellingborough Road at around 11.40am on Sunday, May 20, 2018.

Rahman drove off in his damaged car for half a mile before trying to wipe away evidence inside and out, including taking off the number plates, and abandoning it.

The driver was arrested after his sister called police, but refused to comment in police interviews.

READ MORE: Speeding driver jailed for killing Stephen Swann in 'heartbreaking' Northampton hit-and-run crash

He was charged with causing death by dangerous driving but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence and perverting the course of justice on what would have been the first day of his trial earlier this month.

The court heard how Rahman was "truly and deeply sorry" for his actions, which have left him on anti-depressants and "reclusive", but Mrs Fox said it was too late for remorse.

"He showed no remorse before, even when it first started in magistrates' court, he couldn't make eye contact with us," she said yesterday.

"Then it went to crown court on my birthday, which is not the celebration I really wanted, and still no remorse.

"And to be told that today that he's on anti-depressants, I'm on anti-depressants since we lost Stephen, I've had counselling, I've had to go to group therapy.

"I just can't get my head around it, the sentencing is just not right."

After the crash, a JustGiving page set up by Stephen's football teammates raised more than £5,000 to cover funeral costs, which was attended by more than 400 people, his mother Ann Swann said.

Mrs Fox said all the family has got left of Stephen are his ashes which a few of them have in a pink vial on a necklace.

"He was such a caring, doting brother. Everybody loved him, he didn't have a bad bone in his body. He loved his daughter to bits, we all loved him to bits and he loved us," she said.

"He doted on our grandchildren, his nieces and nephews, he wouldn't have a bad word to say about anybody and he was always there for everyone.

"No matter what day it was, no matter what time it was, he was always there. And that, we've not got anymore and that's what we miss."

READ MORE: Speeding driver jailed for killing Stephen Swann in 'heartbreaking' Northampton hit-and-run crash

Keith Curle says it is his job to 'police' the Cobblers dressing room and ensure his players keep their feet on the ground ahead of Tuesday night's trip to rock-bottom Stevenage.

The Town boss was delighted to see his team see off previously unbeaten Newport County at the weekend, with the Exiles being swept aside 2-0 at the PTS Academy Stadium.

It was arguably the Cobblers' most complete performance of the campaign to date, and they now have a great chance to follow it up with another win as they travel to Broadhall Way to take on struggling Stevenage.

The Hertfordshire side sacked their manager Dino Maamria last week, with former England Women's boss Mark Sampson taking over as caretaker, with former Town striker Alex Revell as his assistant.

Their reign started with a 3-2 home loss to Carlisle United on Saturday, a result that saw them slip to the bottom of the table thanks to Scunthorpe United claiming their first win of the season.

Boro have claimed just three points this term, and the match represents a great opportunity for the Cobblers to claim back-to-back wins for the first time since mid-March.

And Curle will make sure his players are in the right frame of mind.

"There has been a big change in the dressing room when it comes to mentality, of the mentality of the players we are bringing in and the players we have brought in," said the Cobblers manager.

"We want a stronger character, we want a stronger mindset and more determination.

"My job is make sure I police the environment, and make sure the players don't get too carried away with a good performance and a good result on Saturday.

"Sometimes it is pleasing that there is a Tuesday game, because everyone knows it is straight back into work mode and the focus will be on getting the lads moving, and setting out the gameplan for how we can cause Stevenage problems."

Fixture: Stevenage v Northampton Town, Sky Bet League Two

Date/time: Tuesday, September 17, 7.45pm kick-off

Venue: Lamex Stadium

Forecast: 15C, sunny spells

Outs and doubts: Stevenage: Joel Byrom, Scott Cuthbert, Ben Nugent, Terence Vancooten, Emmanuel Sonupe, Dean Parrett, Tom Soares, Paul Digby. Cobblers: Alan McCormack, Steve Arnold, Reece Hall-Johnson, Ryan Watson

Betting: Stevenage 15/8, draw 23/10, Northampton 17/10

Form guide: Boro LLLDDL, Cobblers WLLWDL

Current league positions: 24th v 14th

Possible line-ups: Stevenage (4-4-2): Farman; James-Wildin, Fernandez, El-Abd, Stokes; Kennedy, Carter, Husin, List; Newton, Guthrie. Northampton (4-3-3): Cornell; Harriman, Goode, Wharton, Martin; Turnbull, Lines, McWilliams; Adams, Hoskins, Williams.

Man in the middle: Charles Breakspear

Last time out: Stevenage 2 (Guthrie 2) Carlisle 3 (McKirdy 2, Thomas); Northampton 2 (Williams, Hoskins) Newport 0

Most recent meeting: Saturday, February 23, 2019 - Stevenage 1 (Revell) Northampton Town 2 (Powell, Williams)

Record v Stevenage: P10 W7 D2 L1

James Heneghan's preview: Besieged by injury problems and without a full-time manager, Stevenage look ripe for the beating when Cobblers come to visit on Tuesday evening, but as football has taught us countless times before, it is rarely that straightforward.

Following a sluggish start, Town look to be finding their groove this season. They have won three of five and are coming off an impressive win over previously unbeaten Newport County last time out.

But consistency is the bedrock of any promotion challenge and it's something that will be put to the test over the coming days.

An optimist might look at these two fixtures - Stevenage away, Crawley at home - and see a chance to collect six points and make it three wins in a row, potentially moving Cobblers into the top seven. A pessimist who's grown accustomed to Town's inconsistency troubles may well fear an opportunity is about to be missed.

But there's no doubt Town can take great heart and encouragement from recent performances. They were impressively efficient against Newport and now require a similar showing at the Lamex.

Stevenage are still without a win of any kind in any competition this season and manager Dino Maamria paid the price for their woeful start with his job, although a change in the dugout - to former England Women's boss Mark Sampson in the short-term - didn't bring an immediate change of fortunes as Boro were beaten 3-2 by Carlisle United on Saturday.

Tonight's hosts also have a lengthy injury list which includes former Cobblers duo Joel Byrom and Emmanuel Sonupe, as well as club captain Scott Cuthbert. If the Cobblers ever wanted an opportunity to build up a head of steam, this is surely it.

Keith Curle's own injury headache has eased somewhat. Alan McCormack is edging closer to a return to the squad - he could even be on the bench at Stevenage - and Shaun McWilliams has suffered no reaction to the chest pains he experienced during the win over Newport County.

From playing a team that hadn't lost a game this season, the Cobblers now make the trip to a side who are yet to register a win. For some sides, that would be a foregone conclusion. For the Cobblers, it's anything but.

Prediction: Stevenage 1 Northampton Town 2

Stevenage may be rock-bottom of Sky Bet League Two and without a win all season, but Keith Curle is expecting them to provide 'a challenge' for this Cobblers team at Broadhall Way on Tuesday night (ko 7.45pm).

The Boro have gone through some turmoil in recent weeks, with boss Dino Maamria being sacked last week to be replaced on a caretaker basis by his assistant, Mark Sampson, the former boss of the England Women's team.

Sampson is being assisted by former Cobblers striker Alex Revell, with the pair being handed the task of turning results around after a desperately disappointing start to the campaign, with three draws and five defeats in eight starts.

Sampson was unable to have an instant impact at the weekend as Stevenage were beaten 3-2 at home by Carlisle United, but they are hpeful they can get their season up and running with a win against the Cobblers on Tuesday night.

The form book suggests Town, who were 2-0 winners over Newport at the weekend, should be favourites as they head to Broadhall Way.

But Curle is wary of a team that ended last season with a swagger, winning five of their final six matches to finish just one point outside the play-offs.

"Stevenage are a capable team," said the Cobblers boss.

"I think the season they had last season saw them overachieve, and I think the manager who has just left the club paid the price for that this season.

"They have goals in the team in (Kurtis) Guthrie and (Craig) Mackail-Smith, and they have a threat.

"They have good movement, they play lots of short passes and the width comes from the full-backs.

"They have two young centre-backs who were tested on Saturday, but they will provide a challenge, as does every team in this division.

"We know we are not going to get easy games, and we accept that, but it is about our mindset, and our mentality going into this game, and I will be working on making sure they are where they should be."

The Cobblers are hoping to claim back-to-back wins for the first time since early March.

Midfielder Shaun McWilliams, who was forced off due to breathing problems in the win over Newport, should be available for selection, while both Alan McCormack and Reece Hall-Johnson are closing in on returns.

Stevenage are currently undergoing something of an injury crisis and are missing several key players, with one of those sidelined being former Cobblers midfielder Joel Byrom.

The Cobblers were 2-1 winners on their most recent visit to Broadhall Way, with Andy Williams scoring a last-minute winner to seal a 2-1 win there in February.

Four youths robbed a teenage boy after following him in Corby.

Police are appealing for a potential witness who helped the victim to contact them after the incident on September 8.

The boy was in Oakley Road, close to the Tesco petrol station, between 10.30pm and 10.45pm when he was approached by four unknown youths on bicycles who had been following him.

After asking what he had on him the group robbed the boy of his iPhone, bank card and £15 in cash before leaving the scene on their bikes.

A police spokesman said: "The suspects were all male, in their teens, white and had their faces covered.

"One is described as in his late teens, 6ft, of thin build, wearing a grey top with black sleeves and the hood pulled up, and black trousers. Two of the others wore black tracksuits.

"Three of the group rode BMX style bikes – one had a black frame and green wheels, another had a blue frame, and the third had a black frame.

"The fourth was described as a mountain bike."

After the group left the victim was spoken to by an unknown man who stopped to check if he was okay.

The spokesman added: "Officers would like to speak to this person as a potential witness, and are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information about the robbery to get in touch by calling 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111."

Two men who ran a class A drug dealing operation from Raunds have been jailed.

Robert Willmott, aged 57, and Montell Ashby, aged 23, were investigated after police became aware they were selling drugs from Willmott’s home in Grove Street between January and November last year.

They worked together to sell heroin and crack cocaine to drug users with Ashby using as many as 19 different mobile phones to make deals across the county, including in Wellingborough and Raunds.

Ashby, of Webb Road in Raunds, admitted two charges of conspiring to supply class A drugs, with Willmott entered a guilty plea to the same charges at the start of his planned trial at Northampton Crown Court earlier this month.

A third defendant, a 43-year-old Raunds woman, was cleared of two counts of conspiring to supply class A drugs.

Last week Ashby was jailed for six years and nine months with Willmott sentenced to five years and six months in prison.

Detective Inspector Lee Hunt from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit said: “Drugs cause real and lasting harm to individuals and communities, and the supply of drugs is very often linked to organised crime and serious violence, including the use of firearms.

“We will not tolerate the illegal actions of those who seek to profit from the supply of drugs and, as the jail terms given to Ashby and Willmott show, the penalties are substantial.

“I hope their time behind bars allows them time to reflect on the harm they have caused, and enables them to make better choices in the future.”

Councillors charged with making decisions about the huge change to local government in North Northamptonshire say they are being kept in the dark.

There was criticism from all political sides at the second meeting of the North Northamptonshire Joint Committee at Wellingborough Council last night, with accusations of an ‘information void’ and a lack of transparency.

The joint committee – which is made up of 15 councillors from across five councils – has been set up to make decisions about the shadow authority that is due to be created in May next year after local elections.

The joint committee is supposed to ratify the decisions being made by the leaders board, which is made up of the eight political leaders of the district, boroughs and county council.

But at last night’s meeting there was concern that information in the private leaders’ meetings was not being passed down to the eight councils and the councillors who sit on them.

Important information about what has been happening so far in the run-up to unitary was only presented by the new director of transformation Paul Helsby to the joint committee on the night.

Leader of the Labour opposition on Wellingborough Council Andrew Scarborough said there was ‘a massive information deficit’.

He said he felt like he was wading through thick financial fog and ‘that was not a good place to be’.

It is predicted the setting up of the two north unitaries – one in the north and one in the west – will cost more than £40m.

Of that, £1.7m will come from each of the eight councils together with £21m of business rates funding and £6.5m of service transformation funding set aside by Northamptonshire County Council.

The meeting heard that 24 full-time staff have been appointed to roles to work on the move to unitary and there are more than a dozen posts still to be filled.

The chief executives of the councils are heading up different programme teams which will be working on plans to pull together services currently provided separately by the councils.

It is understood that some services could be shared between the two unitaries. Children’s services will also be put into a separate trust and Northamptonshire MPs have said they would like to see adult social care and health joined.
Two members of the public who had wanted to speak at last night’s meeting were not allowed to as they had not made the request within the required time of two full working days.

Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate for Kettering Chris Nelson, who was denied a question, said: “It is no surprise that the committee was not willing to deviate from proposed rules on public participation, given how committed Conservative council leaders are to minimising public participation on any aspect of the new unitary authority.

“At County Hall, the Conservative leadership has shamefully stamped down on public free speech in meetings and they are now trying to do at the shadow unitary authority. They pretend it is normal to make members of the public ask permission many days in advance, and to ban even councillors from observing unitary authority strategy meetings. Yet Kettering Council has been welcoming public speakers without notice for well over a decade.”

County councillor Victoria Perry also told the meeting that there were a lot of backbenchers at the county council who were feeling ‘very much disengaged from the process’.

Fellow county councillor Jonathan Ekins said there was ‘no transparency’.

In response leader of Corby Council Tom Beattie said that nothing will be decided unless the joint committee agrees to it.

Asked by Corby Cllr Bob Eyles when there would be public meetings to let North Northamptonshire residents know about how the new unitary will work, chief executive of Northamptonshire County Council Theresa Grant said it would be after May when the implementation stage comes in.

Before then councillors will have been elected to the shadow council and will automatically become councillors on the new unitaries which are expected to come into being in April 2021.

The unitary reorganisation has come about as a result of the failings of Northamptonshire County Council. However, it is yet to be officially approved by Parliament. The leaders’ group will meet Government civil servants in Wellingborough today and hope to get more answers about timings then.

A new website with information about the new unitaries has also been launched.

Forward Sam Hoskins is confident the Cobblers can return from Stevenage with all three points tonight providing they replicate the performance they produced against Newport on Saturday.

Hoskins was on target with his second goal of the season against County, adding to Andy Williams' early opener to secure back-to-back home wins.

The Cobblers return to the road this evening when they head to bottom side Stevenage, who are yet to win a game in any competition this season.

"We know if we play like we did on Saturday we can go and get another three points," said Hoskins. "We won't get ahead of ourselves but when we play like that we can match any team in the league.

"We knew what their gameplan would be, we controlled the game, nullified their threats and we deserved the win."

After excellent approach work from Charlie Goode and Chris Lines, Hoskins was left with a simple tap-in to make it 2-0 against Newport on Saturday.

"Charlie did well to step in and I thought he was going to head it at first but he brought the ball down and drove forward," added the 26-year-old.

"He picked out Linesy and he looked up and found me and I had an empty net to hit so there's a lot of credit to those two.

"We created a lot of chances throughout the game and it could have been more than two. I think we defended well too and I can't remember Dai (Cornell) having much to do."

Police officers are appealing for witnesses after a burglary in Rowlett Road, Corby.

The incident happened last Tuesday (September 10), between 9pm and 10.15pm, when the offenders forced entry into a ground-floor flat and stole a mobile phone and prescription drugs.

Witnesses or anyone with information should contact Northamptonshire Police on 101, or Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111.

A teenage boy was threatened with a knife by a group of robbers in Kettering.

The terrifying incident took place in the Edgar Road area between 6pm and 6.40pm on Friday (September 13) when the victim was riding his bicycle.

He was approached by a group of boys and one of them threatened him with a knife before demanding he hand over his property.

A police spokesman said: "The offenders are described as two white boys and one black boy.

"One of the white boys was holding the knife and wore a black jacket, tracksuit bottoms and sliders.

"All three were wearing hooded tops."

Witnesses or anyone with information should contact Northamptonshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Alan Dickens says withdrawing Rory Hutchinson from last Thursday's pre-season clash with Leinster was purely precautionary.

Hutchinson was set to line up in the 13 shirt for Saints at Franklin's Gardens, but he was replaced on the team-sheet by Fraser Dingwall.

A shoulder injury was what prevented Hutchinson from playing, but he looks unlikely to face a spell on the sidelines.

He had featured heavily in Scotland's World Cup warm-up matches before being surprisingly omitted from the squad to travel to Japan.

That means he is now available for Saints and there is a chance he could face Sale Sharks in the Premiership Rugby Cup game at the AJ Bell Stadium on Saturday.

"It was precautionary," said defence coach Dickens when asked about Hutchinson missing the Leinster match.

"It was a pre-season game and he'd already been involved in three or four games so far during August and early September.

"At a push he probably could have played but we just made the decision that he wasn't needed and the rest would have been good for him."

On Saints' overall injury situation ahead of the trip to Sale, Dickens added: "Jamie Gibson (shoulder) is pretty close and he missed last week as a precautionary measure.

"We've got a lot of players who are close to returning and they're all training.

"There's a lot more activity on the side of the pitch in terms of their return to play.

"A lot of players are at different stages and in the next few weeks we'll see a lot of players coming back."

The relationship between different homelessness and rough sleeping groups in Northampton is ‘stronger than it has been for years’ according to the borough council’s housing chief.

In the last 18 months there has been heavy disagreement on how to tackle the homelessness crisis gripping the town, and the row has been one played out in public meetings, statements and on social media.

But just three months after it was announced that a ‘truce’ had been called, the new collaborative approach is going from strength to strength according to Phil Harris, head of housing and wellbeing at Northampton Borough Council.

In September 2018, the council had effectively criticised a number of voluntary homelessness agencies of ‘spreading misinformation’, and asserting that their actions were actually ‘sustaining’ rough sleeping.

Twelve months on though, Mr Harris was upbeat at the latest cabinet meeting at The Guildhall on Wednesday (September 11).

He said: “Things have moved on quite a bit. There were tensions between groups that dominated the review we were carrying out. But we worked with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and I think we have worked through those differences. The partnerships between the various groups is stronger than it has been for years.”

In June, a joint statement from the council, the Hope Centre and Churches Together admitted that the in-fighting had ‘hampered their ability to help homeless people living on the streets of the town’.

It added: “The issues of tension and difficulty have been acknowledged and significant time has been spent listening to the perspective of others.”

The statement also said there would be a review and update of the Rough Sleeping Strategy, and a new Single Homelessness Forum with an independent chair would be created.

Giving an update on those projects on Wednesday, cabinet member for housing Councillor Stephen Hibbert said: “The single homelessness forum is being developed, and we have already had one meeting on reviewing the rough sleeping strategy. The other people around the town, like The Hope Centre and NAASH [Oasis House] are very engaged in that process.”

This week Northants Police are taking part in a nationwide campaign to tackle knife crime called Operation Sceptre which will see police increase their use of stop and search, weapon sweeps and other activities to target and prevent knife crime.

Superintendent Dennis Murray said: "There will be targeted stop and search, where we have got intelligence the focus will very much be on them. If they are going to carry knives, expect to hear from us very soon.

"We have a number of people where we know their criminal pattern is to carry knives so there's a real focus on them."

He said stop and search would be proportionate and based on intelligence and information.

Addressing concerns that stop and search might disproportionately target black, Asian and other ethnic minorities or create hostile relationships between police and communities, Supt Murray said: "We are always looking to avoid it, I want proportionate use of stop and search."

Supt Murray said stop and search always has to be conducted with reasonable grounds of suspicion and officers must be recording the search on worn body video.

Between February and July 2019, Northants Police conducted 1,025 stop and searches. There was a police outcome in 242 of the searches and no further action for 783 searches.

The force's use of stop and search is also scrutinised by panels made up of members of the public who highlight areas of concern and positives, which is passed on to officers.

Supt Murray said for innocent members of the public who might get stopped and searched there will always have been reasonable grounds but added: "The research shows the best you can hope for is they feel they had a neutral experience, they’re never going to feel good about it."

He hopes that officers following the stringent guidelines will explain the reasons for the search by following the acronym GOWISELY (which you can read in full below).

Other police activities this week as part of Operation Sceptre include knife amnesties, knife arches and weapon sweeps.

Supt Murray said: "This week in Corby there is a knife amnesty in Asda and if people want to come and hand knife in, they can ring 101 and tell us."

Those wishing to hand in their knives should call police before and wrap it up so it's not an open weapon.

Supt Murray said this is a procedure they want them to follow because it stops people who are stopped and caught with knives from using the excuse that they were going to the amnesty if they have not already called ahead.

The police will also be using knife arches and Supt Murray said: "We will use them in the night-time economy in town centres for evenings and we can use them in schools, although more as an educational exercise."

Weapons sweeps will also be taking place in areas where criminals might be hiding knives and other weapons.

"There are key areas where we will basically sweep bushes, behind walls and we have recovered weapons like this in the past", said Supt Murray who added that criminals will hide weapons outside their property in the hope police will not find them if they searched the property with a warrant.

However, Supt Murray said if weapons believed to have been used in a criminal offence are found in a sweep, they would do all they could to link the offenders to the weapons.

Supt Murray added: "People who carry knives are normally involved in other types of criminal activity."

The police hope that through Operation Sceptre other forms of crime will be disrupted, like county lines criminal gangs. As part of this aim, Northants Police is working with British Transport Police to tackles travelling criminals using weapons.

The police will also be carrying out purchasing tests, to make sure retailers are following guidelines on the sale of knives.

Supt Murray said although this week the force would be taking part in the week-long Operation Sceptre, the measures would not be a one off and would continue in order to make sure the county is "a hostile place for criminals".

The superintendent said police will be seeing those who carry knives "very, very shortly".

The GOWISELY acronym used by officers conducting stop and search is as follows:

G for grounds for the search

O the object the officer is searching for

W the warrant

I for identification to prove the officer is a police officer

S the station which the officer is attached to

E the entitlement of the citizen being search to all copies of the paperwork

L the legislation that gives the officer the right to stop and search

Y for you are being detained for the search or the purpose of - informing the citizen why they are being searched

​Richard Levi admitted he and Adam Rossington rode their luck as they steered Northants into a commanding position against Durham.

David Ripley's men lead by 321 with four second innings wickets remaining after Levi hit 60 and Rossington 52 to help their side reach 235 for six at the close of day two.

Luke Procter is unbeaten on 43 and Doug Bracewell is 15 not out, with Northants now closing in on a victory that would cement their position in the promotion places in Specsavers County Championship Division Two.

“The boys wrapped it up quite well earlier," said Levi, who saw his side bowl Durham out for just 131.

"The new ball is very tricky but once you get in it’s a pretty decent wicket but there is a ball there if you bowl in the right areas.

“Adam I haven’t batted together in the Championship this season but we enjoy it because we complement each other well and hit the ball in different areas.

"It was a challenge, we had a bit of luck but we were good enough to put the bad ball away.

“Four down, they sniffed a chance and maybe they went searching for the wickets a bit much and that helped us score quickly.

“You saw Adam get out with one that stayed low, there’s still some bounce, all dismissals are in play and our bowlers have their tails up at the moment.”

Durham are up against it after Ben Sanderson continued his stellar season with six for 54 in the away side's first innings.

And Durham captain and wicketkeeper Ned Eckersley said: "The wicket is getting better.

"They used the heavy roller and we saw you can score runs if you play nicely so there are positive signs for us and there’s no reason why someone can’t play a match-winning knock for us.

“We’ve got to come back with a good state of mind.

"The bowlers have done their best to keep us in the game and it might do a bit more at 10.30am on day three."

The EFL's dubious goals committee has confirmed Andy Williams as the scorer of Cobblers' opening goal against Newport County on Saturday.

There was some debate as to whether or not the strike would go down as own goal by Newport defender Mark O'Brien, who tried to clear off the line but only succeeded in slicing into his own net.

But the dubious goals panel has awarded the goal to Williams, his fourth of the campaign.

After the game, Williams said: "Jordan (Turnbull) hit a good shot and the defender made a mistake and I was there to put it into the back net, albeit via a defender!

"Ideally it would have been me who hit the back of the net but the kid was on the line and it was already going in so I'm delighted to get another goal. That's four now for the season and I'm looking to go on a bit of a run now.

"It's always important to get an early goal in any game and I was delighted it was me who got the chance."

A business case is set to be submitted to get further money to complete the St James Mill link road – after the cost of the project soared from original estimates.

The scheme, which would ease congestion and connect St James Mill Road and St James Mill Road East, has been met with delays after incurring additional costs due to the discovery of contamination in the ground.

It was revealed in June that an additional £1million would be needed to ensure the project could be completed, meaning the total cost of the works would now stand at over £4million.

Councillor Jonathan Nunn, leader of Northampton Borough Council, had told the Local Democracy Reporting Service earlier this year that although the scheme was important to residents, the council ‘can’t find that money at the moment’.

But the leader, in his latest report to council on Monday (September 16), said the authority was planning to go back to the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP), to try and persuade them to grant extra funding on top of the £600,000 it had already pledged to the scheme.

Councillor Nunn said: “The chief executive [George Candler] and I have also continued our positive relationships with the managing director at Cosworth who we met recently to discuss St James Mill link road.

“Members will be aware that the increased costs following the land analysis continues to make this a challenging project, but I wanted you to be aware that we are still continuing our dialogue with SEMLEP with regards to this project and will be providing a further update on the work at the Enterprise Zone Board in November, with a view to providing a more detailed, updated business case for further funding from SEMLEP to enable the road to be completed.

“There is no guarantee we will be successful, but it is important that we try to complete this particular scheme.”

Smith only came on as a half-time substitute but was both the hero and the villain as his terrific header on 56 minutes proved the difference - despite then seeing red - as Town claimed back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

The opening 45 minutes was in keeping with many of Town's away games this season as they set up cautiously, but things opened up with the introduction of Smith, who nodded Nicky Adams' cross into the bottom corner.

Cobblers' nemesis Charles Breakspear haunted them again though when the referee showed Smith two yellows in quick succession as the striker became the sixth Town player to be sent off in the past seven games Breakspear has refereed them.

The visitors defended heroically in the remaining time though, battling with everything they had to fend off Stevenage's relentless onslaught and cling on to victory as they moved into the top 10 in Sky Bet League Two.

Shaun McWilliams shook off the chest pains that plagued him on Saturday to start at Stevenage as Keith Curle named an unchanged team for the first time this season.

The home side enjoyed most of the early territory with a succession of corners and throw-ins, but the first chance fell to Town on eight minutes when Andy Williams met Sam Hoskins' low cross and forced Paul Farman into action with a scuffed shot.

But Stevenage hadn't started like a team without a win this season and a mass scramble in the opposing penalty box moments later eventually ended with Elliott List's overhead kick drifting just over.

Otherwise, the first-half at times promised much but delivered little in the way of substance as the momentum tentatively swung from one team to the other.

Stevenage's periods on top were more sustained and more threatening, though, and they so nearly led late in the half through Charlie Carter, whose header was excellently saved by flying David Cornell.

There was not much else to report from the opening 45 minutes and Curle felt it was time to change things up at the break as he replaced Jordan Turnbull with Smith.

That was, in theory, an attacking switch, but it was Stevenage who were first to threaten in the second-half as Kurtis Guthrie found space in the box and had a shot blocked.

The second-half was already more stretched and open than the first, and Curle's half-time change worked a treat as Cobblers moved ahead on 56 minutes.

The attack started from a pass over the defence and Town kept the ball alive for long enough for Adams to deliver one of his expert crosses and there was Smith to head powerfully into the bottom corner.

Chris Lines was close to a quick second when Stevenage's attempts to pass out from defence backfired but Farman recovered to make the stop.

Cobblers were playing with more of a buzz in the second-half but their momentum came to an abrupt halt midway through when Smith became another Northampton player to be shown red by Breakspear.

Two minutes after being booked, seemingly for dissent, Smith went diving in and failed to get enough of the ball to satisfy Breakspear, who rapidly brandished the red card.

Curle sent on Vadaine Oliver for Williams and and it predictably became a survival mission for the Cobblers who had 21 minutes plus stoppage-time to preserve their lead.

It was all hands on deck as Stevenage repeatedly chucked the ball in the Town penalty box but time and again blocks and headers came in to repel the danger.

Craig Mackail-Smith headed wide and six minutes of added time hardly settled nerves, but Town defended superbly to deny their hosts and claim a fine away victory.

Match facts

Stevenage: Farman, James-Wildin, Stokes, Cuthbert, Carter (Taylor 77), Husin, Watts, List (Mackail-Smith 66), Kennedy, Guthrie, Newton

Subs not used: Bastien, Cowley, Iontton, El-Abd, Denton

Cobblers: Cornell, Harriman, Goode, Wharton, Martin, Turnbull (Smith 45), Lines, McWilliams, Adams (Kaja 74), Hoskins, Williams (Oliver 69)

Subs not used: Fisher, Pollock, Warburton, Waters

Referee: Charles Breakspear

Cobblers boss Keith Curle hailed his side's second-half performance and in particular their battling qualities with 10 men after Tuesday's gritty 1-0 win at struggling Stevenage.

A low-key first-half made way for a frantic and incident-packed second as Harry Smith, on at the break, headed Town ahead 11 minutes later before he picked up two yellow cards in the space of two minutes.

That left the visitors with a quarter of the game to survive with 10 men but survive they did thanks to some desperate, last-ditch defending as Curle's men recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

"It had a little bit of everything," said Curle afterwards.

"I was disappointed with the first-half performance from ourselves because we didn't do what we wanted to do.

"We took an extra touch and therefore we didn't get on the front foot and people came short to supply the pass to go in behind and then we end up with one man less going forward.

"I thought we needed another presence up top so we made the substitutions and it was a game of two halves but within that we showed characteristics that are needed as a changing room and as a team and as a football club.

"We were brave, energetic, willing to work, willing to do our share of another man's job, we covered distance and got lots of blocks and great headers in.

"We defended our goal very well and our goalkeeper was there when needed. It was a bit frantic but it was always going to be with 10 men against a team that's just throwing balls in from everywhere."

The Cobblers were hardly outplayed by Stevenage in the opening 45 minutes at the Lamex but they spent long periods on the back foot as Boro won a host of corners and free-kicks in dangerous areas.

But Town limited them to just one clear chance, with Charlie Carter's header well saved by David Cornell, before they improved in the second-half, aided by Harry Smith's introduction.

Smith opened the scoring with a precise and powerful header on 56 minutes and despite the striker then seeing red, Cobblers held on to all three points.

"To be honest I was glad to get into half-time at 0-0 because we could readjust and reset our focus and make the substitution," admitted Curle.

"The changing room is growing and the pleasing thing is when you can go in at half-time and you're able to criticise players without fear of damaging egos or upsetting personalities.

"It's the understanding that the information I give them is honest, informative, professional and tactical. It's not about any personal issues, it's about what I want, what I need them to do and why I need them to do it.

"If they're not prepared to do it, there will be other people that are and that is a challenge for players - to take criticism onboard and have an understanding why a player has been dug out.

"Don't do it, learn from your mistakes and get us on the front foot as a team."

On what disappointed him in the first-half, Curle explained: "It wasn't the attitude, it was just the decision-making in the first-half which wasn't great and wasn't in gear for the first 45 minutes.

"We took an extra touch and therefore we didn't get on the front foot and people came short to supply the pass to go in behind and then we end up with one man less going forward.

"But in the second-half we looked more of a threat with the two men up front."