The timings of Town's three first-half goals - scored in the 10th, 18th and 24th minutes - would also suggest they had it easy but for anyone in attendance at the PTS Stadium, this was a frenetic, breathless and surprisingly even encounter, at least for the first hour.

Crewe's slick passing and clever movement in the final third caused plenty of problems and the statistics reflect as much - they took 22 shots to Cobblers' 17 - but ultimately they fluffed their lines in front of goal while Northampton, and Scott Wharton in particular, didn't.

Wharton broke his Cobblers duck with two very different finishes before Sam Hoskins squeezed in a spot-kick and though Chris Porter eventually took one of Crewe's numerous opportunities, the fizz disappeared from their play and chances of a comeback dramatically diminished.

Once Andy Williams produced a fabulous lob for a fourth shortly after half-time, the game was up and Cobblers, scoring four goals at home for the first time in over three years, duly clinched their fifth win in six games and a third straight home victory.

"It could have been 3-3 in the first-half because they're a good team playing with confidence," admitted Curle. "But we took our opportunities, we were clinical and I thought we were strong and we were physical."

And the revelation that Curle had done extra work on set-pieces prior to the game didn't come as any surprise to those who watched on as the Cobblers physically overwhelmed their visitors.

"We knew we could cause them problems from set-pieces so we paid an extra bit of attention to that department and to the movement and to the roles the players had.

"When everybody's on the same page, it's very pleasing and that was probably the frustrating thing in the FA Cup last week because the different elements in some of our set-plays weren't right.

"The timing has to be right, the starting positions have to be right and the movements have to be right but last week the timing wasn't right, the delivery wasn't right and the starting positions weren't right.

"But on Saturday we were all on the same page and the rewards were there for us."

Wharton, whose second goal would have made a Premier League striker proud let alone a League Two centre-back, also spoke of the effective gameplan devised by Curle and his coaching team.

He said: "We had a gameplan going into the match because we knew Crewe are good on the ball and they like to have possession and they're a team that want to get the ball down and play.

"So we had a gameplan to deal with that and we stuck to it and we knew with Willo and Vadaine up top we could physically try and beat them up.

"I thought we did that, especially in the first-half. I thought we looked really strong and it was a great win."

Vote for your man of the match from Cobblers' 4-1 win over Crewe Alexandra.

Choose one of the 11 options below...

Dan Biggar was back with a bang as he booted Saints to a superb 25-14 victory in the Champions Cup opener against Lyon at Franklin’s Gardens.

Biggar, who was making a welcome return from World Cup duty, racked up 20 points with the boot as his side secured a precious win against the current Top 14 leaders.

Rory Hutchinson produced a fine finish during the first half, which helped Saints to secure an impressive 19-0 lead at the break.

Lyon battled back after the interval, winning a succession of penalties that helped them to send replacement Thibaut Regard over on two occasions.

But it was too little, too late from the French side as they fell to defeat in Northampton.

Saints were desperate to get off to a flyer ahead of next Saturday’s trip to Treviso, where they will face a Benetton side who lost their curtain raiser at Leinster.

And the black, green and gold made a strong start to the match, with Teimana Harrison bursting through the middle before the ball was worked wide to Taqele Naiyaravoro, who was stopped just short.

But a penalty was coming and Biggar slotted it to make it 3-0 inside four minutes.

Saints were on the charge and they soon had a lineout deep in French territory, but Lyon stood tall and then produced a huge shove at the next scrum, winning a penalty.

However, Saints stole the lineout to keep the pressure on, eventually earning another shot at goal, which Biggar slotted with ease.

Lyon looked to have issued the perfect response when they crossed the Saints line, but the effort was ruled out for a knock-on in the build-up.

And on the 20-minute mark, Saints were the ones who grabbed the first try of the game as centre Hutchinson finished superbly, taking a tap tackle and rolling his way to the line.

Biggar added the extras to bring a big roar from the Gardens faithful, and the 13-0 lead was no more than the hosts deserved for the territory they had enjoyed.

Lyon’s bid to gain ground was being thwarted by their lacklustre lineout, which Saints were picking off with ease.

Hutchinson was almost made to pay for a pass that went into Lyon possession, but Piers Francis and Naiyaravoro scrambled superbly to deny what looked likely to be a certain score.

Saints looked to have grabbed a try of their own at the other end after Biggar and Cobus Reinach combined for the South African star to finish with aplomb.

But the referee felt Biggar’s final pass to Reinach was forward and deemed it was no try.

Reinach didn’t get his score but he did soon earn his side three points, getting to grips with Carl Fearns and forcing the Lyon No.8 to give away a penalty, which Biggar landed.

And Biggar was at it again soon after, booting a long-range effort through the posts to give his team a 19-0 lead.

Lyon threatened to respond before the break, but Reinach pouched the ball five metres from his own line and then tried to run home, but he was stopped by Noa Nakaitaci.

It was a frantic end to a frantic half and Saints were forced into a change at half-time as centre Matt Proctor came on for his debut in place of the impressive Francis, who took a knock.

Saints were soon up and running on the scoreboard in the second half as the tee was sent on and Biggar booted the ball between the posts.

Lyon finally got the chance to put some pressure on soon after, but Saints showed resilience to defend the lineout and then won a penalty at a scrum.

Courtney Lawes then made a fantastic tackle on Josua Tuisova to pull the wing out of play as Saints soaked up another Lyon attack.

That collision forced Tuisova off with an injury, and Lyon were forced to send on fly-half Jonathan Wisniewski in his place.

Nevertheless, the men in red kept coming, winning penalty after penalty close to the Saints line.

Scrum after scrum came, with Saints determined to hold out, but Harrison was sin-binned for a no-arms tackle and Lyon scored almost immediately, cleverly using a crossfield kick to sent Regard over.

Pato Fernandez kicked the conversion and the deficit was down to 15 points with 18 minutes remaining.

New Zealand prop Owen Franks was soon sent on for his Saints debut and after Reinach made a huge hit on Wisniewski, Saints won a penalty for a high tackle from Patrick Sobela.

Biggar landed the kick to make it 25-7 with 15 minutes to go and Lyon soon saw what they thought was a score ruled out for an earlier knock-on after referee Frank Murphy went to the TMO.

Harrison returned from the sin bin but Saints were again under pressure, with a string of penalties continuing to go against them.

And Lyon made them pay, using a scrum five metres out to send Regard in out wide.

Wisniewski converted well from the touchline and the gap was 11 points with five minutes to go.

But Saints played the rest of the game in the Lyon half, finally finding favour with the referee as they put the seal on a hugely impressive home success.

Matcjh facts

Saints: Furbank; Collins, Hutchinson, Francis (Proctor 40), Naiyaravoro (Tuala 70); Biggar, Reinach (J Mitchell 75); Waller (cc) (Van Wyk 62), Haywood (Fish 62 (Haywood 73)), Painter (O Franks 62); Ribbans (Ratuniyarawa 65), Lawes; Wood (Gibson 65), Ludlam, Harrison (cc).

Lyon: Buttin; Tuisova (Wisniewski 50), Barassi (Regard 28), Ngatai, Nakaitaci; Fernandez, Pélissié (c) (Couilloud 26); Chaume (Kaabèche 50), Maurouard (Ivaldi 50), Ric (Bamba 50); Geraci (Bruni 75), Goujon; Gill, Sobela, Fearns (Roodt 58).

Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)

Chris Boyd says Saints were happy with the outcome but not the performance after their win against Lyon on Sunday afternoon.

The black, green and gold bagged a 25-14 victory in the Champions Cup opener at Franklin’s Gardens.

Dan Biggar kicked 20 points, with Rory Hutchinson adding an eye-catching try.

But Saints let Lyon back into the game after being 19-0 up at the break, with the away side scoring twice, through replacement Thibaut Regard.

And boss Boyd said: “It’s a bit of a recurring story because we were happy with the outcome but not very happy with the performance.

“If we reflect back on the 80 minutes, the damage was done by half-time when we were 19-0 up.

“We’re pretty disappointed with the second half but Rome wasn’t built in a day, was it?

“Lyon are a really good side but with an ounce of luck we might have scored a couple more tries in that first half. We created a few and didn’t quite finish them off.

“Our execution and finishing aside, the way we controlled the game during the first half was pretty good.

“We didn’t get possession and territory at the same time in the second half. We gave away a couple of penalties and there were some loose bits of skill execution.

“When we kicked to make it outside of 21 points up, we would have had to capitulate to lose at that stage, but it wasn’t great.”

Keith Curle has paid tribute to the mental fortitude shown by Scott Wharton after the Cobblers centre-back ended a 'difficult week' with two goals in Saturday's 4-1 victory over Crewe Alexandra.

Wharton, who's on loan from Blackburn Rovers, scored his first Town goal 10 minutes into the game when Nicky Adams' free-kick eventually fell to him at the back post and he was left with a simple finish.

He quickly doubled his tally with another goal from an Adams free-kick eight minutes later but this was a far sweeter strike as he unleashed a controlled, first-time volley into the top corner.

With Sam Hoskins and Andy Williams also on target either side of half-time, Wharton's brace set Cobblers on their way to an impressive victory and a sixth successive game unbeaten.

And Curle revealed afterwards that it had been a tough few days for Wharton, who lost his grandfather on the same day Northampton beat Chippenham Town 3-0 in the FA Cup.

"Scott's had a difficult week," said Curle. "His grandfather passed away last Sunday and his father didn't tell him before the game so he found out afterwards.

"I spoke to Scott after the game on Sunday and you could tell he was obviously disappointed but the performance he produced on Saturday, his grandfather and his family would have been very proud.

"I think it's been an important week for the young man. The goals meant a lot to him and his performance meant a lot to both him and his family."

Wharton has impressed many Cobblers fans during his short time on loan with the club and he was happy to finally get his name to a couple of goals.

"I'm really pleased," he added. "To be fair I think I've missed a few chances this season so it's about time I put one in the net!

"But we do a lot of work on set-pieces on Fridays and they worked a treat against Crewe so happy days!"

Talking through his superb second goal, the 22-year-old added: "I didn't know whether to head it at first. I was going go with my head initially but at the last second I went to volley it and I connected quite nicely!

"It's just one of those moments you don't think about and you just get you foot on it."

Here's how we rated the home players at Franklin's Gardens...

Lyon boss Pierre Mignoni admits the opening 20 minutes cost his side the match as they were beaten 25-14 at Franklin's Gardens on Sunday.

And Mignoni praised Saints fly-half Dan Biggar for his 'exceptional' display.

Bigger kicked 20 points in a flawless showing as he steered the black, green and gold to a crucial Champions Cup win on home soil.

Rory Hutchinson registered Saints' only try of the game on 19 minutes.

And Mignoni, who had seen his Lyon side win eight of their nine league games going into the European encounter, said: "The first 20 minutes are the opposite of what we wanted to do.

"Then we put things in order, we won the second period, but that's not enough.

"There were positive things, like our scrum, which was strong.

"The second half reassured us a bit because we were really frustrated at the break.

"Northampton made the difference in the first 20 minutes.

"Strategically, they do the right things.

"Biggar had an exceptional match and they keep you in your own half until you make a mistake.

"We lost lineouts and it's too much.

"You need to start matches quickly and now we must switch to the one next weekend when we play at home against Leinster.

"It's going to be a big challenge."

Following a Thames Valley Police investigation, a Northampton man has been sentenced to a total of eight years’ imprisonment and placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Ian Essom, aged 41, of Ludlow Close, Northampton, was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict of one count of trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence on 1 May following a one day trial at Aylesbury Crown Court.

Essom was sentenced at the same court on Thursday (November 14th) police announced this weekend.

He will also be placed on the Sex Offenders register for life.

It is in connection with an incident that occurred at around 1am on 18 November 2018 at an address in Olney.

Essom entered a property and found the victim asleep in bed. He started to kiss the victim and restrained her when she resisted. The victim continued to resist and Essom then left the property.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Kim McHugh of Milton Keynes police station, said: “I would like to thank the victim for coming forward to police and for supporting us with the investigation.

“She has shown great strength in giving evidence at trial.

“Thames Valley Police does not tolerate this behaviour and we will work tirelessly to investigate thoroughly and bring offenders to justice.

“I hope this conviction gives others the confidence to come forward and make a report to the police.”

When Saints steamrollered their way to the Heineken Cup final during the 2010/11 season, they had a unique selling point.

They were a team that could completely overpower opposition sides, and they did it all the way to half-time in the final, when they were leading Leinster 22-6.

With a feared front row of Soane Tonga'uiha, Dylan Hartley and Brian Mujati, they were brutal in the set piece and around the park.

And the men outside of the scrum weren't bad either, with the likes of Ben Foden and Chris Ashton running riot.

Fast forward nine years and a new Saints side is beginning its European journey in a very different way.

Chris Boyd has created a team that plays with real pace and prides itself on being able to cut teams apart with a razor-sharp attacking game.

That is not to say the pack doesn't play its part.

Any successful side has to have strong forwards who can compete when the going gets tough.

The current crop are all capable of playing at the speed required and if they are able to at least achieve parity in the physical battle then Saints will back themselves against any opposition.

That has been the key point, with the recent loss at Bath showing that there is still plenty of work to be done up front.

And there is also much to be done in other aspects of the game.

But there is no doubt that this team is on an upward trajectory.

And on Sunday, they showed just that once again.

Because while there were plenty of moments they didn't deem good enough, Saints still managed to beat Lyon by 11 points.

Last season, they may not have been viewed as the greatest of achievements, considering Pierre Mignoni's men failed to pick up a Champions Cup pool stage point.

But they came to Northampton for this season's opener on the crest of a wave, sitting clear at the Top 14 table, having won eight of their nine matches this season.

The only team to beat them were the formidable Clermont Auvergne outfit that Saints know all about, so the size of the challenge lying in wait was clear.

But they refused to be fazed and they were able to play the game they wanted to play during a flowing first half.

They were 19-0 up by half-time, shifting Lyon around the park, panicking them and taking the penalty points on offer thanks to the assured boot of Dan Biggar.

Plus, there was a fantastic finish from talented centre Rory Hutchinson.

They didn't let Lyon dominate and when the French side did get a foothold in the game, Saints were sharp enough and alert enough to snuff them out.

Their scramble defence was as good as Lyon's execution was poor.

Lyon didn't play to anywhere near the levels that would have been expected from them, throwing away lineout chances and coughing up possession.

And by the time they did get their game going in the second period, it was largely too late.

But that is to this Saints side's credit.

In the key moments at the start of the game, they set the tone.

They are now playing with an attacking approach that, like their power play did in 2010/11, has the potential to make them a feared outfit in Europe.

There is a long way to go and they will face higher levels of performance as this competition goes on.

But the key thing is that they were greeted by a big obstacle on Sunday afternoon and they kept playing their way.

They did not let Lyon's reputation sway them, they ran the ball on many an occasion - even five metres from their own line - and they often did it well.

It is that confidence in approach that took them to the 2011 final, where they eventually ran out of steam.

And it is that kind of belief that they will hope takes them far again this time round.

Chris Boyd says a shoulder injury was the reason Piers Francis was replaced at half-time of Saints' win against Lyon on Sunday afternoon.

Francis, who was making his first appearance of the season for his club following his return from World Cup duty, enjoyed an impressive first 40 minutes.

The England centre helped his team to secure a 19-0 lead at the interval, and they eventually won 25-14 in the Champions Cup opener.

But Francis could play no part in the second half, having been replaced with Matt Proctor, who was making his Saints debut.

And after the game, Saints boss Boyd said: "He (Francis) just took a bit of a ding to the shoulder so there was some medical intervention.

"I'm not exactly sure what the discussion was about his injury when he came off so I can't comment on that."

Francis was one of five World Cup stars who were making their first appearance of the season for Saints.

Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam, Cobus Reinach and man of the match Dan Biggar also impressed from the start.

And Boyd said: "I think they all did (play well) and that's because they're all good men.

"Guys with a good character will come back and know that it's really important for Northampton Saints that they as senior players and leaders put in a pretty good shift.

"Right from Courtney and Luds at the front, Cobus Reinach, Piers - they all did a job for us.

"I'm really pleased for them."

Cobblers teenager Morgan Roberts has made an immediate impression at Banbury United after signing a month's loan deal with the Southern League club last week.

The 18-year-old played 78 minutes in the Challenge Cup tie against Beaconsfield Town just hours after signing last Tuesday evening and then chalked up another 75 minutes during Saturday's 5-1 victory of Leiston.

Just prior to his substitution, Roberts provided a terrific assist for United's fourth goal when his cross was headed home by Jannai Gordon.

Discussing why he signed Roberts, who's playing alongside older brother Connor at Banbury, and his early impression of Town's youngster, Puritans boss Mike Ford said: "I felt we needed someone who would come in and liven us up and keep our performance levels where they need to be because Morgan has clearly got something.

"He's very lively, he's good on the ball, he's got good pace, a good left-foot and he's got a fantastic attitude. He's also tenacious and a tough little cookie so we're happy to have him with us and hopefully he enjoys his month here.

"He got smashed all over the pitch on Tuesday night, picked himself up and got smashed again on Saturday but again he picked himself up and crosses a fantastic ball for the fourth goal.

"It's nice for him to be playing with Connor and they're both very good players with good attitudes."

Banbury, currently second in Premier Division Central, are back in action on Tuesday evening when they play Leamington.

Meanwhile, Cobblers goalkeeper Bradley Lashley played for Daventry Town as they lost 2-1 against Bedford Town.

However, Cam McWilliams missed out after St Ives Town's game against Hednesford Town was called off because of a waterlogged pitch.

At about 10am on Saturday, November 16, a silver Land Rover Discovery and a pedestrian were in collision just outside The Picturedrome.

As a result of the collision, the pedestrian, a 41-year-old man, was taken to University Hospital Coventry with serious injuries.

Kettering Road was shut for more than two hours, and reopened again at 12.30pm while emergency services dealt with the incident and the air ambulance landed.

Anyone with information or who witnessed this incident is asked to call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615 or Northamptonshire Police on 101.

Strikers Vadaine Oliver and Andy Williams have been offered no assurances that they will keep their places in the Cobblers starting line-up despite impressing manager Keith Curle during Saturday's win over Crewe Alexandra.

Cobblers were 4-1 winners over Crewe and the damage was done inside the first 24 minutes when Scott Wharton's brace and a penalty from Sam Hoskins handed them a 3-0 lead.

Leading scorer Williams, a regular starter this season, then took his tally to six goals in all competitions - one clear of Hoskins - when producing a superb finish nine minutes into the second-half.

But it was the performance of strike partner Oliver, who's been more of a bit-part player this season, that won many plaudits and earned him the man of the match award.

The 28-year-old was too much for Crewe's defence to handle and had a hand in two of the four goals, however with Harry Smith also starting to find his form in recent weeks, Curle has warned that neither Oliver nor Williams are guaranteed to stay in the team.

"The difficulty that we've got is we have all of Andy Williams, Harry Smith and Vadaine Oliver because they're three very, very good players," said Curle.

"The difficulty is that all three can't play at the same time so it'll be combinations of ones and twos with them but what we're trying to create is the support levels that's needed.

"If you're not one of the starting players, you've got to be ready and that's the same competition we've got for other positions.

"Each one of those three players are very, very important to us but just because Vadaine played well on Saturday and just because Andy Williams played well and got his goal, that doesn't mean they're going to start next week."

But Curle will find it difficult to drop anyone from the team that started on Saturday after the Cobblers inflicted just a second away defeat of the season on previous league leaders Crewe.

"There's a way to play against Crewe and the players took onboard the information and carried it out to a tee," added Curle.

"It could have been 3-3 in the first-half because they're a good team playing with confidence but ultimately there's a way of playing against them and you have to take your opportunities and we did that."

Saints are now 36 points ahead of Saracens in the Gallagher Premiership standings after the club from Allianz Park decided not to appeal against Premiership Rugby's punishment.

Saracens were docked 35 points and fined more than £5.3m for breaching the league's salary cap.

And they have now decided they will not request a review of the decision by the independent disciplinary panel, meaning they move from third, one place below Saints, to bottom of the table, 26 points adrift of 11th-placed Leicester Tigers.

Darren Childs, chief executive of Premiership Rugby, said: “We welcome Saracens’ decision to accept the verdict of the independent panel and are pleased the club has crucially reaffirmed its commitment to the Premiership Rugby salary cap.

“This is the right outcome for English club rugby. Bringing this process to a conclusion means that we can focus on working in partnership with all clubs to continue to build a competitive and successful league.”

Saracens chairman Nigel Wray said: “We have made mistakes and so, with humility, we must accept these penalties.

"As a club, we will now pull together and meet the challenges that lie ahead.

“We confirm our commitment to the salary cap, and the underlying principle of a level playing field, and will continue to work transparently with Premiership Rugby in this regard.”

The charges against Saracens, which relate to seasons 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19, were brought following a nine-month investigation by Premiership Rugby.

In accordance with the salary cap regulations, the charges were referred to the independent dispute service, Sport Resolutions, which appointed a panel chaired by Lord Dyson.

The decision of the independent panel was to uphold all of the charges, finding that Saracens had both failed to disclose payments to players and exceeded the ceiling for payments to senior players in each of the three seasons.

Northamptonshire town centres will be given a boost after plans to further expand the shopping offer at Rushden Lakes look set to be refused.

A decision will be made on Wednesday night (Nov 20) about whether the proposed Rushden Living Scheme planned for arable land to the West of Rushden Lakes can go ahead.

Planning officers are recommending that councillors on the planning committee kick out the application by Anonymous Ltd, a move that will no doubt be celebrated by the neighbouring councils of Northampton, Kettering and Wellingborough which have all objected to the application over competition fears for their own town centres.

The plan is for a 5,606 sq metre development featuring 11 units that would be made up of shops, eateries and some leisure and employment units. It is a much reduced version of a similar application first mooted in June last year and then withdrawn this June.

East Northamptonshire planning officers say the application should be refused on the grounds that there are no existing development policies to support the proposal, due to the impact on agricutural land and because the scheme is contrary to a number of planning policies.

The Joint Development Planning Unit (JDPU) – which masterminds the vision for North Northamptonshire – is also against the scheme.

The report by officers says: “With regard to the principle of development and policy the JDPU has objected to the proposal. This is on the basis that the proposal involves a significant development of major town centre uses in an out-of-town centre location. They consider that the impacts of the implemented Rushden Lakes scheme should be monitored in accordance with the Joint Core Strategy before further expansion is considered.

“Officers agree with these JDPU comments.”

Other concerns raised by the JDPU were that the Rushden Living Scheme was inward facing and did not connect well to the existing Rushden Lakes development.

The planning officers also point to the retail plight of neighbouring areas. Controversial from the get-go, Rushden Lakes was approved by the secretary of state in 2014.

Wednesday’s report says: “Rushden Lakes has already exceeded the threshold of 32,511sqm. For context, the scheme which has not been implemented with the Grade Square development, has: almost twice as many units as the original (Secretary of State scheme); seven times as many restaurants; almost 19 per cent more retail space and more than 400 per cent more restaurant floor space.

“When considering the significant change to Rushden Lakes as originally permitted, compared to the development in its currently permitted form, it is therefore unsurprising that neighbouring authorities and the town councils within East Northamptonshire continue to express concerns about the retail impact, particularly at a time when the retail and high streets are struggling.”

East Northamptonshire Council also paid for an independent retail assessment of the application which considered the Rushden Living scheme to be acceptable.

Three nearby town councils, Waitrose – which has a shop near to the very busy roundabout which leads to Rushden Lakes – and the local highways authority have also objected to the scheme on traffic grounds. The road network around Rushden Lakes often comes to a standstill and there are fears about future expansion.

A link road between Rushden Lakes and Ditchford Lane was agreed earlier this year, although no start date has been announced.

However, a refusal will not be the end of plans for the land as Crown Estates – which owns Rushden Lakes after buying it from original developers LXB in 2015 – announced last month (Oct) that it had bought the land in August and has now started a public consultation about possible uses.

Striker Andy Williams believes there is 'no limit' to Cobblers' potential this season after their fine form continued with a 4-1 victory over Crewe Alexandra on Saturday.

Northampton have now won five of their last six games - conceding just three goals in the process - and are on a run of three successive victories on home soil.

And it would have been six wins from six had they held out for another few minutes against Oldham Athletic two weeks ago.

But Cobblers' recent record is still good enough to occupy top spot in the League Two form table, ahead of Swindon Town and Bradford City on goal difference.

Not only that but no team across the entire EFL has spent more time in the lead than Keith Curle's side (736) this season, almost 100 minutes clear of next best, League One high-flyers Ipswich Town (645).

Cobblers are also fourth for goals scored in League Two with 26 from 18 games, one behind Crewe and Cheltenham and another four adrift of laders Swindon.

"I don't think there's any limit to our team," said Williams. "We're a match for any team in this league and we saw that on Saturday because Crewe are one of the better sides in the league but we've rolled them over 4-1.

"But it's important now we don't get complacent and we keep our foot on the gas.

"We're up in the play-off area which is where we want to be but there's no limit to where we can go."

Cobblers were slow out of the blocks this season but they look to be finding their mojo as we approach the traditionally busy festive period.

"It takes a bit of time to gel when new lads come together but now I feel like it's really coming together and we all know what the gaffer wants," Williams added.

"We're really starting to put in performances where we're in every game and at the moment we're winning the majority of them and hopefully that'll continue."

Asked what's changed, Williams added: "I don't want to give too much away! It changes from week to week but the gaffer sets out a gameplan and we're sticking to it a lot more than what we might have done before.

"We're making sure we carrying out what he wants when we go out on the pitch and I think we're a handful for any team in this division."

Police investigating a burglary in Wootton where jewellery worth more than £200,000 was stolen are appealing for witnesses and information.

Between 4pm on Friday, November 15, and 4.30pm on Sunday, November 17, a property in Battalion Drive, Northampton, was broken into and a safe stolen.

The safe contained a rose gold diamond ring valued at £90,000 and a Richard Mille ladies watch worth £120,000 (both pictured).

The serial number for the ring’s diamond is GIA1192616624.

Anyone who witnessed the burglary, or who has information about it or the items stolen, should call Northamptonshire Police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

The Brampton Halt, in Chapel Brampton, has scooped the Food and Drink prize at this year's Northamptonshire Business Awards (NBA).

The glittering ceremony was hosted by comedian Stephen K. Amos and took place on Thursday, November 7, at Northampton’s County Ground.

The pub, part of the McManus Pub Company, was purchased in 2003. It fast became popular for its outdoor space and beautiful views, which prompted the McManus family to inject more than £1m into restoring and renovating the venue.

It has been run by husband and wife team Tim and Donna Leah for more than 15 years.

Landlord Tim said: “We’re hugely honoured to have picked up the Food and Drink Award at the NBAs this year. But running a public house is truly a team effort and we would not have been winners without every single person who works here, either front of house or out the back.

“Over the years we’ve really grown the business into a place that caters for all ages. In the day we’re a family-run pub that welcomes kids of all ages. In the evenings we get lots of young people visiting, keen to meet their mates and have a few pints, as well as older people who might seek a quiet corner and a read of the paper.

“We’ve also become a popular venue for weddings and parties after we had our outdoor kitchen fitted. Our newly renovated patio has opened the space up, so we can cater for even more people who wish to visit us over the course of the summer. If you haven’t been to visit us before, then you’re missing out!”

More than 50 people are employed at the Brampton Halt and many of them have been extensively trained to ensure customer service goes above and beyond.

Gary McManus, who has been at the helm of the family business since 1989, added: “The Brampton Halt represents the epitome of traditional English country pubs. We have a passion for excellence, coupled with constant investment. We pride ourselves in serving quality, locally-sourced food and beverages, combined with first-class service.

“We’ve worked hard to ensure in the winter months, the Halt is the go-to public house to visit because of its cosy interior, which we’ve recently renovated. In the summer, we throw open the windows and crank up the BBQ as thousands flock to us, happy to take advantage of the country views, the beautiful lake and the huge outdoor patio space we’ve created.

“This award is hugely deserved for the Brampton Halt team and we will continue to ensure it remains one of the most popular pubs in the county during all seasons.”

The NBAs are an annual awards programme which recognises exceptional businesses and business people across the county.

All the winners are determined by an independent judging panel and they are scored against set criteria and marked through a bespoke software-based scoring system. On the night a total of 12 trophies were handed out.

A development consisting of three, four and five bedroom homes will be open to buyers this weekend.

Northamptonshire-based housebuilder Mulberry Homes is preparing to launch Meadow View Fields in Moulton on Saturday, November 23 when the show home officially opens.

Prices are set to start at £284,950 for a three-bed property on the estate which will have views across the village sports pitches.

Kerry Jones, head of sales at Mulberry Homes, said: “We are delighted to be launching our latest development in the vibrant, family-focused community of Moulton.

"This is a really special place to live and, as we continue to expand across the Midlands, Meadow View Fields is an appealingly situated addition to our offering.

“We’re proud, too, that this development is ahead of the curve when it comes to technology. With electric car charging points available for visitors and automated smart parcel delivery boxes on site for those who are often away for the day, we are confident that Meadow View Fields caters for the needs of a range of Northamptonshire housebuyers.”

Mulberry Homes, established in 2011, specalises in small development across the Midlands.

The show home will open from 11am to 4pm on Saturday.

Crewe midfielder Paul Green revealed his side had specifically prepared themselves to face a set-piece barrage from the Cobblers ahead of their 4-1 defeat at the PTS Stadium on Saturday.

But whatever Crewe had planned to deal with Northampton's set-pieces backfired in dramatic fashion as they conceded from two free-kicks inside the first 18 minutes, centre-back Scott Wharton the beneficiary on both occasions.

Sam Hoskins' penalty then gave Crewe a mountain to climb and they were always fighting a loss cause from then on despite Chris Porter's goal shortly before half-time.

Andy Williams' well-taken fourth duly condemned the visitors to only their second away loss of the season.

"During the week the gaffer drilled us on set pieces because that's what Northampton are strong on - set-pieces and free-kicks and things like that," Green revealed afterwards.

"We didn't take our chances and then they snuck a couple of set-pieces and a penalty which killed the game for us really.

"It was nice to get a goal back before half-time to give us a chance, but the fourth goal killed us and it's just not good enough to be honest.

"If we want to do anything in this league we have to cut those stupid goals out. They are a strong, physical team and we are going to come up against more teams like that so we just have to carry on.

"We have been on a great run and it is so frustrating to come to a place like this and know we have had our chances, and if we had taken them then it could have been a different outcome.

"We said during the week 'no silly free-kicks' but we have done that and they scored from them, so in a way it's our own downfall."

Manager David Artell added: “The fourth goal is the worst of the lot for me, it was a Sunday League goal and I told them that afterwards. It was poor and we have to improve. That was a key moment in the game because if we had got it back to 3-2 then who knows?

“There are a couple of them who have come in and apologised for not playing so well. It happens and it is about how we react and getting back to winning ways again.”