A new footbridge will be lifted into place on Christmas Eve at Northampton’s new £20 million railway station.

It forms part of a milestone month in the construction of the station, as works on the steel structure of the facility has now started, following the completion of foundation works.

The station will be twice the size of the current building with improved facilities, including bigger shops, cafes and waiting areas. Construction of the 2,500 sqm building started in August.

To avoid disruption to passengers, the bridge span will be lifted into place overnight on Christmas Eve and early on Christmas Day, when the West Coast Main Line is due to be closed anyway.

Chris Garden, regeneration director at West Northamptonshire Development Corporation said: “Given that the track is already due to be closed at Christmas, it is an ideal time to construct the footbridge.

“We have started an exciting stage of the construction process and I think people will be surprised at how quickly the station will rise. Within two months, it will be making an impression on the local skyline, with the size and shape of the building clear to see.”

Councillor David Mackintosh, leader of Northampton Borough Council, said: “This new station makes a bold statement about our aspirations for the town and will provide a fitting welcome for visitors.”

The new station will open next summer next year and will be followed by the demolition of the existing building. Longer-term phases of the development potentially include a 1,270 space multi-storey car park, as well as a 28,000 sqm commercial development.

Police & Crime Commissioner Adam Simmonds will speak on television today about his plans to rehabilitate criminal families.

Northamptonshire’s crime commissioner made headlines when he called for a radical new approach to target a small number of families which cause a significant amount of crime in the county.

He plans to force them to go through intensive programmes to learn how to meet responsibility and quit crime.

Speaking in a film commissioned by the BBC’s ‘Daily Politics’ programme, to be aired today, Mr Simmonds said: “In one Northamptonshire town, just 10 families are responsible for most burglaries.

“Typically, a family with a grandmother in her 30s, sons, and daughters with children who know no father. Families captured by a life of crime.

“This is not about poverty – it’s about criminality. They have poverty of ambition. They are in and out of prison. They bounce through the courts for most of their lives. The children fail in school; they graduate into drugs and crime at an early age.

“Families like this cost us all a fortune. I think they should have the chance to undergo an intensive programme to keep them out of crime and unemployment. And be given basic job training.

“This would be done over two years, in residential centres away from where they live. It would be cheaper than repeatedly sending career criminals to jail and taking their offspring into care.

“We’ve got to be more radical than sending social workers to get them all out of bed. Sending them to prison hasn’t worked so what else do you do?’

“A model successfully used but not yet adopted nationally sees families supported in intensive residential units until they are ready to be reintegrated.

“They get a daily, highly structured environment to explore alternatives to the revolving door of offending and anti-social behaviour.

“Long term, whole families can turn their lives around and stop harmful and destructive behaviours from moving to the next generation.

“At the moment, nearly one in four of adults in Northamptonshire who are caught offending go on to commit another offence within a year. Those adults who commit offences which receive short sentences, for example theft or shoplifting, nearly six in 10 reoffend within a year.

“There has to be a better way. There is something in the idea of discipline, doing it in a different location and doing it as a family.”

Aidy Boothroyd is determined to enjoy an overdue FA Cup run this season as he continues the Cobblers’ recovery from their early-season ‘trauma’.

Town head to Grimsby Town on Saturday for the second round of the competition after they won 2-1 at Bishop’s Stortford in the first round.

As well as a place in the third round - and a potentially lucrative tie against a big-name side - there will also be £27,000 in prize money at stake at Blundell Park.

For such reasons, the FA Cup holds a special place in the heart of club chairmen all over the country, and Northampton owner David Cardoza is no exception that rule.

But as well as the extra January transfer window options such a timely injection of cash would give Boothroyd, he also wants a Cup run to enhance the burgeoning feelgood factor at Sixfields.

“It will be a very difficult tie for us but it’s one that we think we can get through,” he said.

“Grimsby are going really well in the Conference but we will go up there, prepare properly and see if we can come away with our name in the hat for the next round.

“If we can get through it just builds the excitement, the chairman loves the FA Cup and it’s a while since we’ve had a run in it.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a run in the FA Cup as well, and if you can have a run in the competition it can bring a real feel good factor and it could add to the momentum that we are building at the club again over the last couple of weeks.”

The Cobblers have kept clean sheets in their past two games and have won three of their past five but remain in the Sky Bet League Two relegation zone.

While he accepts there is lots of work to do to repair a disastrous start to the campaign, Boothroyd does feel the team is now through the worst of it.

“I’m certainly not going to make any bold predictions,” he said.

“I think we are over the majority of the trauma, but football can soon come back and bite you if you lose your focus.

“We just need to take one step at a time and focus on the next game.

“We know how difficult Saturday is going to be, we will give Grimsby all due respect and we will make sure that we come up with a plan to give them a few problems as well.

“We are looking a lot stronger and we look a lot more resilient now, the team has started to work as a whole and we are working a lot harder without the ball.”

Cogenhoe United claimed a giant-killing scalp on Tuesday night as they thrashed holders Corby Town 4-0 in the quarter-finals of the NFA Hillier Senior Cup.

The UCL Premier Division high-flyers hosted the Calor League Premier Division Steelmen at Compton Park, and once Josh Urquhart fired them into a first-minute lead, the Cooks were on top.

A weakened but still experienced Corby side that included former Peterborough United central defender Mark Arber in their ranks, as well as prolific striker Tom Berwick, were not allowed to get into the game.

Skipper Urquhart grabbed his and his team’s second on 20 minutes, and although Corby strived to get back into things, the Cooks defence stood firm.

The win was sealed with just five minutes remaining when Jack Bowen volleyed home, and Bowen added a second in stoppage time to really put the icing on the cake.

Cogenhoe will now face fellow UCL side Long Buckby in the semi-final, with Calor League Division One Central side Daventry Town awaiting the winners in the final following their emphatic 4-0 semi-final win at Peterborough Northern Star.

Buckby were also in action on Tuesday night, but went down to a 1-0 defeat in the UCL KO Cup at Kempston Rovers.

Five nurses have been found guilty by a misconduct panel of neglect at a Northampton care home where pensioners lived on porridge and had pressure sores so deep their bones were exposed.

The abuse came to light after five elderly people died in a two-week period at Parkside House Nursing Home in St Matthew’s Parade.

Home manager Phyllis Johnson and nurses Anastacia Madulu, Girlie Franklin, Maria McKenzie, and Mary Ombui, were yesterday found guilty by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of failing to provide basic care to 10 residents between them.

Home manager Johnson was also found guilty of failing to report the deaths of three residents to the Care and Quality Commission watchdog, failing to provide nutritious meals to residents and failing to ensure her staff were adequately trained.

Five residents aged between 83 and 100 died at Parkside House, between July 22 and August 6, 2009, after being left malnourished, immobile in bed, and with severe pressure sores.

Independent healthcare manager Karen Stagg undertook an assessment of some of the residents on July 24. She reported a series of fundamental failings, including staff who could not use basic equipment, residents fed ‘mainly porridge’ and meaningless care plans that were out of date.

Madulu, who represented herself at the hearing, and Ombui, admitted all allegations against them on the basis that deputy manager McKenzie prevented them from providing basic treatment.

McKenzie and Franklin were found guilty of the bulk of the charges relating to the residents, including failing to provide adequate care.

But the pair were cleared of charges including not completing nutrition risk assessments for certain residents, failing to monitor the weight of some residents and not using documentation to help monitor care.

Johnson, who denied all the charges, did not attend the Old Bailey hearing and has now retired to Trinidad.

She was found guilty of the majority of the charges against her, but cleared of failing to review procedures and policies at the home and failing to notify the CQC when some of residents were admitted to hospital.

If the panel find today that the neglect amounts to misconduct, the nurses could face being barred from the profession.

Old Scouts survived a late Leicester Forest onslaught to secure a 29-24 win in the Midlands Two East (South).

Scouts almost managed to throw away what seemed an unassailable 29-7 lead and were eventually happy to end the game with five points.

The first half was dominated by Scouts and they ran in four tries to Forest’s one.

Fly-half Adam Frost scored Scouts’ first while Jordan Judd notched the second.

Scrum-half Tom Powell caught the opposition napping with a quick tap penalty to set up Conor Jeffcoate on the wing, and an outrageous grubber kick from replacement Liam Markey was snapped up by Jordan Dolman. Frost converted two out of four.

A 24-7 lead was further increased soon after the break. A long clearance kick from Frost was chased well by Antony Morrison and Richard Bussey. The pressure told on the visitors’ defence and Cameron Hauxwell charged the clearance attempt and calmly crossed the line.

The home side then proceeded in a relaxed fashion as if the game was won and several missed tackles resulted in a free-running Forest side gaining both a losing and try bonus points as they crossed Scouts’ line three times in the last half an hour.

The win was Scouts’ first for a month.

Old Scouts IIs beat Kettering IIIs 27-12, while an incredible SIX tries from number eight Chris Hillery set the scene for Scouts IIIs to amass an 82-7 victory over Kettering IVs. The win was Scouts IIIs’ 11th out of 11 games this season.

It means the Scouts IIIs are top of the EMRU Red Stripe merit table by six points, and can boast a huge plus-138 points difference.

The team go for win number 12 on Saturday when they entertain Leighton Buzzard IVs.

Mens Own 83 Deepings 8

MENS OWN recorded only their third Midlands Three East (South) win of the season, as they hammered bottom-of-the-table Deepings, scoring 13 tries in the process.

Own actually made a slow start and went behind to a penalty but once Ben Sawbridge scored the first try on 17 minutes, it was one-way traffic.

It was 38-3 by half-time, with Sawbridge scoring a second and other tries coming from Alexander Cairns, Matt Brace, Luke Stimson and Craig Wilson.

Brace also added four conversions.

Own continued to dominate in the second half and used all three replacements in Joe Huckerby, Gary Haynes and Joshua Cheang. Unfortunately Cheang injured his hamstring when scoring his first try for the first team and had to go off.

In all, there were 45 points scored in the second half of the game. As well as Cheung’s effort, there were tries from James Barnwell, Adam Baker, Chris Gould, Luke Stimson and player coach Ben Briddon . Sawbridge also completed his hat-trick.

There were four more conversions for Brace, and one apiece for Briddon and Baker.

Next week is another league match, with Own travelling to Casuals.

Buckby hit the try trail to sink Corby

Jonny Nixon, Ed Sitch and Ben Walton all scored hat-tricks as Long Buckby demolished Corby in Midlands Four East (South).

Buckby returned to the top of the table as they dismantled the east Northants sice 114-7, scoring an incredible 17 tries.

Nixon and Sitch got Buckby moving with early tries, and although Corby battled hard, they had no answer. It was 57-0 by half-time , with Sitch completing his hat-trick, and Andrew Tarplee scoring twice. There were also tries for Doug Burroughs and Walton. Ryan Clark kicked seven conversions and a penalty .

It was more of the same in the second half once Simon Dixon had dotted down. Walton and Nixon completed their hat-tricks, Hare scored a second, and there were also scores for Nathan Maddox, James Hare and Luke Foster.

Clark added six more conversions to end up with a 29-point haul.

Seven-up ONs too hot for Coalville

OLD Northamptonians scored seven tries as they romped to a 47-12 win at Coalville.

ONs took an early lead through a try from Tom Goodman, who added the conversion himself.

The second try came from George Faulkner, and ONs’ third quickly followed when Francois Wiese made 30 metres before handing on to Greg Mathers who dotted down. James Blackmore was next over the line and ONs led 28-0 before Coalville pulled a try back before the break.

The home side started the second half strongly, but they were reduced to 14 men and Zac Draper scored a further try for ONs and the sixth followed soon after from Jake Spencer.

The final try saw Goodman score his second of the game, and take his points tally for the afternoon to 22. Coalville never gave up and scored a late consolation.

JOHN WEST scored four tries as ONs IVs hammered Biggleswade 38-0. Other tries came from Jordan Brew and Jon Deeks, who added four conversions.

Forbes try is the only bright spot for BB

IT was a nightmare of an afternoon for Boys Brigade Old Boys, as they were thrashed 107-5 by Leighton Buzzard.

BB conceded 17 tries and 11 conversions.

The only bright spot for the Semilong side was that their try was scored by Darryl ‘Mojo’ Forbes, his first for the club.

This Saturday BB travel to Lutterworth.

Towcester east to derby day victory

TOWCESTRIANS claimed the honours in their derby date as they saw off Buckingham 23-8 in Midlands One West (South).

The game failed to flow despite the best efforts of referee Tracey Pettingale.

An early burst of pressure saw Tows prop Conor Cahill finish and Falvey added the conversion.

Buckingham came back through a penalty, only to concede again as Tows spread the ball wide for Ronnie Speakman to score. Falvey was again there to add the extras.

Tows then began to sharpen up and looked capable of stretching the lead, but a lapse allowed Buckingham to score on the break and it was 17-8 to Towcester at the break.

Two Falvey penalties made the win safe.

TOWCESTRIANS IIs were 91-0 winners over Bedford Athletic, while the IIIs edged out Buckingham IIIs 25-21.

Rushden too strong for Heathens

HEATHENS were no match for a youthful Rushden & Higham IIs as they lost 53-0.

After a tough first half Heathens believed they had adjusted to the many changes forced on them by injury and unavailability, and were looking to claw themselves back into the game despite trailing 19-0.

However, an enthusiastic Rushden side went up a gear in the second half and put Heathens to the sword with six further tries.

Next Saturday Heathens have a friendly fixture against Northampton Outlaws.

Castle Ashby’s AT winter league is over for another year... but it may take time for the dust to settle.

Starlets – fielding a host of England internationals – were a ‘shoo-in’ to win the last round and take the series title. But it was a real scrabble for series runners-up spot (and the other semis ticket) as Maver MK, second on the day, tied with Guru and eventually went through after a nail-biting countback.

Then, in an unrelated post-match incident, two competitors came to blows. Far from happy, venue boss Mick Hewlett said: “It was nothing to do with the match. It was personal between them.”

Maybe, but ours is supposed to be the ‘gentle’ sport – NOT the Premier League!

And Starlets’ Mark Downes (an England manager, and nothing to do with the punch-up) has told the Chron that his actions – leading to his disqualification from an earlier round – had been ‘a mistake’.

He said he’d left his peg and walked the bank that day as, being diabetic, he’d needed chocolate from his van.

But he admits leaving his tackle in the water while away, and that other anglers could have seen him put a small fish in his net after returning and winding in.

“But it hadn’t hung (hooked) itself,” he said, “I’d foul-hooked it as I reeled in.”

Rules apart, leaving tackle fishing unattended is against the law. Mr Downes said: “I made a mistake, and it got blown out of proportion because of who I am.

“It has been an acrimonious league with lots of bad feeling. When things like this happen you have to wonder if it is worth it. We may not be back next year.”

Final placings: Starlets 11, Maver MK and Guru both 15, Royal Mail 29, ‘Ashby Youth 31, ‘Ashby A 32, RAF 34.

Town’s Steve and Phil Ringer are home from South Africa with bronze team medals after fishing for England in the world feeder champs.

England (managed by Tom Pickering) looked good in the first of two matches but finished level with Hungary and dropped back a medal slot on weight. The home side cruised home. Steve was eighth overall with Phil 10th.

“We’d definitely been seen as the team to beat,” said Steve. “Two squads even videoed us throughout practice days. They’d have known what we were doing down to how many turns back (of the reel) we made after casting.”

MEADOWLANDS open: Glen Maxwell 79lb, Paul Garner 63-8, Tony Wickam 59-12.

WHITE Hart Flore, Barby Banks: John Berry 85lb, Glen Tilson 65-8, Tom Griffiths 38-8.

DAVENTRY, Peatling Pools: Mick Turner 20-14, Rich Wills 13lb, Barry Carr 11-9.

Towcester, town Tove: Kevin Elliot (dace and a goldfish!) 13-8, Tony Hirst 7lb, Mark Read 5-7.

CASTLE silverfish series, Canons: Pat Neale 12-8, Dave Cantrell 12-4, Paul Lafflin 10-3. Jeff Rice, Lafflin and Neale finished the series in that order on weight after tying on points.

LITTLE Harrowden, Oundle Nene: Ken Taylor 10-2 (seed roach), Dave Chamberlain 9lb, Nigel Roberts 4-2.

Northants turned in a great performance to beat Leicestershire 106-96 in the second round of the over 60s National Inter County competition.

This is an Inter County competition which was formerly played on a league basis, but now is a straight knock-out, and it is a competition which the County won in the first two years of its inception in 2009 and 2010.

The format is for three rinks to play away and three at home, and these were played at Northampton & District IBC and Leicester IBC.

The match was won by the relatively small margin of 10 shots, with three winning rinks, two losing and one drawn.

Highest rink for Northants was that skipped by Alan Ramscar on his own ground with a 16-shots advantage.

Rink scores:

At Northampton: Rink one: Will Clelland, Colin Manton, Tony Weston & Roy Cave 15 B Burton 24

Rink two: Alan Baulch, Norman Gibb, Walt Winsor & Alan Ramscar 24 C Smith 8

Rink three: Roger Summers, John Baggat, Colin Jones & Jim McKee 20 M Haywood 20

At Leicester: Rink 4: Jim Diver, Pete Maloy, George Warren & John Haines 21 R Cooper 13

Rink five: Terry Britten, Malcolm Mattinson, Roger Tansley & Mick Sharpe 15 J Cooper 11

Rink six: Tony Dicks, Mick Richardson, Martin Keech & Mick Worthington 11 N Burns 20

Northamptonshire wil now play either Warwickshire or Hertfordshire in the quarter-finals.

Walker has double chance at trials

Northampton’s Jamie Walker, who plays for Wellingborough IBC, is taking part in the junior and senior rounds of the English Indoor Bowling Association International Trials at Melton & District Indoor Bowls Club this weekend.

The junior trial for under 25s is being held on Saturday at 1pm, and 21-year-old Walker will be hoping to catch the eye. The junior trial is for players to compete for places in the England team for the British Isles Indoor Bowls Council (BIIBC) International Series to be played in February in Northern Ireland.

The senior trial is being held on Sunday at 1pm, and Walker is joined in this by Kingsthorpe’s and Neil McKee, a well-established international.

The senior trial is for the BIIBC International Series to be played in March in Durham.

County Ladies win the battle of the sexes

Northants Ladies ensured they will have 12 months of bragging rights as they won the annual match between the County men and County ladies.

The ladies won a thriller 116-114 at Wellingborough.

The highest winning rink for the men was that skipped by Richard Somerton with a 17-shots advantage, and the highest margin for the women was shared by rinks skipped by Brenda Bishop and Margaret McGillivray who each enjoyed a nine-shots victory.

Rink scores (women’s names first):

Rink one: Audrey Gardener, Julie Spreadbury, Donna Williamson & Brenda Bishop 28 Ray Ward, Trevor Tilley, Keith Howlett & Alan Watts 19.

Rink two: Chris Cooper, Denise Carlin, Eleanor Winters & Margaret McGillivray 22 Adrian Hayward, Mike Robins, Peter Morgan & Geoff Allen 13

Rink three: Kay Green, Elaine Urquhart, Irene Scoble & Joan Watts 15 Peter Woodhams, Mike McKeown, Brian Sherwood & George Warren 18

Rink four: Lynn Upton, Sue Lomas, Joan Bryan & Joyce Porter 9 Stuart Lowe, John Churchman, Andy Purcell & Richard Somerton 26

Rink five: Jean Burgess, Tracey Cattell, Wilma Walker & Pam Lewis 21 Jonathan George, Don Scott, Dave Thurlow & Bernard Spreadbury 18

Rink six: Joyce George, Glenys Emery, Valerie Blackwell & Pat Mattinson 21 John Lewis, Bob Tingle, Mike Weatherill & Ron Jacklin 20

County Indoor League gets underway

The County Indoor League, organised by Northamptonshire Indoor Bowling Association for male bowlers, starts on Saturday, with all eight county indoor clubs participating.

This league is for four triples, with two playing at home and two playing away, over the normal 18 ends, or four hours.

The following will be played on Saturday:

Brackley IBC v Wellingborough IBC; Daventry IBC v Desborough IBC; Kettering Lodge IBC v Kingsthorpe IBC; Northampton & District IBC v Kingsthorpe IBC

Northants name seven rinks for friendly

Northants will field a team of seven rinks in a friendly against Leicestershire on December 11, at Melton & District IBC (1.30pm).

The following have been selected:

Rink one: Keith Howlett, Desborough/Bill Craig, Desborough/Brian Sherwood, Rushden Town/Ron Jacklin, Desborough

Rink two: Gordon Morris, Northampton/Dave Garland, Kingsthorpe/Malcolm O’Hanlon, Wellingborough/Tony Weston, Northampton

Rink three: Will Clelland, Dedborough/Tom Kavanagh, Kettering Lodge/Peter Boulden, Wellingborough/George Warren, Desborough

Rink four: Ralph Satille, Daventry/Terry Smith, Kettering Lodge/Geoff Allen, Daventry/Duggie Mitchell, Daventry

Rink five: Jim Diver, Desborough/Peter Byworth, Wellingborough/Peter Mellor, Desborough/Brian Jones, Daventry

Rink six: Roger Summers, Northampton/Mike McKeown, Desborough/Tony Warren, Northampton/Reg Jones, Northampton

Rink seven: Stuart Low, Brackley/Martin Horsham, Brackley/Allan Watts, Daventry/Brian Diver, Desborough

Results

RESULTS from county competitions.

Singles: 1st round: Iain Walker, Kingsthorpe IBC beat Rick Hayes, Daventry IBC; Phil Exley, Deborough IBC given walkover by Ben Sharpe, Kingsthorpe IBC

Pairs: 1st Round: Keith Howlett & Bob Tingle, Desborough IBC beat John Sach & Mark Courtney, Daventry IBC 14-13; Tom Wellburn & partner, Kingsthorpe IBC beat Dave Gilman & partner, Desborough IBC; Connor Cinato & partner, Desborough IBC beat Will Walker & partner, Wellingborough IBC; Nathan Betts & partner, Rushden Town IBC bet Dave Whittles & partner, Northampton & District IBC

Fours: 1st Round: Dave Jones’ rink, Northampton & District IBC beat Steve Norman’s rink, Wellingborough IBC

RESULTS from national competitions.

Ladies

Singles: Area quarter-final: Tina Broderick, Wellingborough IBC beat Vicki Rushall, Daventry IBC 21-20

Triples: Area quarter-final: Vicki Rushall, Joan Watts & Brenda Bishop, Daventry IBC beat Sue Collins,Chris Cooper, & Maureen McDonald, Wellingborough IBC 24-11

Over-60s singles: Quarter-final: Brenda Bishop, Daventry IBC beat Hilary Sharpe, Kingsthorpe IBC 21-12

Over-60s pairs, area quarter-final: Jean Burgess &Pam Reynolds, Wellingborough IBC beat Marilyn Oram & Joyce Porter, Northampton & District IBC 25-6

Mason Trophy (Over 60 Double Rink): Northampton & District IBC beat Kettering Lodge IBC 45-42 shots.

Details as follows, Northampton names first: Rink one: Val Lovatt, Margaret Sharpe, Gloria White & Thelma Littlemore 23 Delia Panther, Helen Partridge, Glenys Oldham & Audrey Height 12

Rink two: Anne Woods, Marion Cozens, Anita Petrucci & Sue Lane 22 Pauline Wrigley, Margaret Cooper, Margaret Silsby & Margaret Haig 30

Champion Of Champions: Area Final: Rebecca Wigfield, Desborough IBC beat Linda Warren, Northampton & District IBC 21-15

Mixed

Pairs: Area quarter-final: Joyce George & Martin Walker, Wellingborough IBC beat Yvonne & Jim McKee, Kingsthorpe 15-12 shots; Tina & Paul Broderick, Wellingborough IBC beat Maureen & Martin Keech, Rushden Town IBC 24-14 shots

Under 18 singles (Played in sets)

Second Round: Will Walker, Wellingborough IBC beat Matt Jarvis, Desborough IBC 2-0 (15-0 & 10-3); Paige Johnson-Young, Rushden IBC beat Lauryn Carley, Desborough IBC 2-0 (12-3 & 9-4); Danny Walker, Wellingborough IBC beat Matt Cattell, Rushden Town BC 2-0 (8-1 &9-3); Abbi Johnson-Young, Rushden IBC beat Minah Elsayad, Desborough IBC 2-0 (11-1 & 10-3)

Borough prove too strong for District

Northampton & District slipped to a 91-80 defeat to Wellingborough in the Egham Trophy.

Rink scores: Wellingborough names first: At Wellingborough: Rink one: Sue Collins, Chris Cooper, Steve Norman & Mick Cooper 24 Chloe Weston, Janet Swift, Ashley Linnell & Richard Lemon 21

Rink two: Jean Burgess, Alison Dring, Dennis Collins & Walt Winsor 16 Linda Warren, Peter Gilkes, Dena Bryan & Chris Bland 22

At Northampton: Rink three: Joyce George, Pam Reynolds, Curtis Johnson & Paul Broderick 28 Lesley Young, Joyce Porter, John Leggett & Andy Smith 15

Rink four: Tina Broderick, Annie Macavoy, Dave Love & Martin Walker 23 Jean Chesshire, Joan Sidebottom, Roger Summers & Ollie Kirkwood 22

Kingsthorpe crash out of Denny Cup

Kingsthorpe lost 87-71 to Wellingborough in the group final of the Denny Cup.

Rink scores ( Wellingborough names first): At Wellinborough: Rink one: Will Walker, Curtis Johnson, Mick Cooper & Neil Corbyn 22 Chris Maden, Martin Gearey, Darren Lewis & Vernon Gearey 17

Rink two: Scott Johnson, Danny Walker, Walt Winsor & Paul Broderick 20 Mick Spear, Colin Jones, Jason Bryan & Jim McKee 23

At Kingsthorpe: Rink three: Dennis Collins, Steve Norman, Darren Lyman & Robert Norman 20 David Walker, Peter Morris, Ben Sharpe & Andrew Manton 20

Rink four: Dave Love, Martin Walker, Callum Height & Jamie Walker 25 Neil Rolfe, Roger Tansley, Andrew Hunter & Mick Sharpe 11

Northampton claim win in plate group final

Northampton & District won the group final of the Denny Plate, the competition for first round losers in the Denny Cup. Northampton were 96-58 winners over Kettering Lodge.

Rink scores: Northampton names first: At Northampton: Rink one: Terry Britten, Conor Bryan, Alan Ramscar & Jamie Reynolds 26 Chris Gray, Pete Morgan, Ray Gray & Andy Britten 18

Rink two: Tony Centrella, Jonatan Brown, John Leggett & Richard Lemon 24 – Dave W Smith, John Beal, Rob Vowles & Steve Mason 15

At Kettering: Rink three: John Freeman, Tony O’Leary, Ollie Kirkwood & Chris Bland 27 Alan Thorn, Connor Rollings, Alan Simms & Adrian Harris 10

Rink four: Adam Brown, Ashley Linnell, Rob White & Andy Smith 19 Brian Barnicoat, Keiran Rollings, Paul Harris & Mark Turner 15

Northants Ladies are tied up by Notts

Northants Ladies were beaten 131-87 in their Midland Counties League match against Nottinghamshire at Rushcliffe.

Rink scores, Notts skips only: Rink one: Pat Starsmore, Denise Carlin, Wilma Walker & Brenda Bishop 22 G Holme 15

Rink two: Julie Spreadbury, Joyce George, Joan Bryan & Audrey Height 11 A Duckworth 29

Rink three: Dorothy Diver, Phyll Parry, Chris Cooper & Valerie Blackwell 12 J Lee 23

Rink four: Linda Warren, Margaret Cooper, Barbara Haseldine & Joyce Porter 13 A King 20

Rink five: Lynn Upton, Elaine Urquhart, Jan Hunt & Pat Mattinson 20 J Tyers 16

Rink six: Kay Green, Audrey Gardener, Sue Lomas & Joan Watts 9 P Oliver 28

Alex King is expecting a big performance from George North against Leinster on Saturday.

North returns to Saints full of confidence after scoring two tries for Wales against Australia last weekend.

The 21-year-old hasn’t played for his club since October 20 and will be raring to go in the crucial Heineken Cup encounter at Franklin’s Gardens.

Backs coach King is happy to have North back and is hoping for great things from the powerhouse wing, and the rest of the team.

“In these games you need your best players playing and George, after his two tries against Australia, is full of confidence,” said King.

“We’ll need him this weekend if we want to put a big performance in against Leinster.”

In North’s absence, the likes of Ken Pisi and Tom Collins, who scored his first senior try in the win at Worcester last weekend, have stepped up to the plate.

And King was quick to praise those players, who he believes Saints are fortunate to have in their ranks.

“I take my hat off to guys like Tom Collins, Jamie Elliott, Ken Pisi in the way they’ve played this season,” he said. “We’re lucky we’ve got good strength in the wing position.

“As for George North, he is obviously a world class player and you want to have him in your team.”

Cobblers assistant boss Andy King insists the team’s recent form has not been solely down to Ricky Ravenhill but admits the midfielder has brought a quality they didn’t have to the side’s engine room.

Town have only lost once in the five games since Ravenhill arrived on loan from Bradford City, and his impact cannot be overstated.

Although they remain in the bottom two of Sky Bet League Two, three of Ravenhill’s five matches so far have ended in Northampton victories and he has been a key performer in all of them.

While King knows one player cannot exert a total influence on any team he does feel the 32-year-old has added a much-needed steel to his side’s midfield.

“One player doesn’t make a team, it’s more about the blend,” he said. “(Stuart) Dallas and (Luke) Norris have got goals for us and there are lots of different ingredients in the cake.
“But in terms of giving us that professional outlook in the holding midfield role, he’s been very good. Kane Ferdinand and (Gary) Deegan have energy but Ravenhill brings us something we hadn’t got.

“We needed a sitting midfield player, they’re defined in all sorts of different ways and in my day a central midfielder was box to box.

“Now you have all kinds of different breeds but he has definitely brought something to us defensively.”

George North is targeting a Heineken Cup final homecoming with Saints.

This year’s showpiece will be played at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, where North scored two tries for Wales against Australia last weekend.

And the 21-year-old is desperate to play a club game there next May as Saints go for glory in Europe.

But he is well aware of the obstacles that stand between him and that dream, with the first being a huge clash with Pool 1 leaders Leinster at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday.

“It would be really nice to come home to Cardiff for the Heineken Cup final in May, but we have two very difficult games against Leinster to overcome before we can start thinking about that,” said North.

“We could and should have won in Castres in the first round, but that defeat has made our task all the more difficult.

“As former winners, Leinster have proven themselves on the European stage time after time.

“They have a very physical pack and some superb backs, so we are expecting two high-paced and very tough games.”

Simon Williams smashed eight gross birdies during the second round of the Winter Series at Northampton Golf Club as he fired a superb seven-under-par 65.

The former club champion, whose handicap reached plus-one as a direct result, finished four points ahead of his dad Carl Williams and Lee England (both 39).

Whittlebury

Tim Starmer combined perfectly with Steven Holton in the third round of the Winter League as they grabbed the leading tally of 44 points in the Bruton Plate event.

David Sloanes and Barry Smart (43) finished second by a single point from Matthew Clulow and Neil Marks, with Peter Coles and Michael Page also shooting 42.

One point was the difference between first and second in the latest round of the Ladies Winter League as Anne Moffitt and Sylvia Smith (36) pipped Andrea Aitken and Kerry Sumner.

Paul Willats lifted the Glyn’s Winter Jug after his tally of 43 points edged him one clear of Bernard Aldous in the latest 9 O’Clock Club Competition.

Staverton

Mike Milam’s consistency made all the difference in the November Stableford as the eight-handicapper came in with the leading score of 39 points.

Andy Sant collected the runners-up prize on countback from Russell Brown, Gary Mailey and Chris Pendlebury on 36.

An eagle on the 15th hole proved vital for Peter Hallford in the Vets November Stableford as the 13-handicapper squeezed one point ahead of Peter Scott and Mike Grey (both 38).

Overstone Park

Phil Gardner carded three birdies and three bogeys in a gross level par round during the November Yellow Tee Stableford as he fired the best score of 43 points.

Mark Newton (41) birdied the last hole to clinch the second division by a single point from Darren Hill, while Chris Bryant 39) led the high handicap section.

Jill Godfrey was a convincing winner of the Ladies November Red Tee Stableford after shooting 37 points.

Brampton Heath

Calculators were needed at the end of a difficult day for scoring in the third round of the Ladies Winter League as four players tied for the lead with a nine-hole tally of 16 points.

Cynthia Tunnicliff grabbed the verdict ahead of Pauline Frost, Jean Pickering and Vicki Lafferty.

Alastair Lawrie’s sensational form in the middle of the Seniors AGM Stableford proved vital as he bagged one birdie and nine pars in a 10-hole stretch on his way to 41 points. Ian Hall (40) was second.

Kingsthorpe

Tony Hillery was the star performer in the Turkey Trot Saturday Competition as the 17-handicapper carded five gross birdies on his way to the best score of 44 points in partnership with Steve Jackson.

Mark Todkill and Joe Treacy went one point better 24 hours later as they won the Turkey Trot Sunday Competition by a single point.

Hellidon Lakes

Back-to-back birdies at the start of the back nine helped Darren Welsh in the November Medal as the 12-handicapper triumphed with a net 69. Fellow top division player Clive Jennings and high-handicapper Graham Newport were next on 71, while Chris Harvey (72) clinched the second section by one stroke.

Northants County

Mid-handicapper John Duggan won the November Midweek Stableford with a total of 41 points. The battle for the other prizes involved the top division players as Andrew Pearse (40) nudged one ahead of Peter Miller, with Jeff Winfield (38) leading the gross category.

Cold Ashby

Carl Garrood compiled a White Tee Saturday Stableford winning score of 43 points as he finished three clear of 
Gary Payne and Antonio Monteiro during the middle of November.

Forty two points was the leading mark in the Saturday and Sunday Stableford a week later as Payne and Darren Bryan took the plaudits ahead of Andy Aveyard and Spencer Daniels.

Collingtree

The November Stableford turned into a battle between two members of the same family as Arthur Johnson and his son Joe Johnson both carded the best score of 41 points.

Johnson snr eventually gained the verdict as his greater consistency over the back nine proved decisive.

Countback was also needed to decide third prize as Craig Collins (40) edged out Gary Simpson.

Cherwell Edge

Lee Phillips found the ideal partner in Stephen King for the Hidden Pairs Stableford as the duo bagged the joint-leading score of 72 points.

Despite shooting the best individual total of 42 points, Jim Gallant had to settle for second prize on 70, with 
Chris Tuzzio and Peter Hawkes a further point off the pace in third.

Hull closing in on rookie of the year award

Northants golfer Charley Hull moved another step closer to sealing the 2013 Rookie of the Year title on the Ladies European Tour after claiming a share of fifth prize at the Women’s Indian Open.

The 17-year-old opened with a three-under-par 69 before adding two scores of 72 as she recorded her ninth top 10 finish in just 14 events this year to move into sixth on the LET Order of Merit.

Hull, who helped Europe win the Solheim Cup this year, lies just over €11,000 ahead of fellow English rookie Holly Clyburn as they both compete in the final event at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters this week.

Hull has also been nominated for the BBC Young Sportsperson of the Year award

Daventry Drayton Grange pulled off a shock in the NFA Lower Junior Cup by beating Corby Grampian 2-1.

The division two side ran out 2-1 winners thanks to goals from Sam Dengel and Rob Oliver.

Wellingboro Old Grammarians overcome West Haddon Albion by a 7-0 scoreline to book their place in the next round.

Division one pacesetters Corby Eagles defeated United Counties League opposition with a 2-0 win over Wellingborough Whitworths.

Wollaston Victoria overcame James King Blisworth by a 5-1 score, their goals coming through a brace apiece for Jason Crawley and Tom Ripley and one from Scott Lawson.

Premier Division

EARLS BARTON ran out 5-4 winners against Corby DGL Locos with Ben Blomley getting on the scoresheet twice.

Ansley McDonald, Adam Speight and John Tarry also found the mark.

Harpole slipped down to eighth after losing to Brixworth All Saints, who climb closer to the top of the table.

Moulton are also climbing further up the table, having gained another three points against Milton with a 3-2 win.

Ryan Ansell, Sam Durrant and Adam Selling got the goals.

Stanion United put a stop to James King Blisworth’s reign at the top of the table by beating them 3-2.

Weldon United were put under pressure all the way by Roade and just couldn’t break their defence, coming out with a point after a 1-1 draw.

Division Two

Spratton found Weedon too strong for them and went down to a 4-0 defeat.

Weedon remain unbeaten at the top of the table four points clear.

FC Higham beat Ferrers with a 4-1 scoreline.

Finedon Volta denied Borough Alliance any points, beating them 2-0 with goals from Garry Chambers and Cornell Haughton.

Kettering Park Rovers earned three much-needed points after beating Grange Park Rovers 5-3.

Reserve Premier Division

Stanion United kept up their winning form with a 4-2 victory over fifth-placed Brixworth .

Bugbrooke St Michael’s A stay firmly rooted to the bottom of the table after losing 5-2 to second-placed Weldon, their goals coming from James Konarczak (2), John Coates, Alex Sewell and Sam Matthew.

Corby DGL Locos made their long trip to Milton worthwhile with a 3-1 win.

Locos’ goals came from Jay Ironmonger (2) and Glyn Davis.

Moulton made the short trip to Roade and came away with a 1-0 victory that takes them up to third in the table.

Duston Garage Star Award

This week’s award goes to a youthful Clipston team for their NFA Lower Junior Cup win over UCL side Thrapston erves.

Fixtures

Saturday, December 7

MDH TEAMWEAR NORTHANTS COMBINATION

Reserve Premier Division Cup, first round: Roade v Bugbrooke A.

Premier Division: Brixworth v Weldon United, Corby Pegasus v Roade, Earls Barton v Corby S&L Khalsa, JK Blisworth v Welford Victoria, Kettering Nomads v Harpole, Milton v Stanion Redstar. Ringstead Rangers v Corby Locomotives.

Division One: Corby Grampian v Gretton, Corby Eagles v Corby Strip Mills, Kettering Orchard Park v Wootton St George, Stanwick Rovers v Old Grammarians, Walgrave Amber v Heyford, Wilby v Burton United, Wollaston Victoria v Clipston.

Division Two: Borough Alliance v Kettering Park Rovers, Drayton Grange v SPA, Ferrers v FC Titchmarsh, Finedon Volta v Grange Park Rangers, Higham Town v West Haddon, Spratton v FC Higham, Weedon v Corby Ravens.

Division Three: Corby Kingswood v Corby Hellenic Fisher, Corby Shamrock v AFC Rothwell, Desborough & Rothwell United v Wellingborough Gleneagles, Irthlingborough Rangers v Kettering Ise Lodge, Kislingbury v Wellingborough Aztecs, Northampton Mereway v Northampton AFC Obelisk, Wellingborough Rising Sun v PL United.

Reserve Premier Division: Corby Locomotives v JK Blisworth, Harpole v Ringstead Rangers, Moulton v Brixworth, Stanion Redstar v Corby Pegasus, Weldon United v Kettering Nomads.

Reserve Division One: Heyford v Wollaston Victoria, Old Grammarians v Weldon United A, Welford Victoria v Earls Barton, Wootton St George v Kettering Orchard Park.

Reserve Division Two: Bugbrooke B v Weedon, Corby Hellenic v Spratton, Corby Strip Mills v Corby Eagles, FC Titchmarsh v Finedon Volta, Gretton v Higham Town, West Haddon v Stanwick Rovers.

A jilted lover harassed a former boyfriend and his partner by posting them a string of “unwanted sexual items”, a court heard.

Sophie Mussard also threatened the pair with letters and Facebook messages, saying she had a baseball bat “with his name on it” and she was going to “stab the pair of them”.

Northampton Magistrates’ Court heard Mussard, who has since been diagnosed with mental health issues, embarked on a 21-day spree of offences between April 9–30 this year. The 27-year-old, of Daimler Close, Rectory Farm, admitted two charges of harassment without violence.

The court heard the full list of items she sent to the couple included pleasure gel, flavoured condoms, a padded bra and erotic chocolate shapes.

Jerena Tomaszewska, prosecuting, said: “There has been a great deal of upset to the victims in this case.”

Stuart Jeffery, mitigating, said: “It has to be accepted that this was an irrational course of conduct.

“There was a breakdown, of sorts, and a loss of coherence and reasoning.”

Addressing the medical issues, District Judge Tim Daber said: “I don’t necessarily believe that was the only reason for the offences, but it is a powerful contributing factor.”

Mussard was sentenced to a 12-month community order, and must not now contact her victims .

She was also ordered to pay £75 compensation to them both.

Midshire Electrical served up a magnificent seven as they thrashed FC Fotogold in the NTFA MDH Teamwear Cup.

Nile Hollowell, Lloyd Skidmore, Tom Townsend, Josh Harnden and Lee Moore were all on target in the 7-1 win, with Szczepan Olek replying.

Cotton Hill also enjoyed a big win, defeating Fox & Hounds 9-1 with Sam Knight on target for the pub.

James Moore scored twice for Spartak as they knocked FC Shires out 3-1, with Liam Norton also on target.

Sunnyside Corinthians Reserves progressed to the next round with a 2-1 win over Houghton Magna secured by goals from Fabian Brown and Mark Faulkner.

Jordan Casey got the only goal of the game as St Margaret’s Reserves knocked out Royals, while The Peacock beat MDS Rangers 2-0.

A Jason Hone brace and an own goal saw Thorplands Club 81 knock out Real Roochers 3-1.

NFA SUNDAY CUP

Liam Grisley bagged a hat-trick for Dynamo in their extra-time win over Rushden Sargents.

The teams were locked at 2-2 after 90 minutes but Dynamo hit form in the added half an hour to run out 6-2 winners.

Joining hat-trick hero Grisley on the scoresheet were Montel Dore, Gary Platt and an own goal.

NFA SUNDAY VASE

The two Georges were on target for Crown & Cushion Reserves as they required penalties to knock out Pioneer after a 2-2 draw in normal time.

George Clarke and George Gaywood scored before the pub side won the shoot-out 4-2.

Duston Diamonds sparkled in a five-star display to knock out Wellingborough Rafferty’s.

Chris Charles, Matt Johnson, Craig Merrick, Glen Johnson and an own goal completed the 5-1 victory.

Nathan Mason’s goal for Golden Horse could not prevent them from losing 2-1 to Peterborough Brotherhood Works, while Windmill Warriors secured a 2-0 win at Bugbrooke.

Devonshire Club will be in the next round after a 4-1 win over FC Gallery.

The Club’s scorers were Jim Frost, Steffon Chambers, Glen Thompson and an own goal, with Nicky Woodroffe responding for Gallery.

THE CAPTAINS CUP

Dan Healey plundered four goals as a rampant Zedi United racked up a huge 13-0 win over Vesta FC.

Luke Pankewcyz and Don Harris both hit hat-tricks with Ross Fontella, Andrew Duffy and an own goal securing the emphatic victory.

The District were also on the goal trail, Michael Jacznik hitting a treble in an 8-1 win at Thorplands Club 81 A.

Gary Ribano and Ross Watson both scored twice, with Ady York completing the rout and Richard Dunkley responding for the club.

Arron Hughes, Liam Bond, David Augustine and Louis Hackett notched in a 4-1 win over Abington Stanley, who scored through Tomasz Swiergul.

John McNeillie hit a hat-trick as Roade beat AFC Obelisk United Reserves 5-2.

Steven Hughes and Will Braun completed the Roade scoring with Carl White and Luke McDonald on target for Obelisk.

Northampton Hotspur knocked out Nene FC on penalties after their tie ended 2-2 after 90 minutes.

Dan Billingham and Shane Smith scored for Nene with Simon Bannister and Matt 
Harris on the mark for the Spurs, who won the shoot-out 5-4.

Michael Winch (2) and Andy Fair scored as Hartwell Forest put out Royals Reserves 3-0.

PREMIER DIVISION

Courtney Herbert scored twice as league leaders Sunnyside Corinthians maintained their unbeaten record with a 4-1 win at St Margaret’s.

Rhyse Coleman and Ryan Ansell also notched, with Gokhan Ulker scoring for Maggies.

Dean Mills (2), Luke Tolworthy (2), Shaun Markie (2) and Joe Frost ensured Harpole remain in the title race with a 7-4 win at Blakesley.

Curtis Norris scored for Monks Park WMC in their 1-1 draw with AC Squirrels, who replied through Andy Blackwell.

DIVISION TWO

AFC Dee gave Manfield Rangers six of the best, with Adam Russell (2), Djhaniar Weston (2), Tom High and Andrew Smith on target in a 6-0 win.

Chris Fury scored twice for FC Locomotiv Moulton but couldn’t prevent a 4-2 loss to Outlet Sports.

DIVISION THREE

FC Jeckyll capitalised on Windmill Warriors’ cup involvement to close the gap on the league leaders to three points.

The pub won 2-0 at Thorplands Club 81 Reserves with Matty Pheely and Mathew Stevens on target.

Chris Cully, Martin Stones and Jake Carley scored for Butchers Loco Reserves in their 3-3 draw with Wootton Fields Wanderers, who notched through Callum Beech, Ricky Dawkins, Anthony Orji.

Anthony Pain’s goal gave Billing United a 1-0 win against AC Squirrels Reserves.

DIVISION FIVE

Hartwell Forest Reserves’ long season went on with a 9-0 loss at Welland Valley.

Mark Russell (3), Jason Campbell (3), Rob Milanesi, James Chapman and Ricky Richards did the damage.

Danny George struck a hat-trick to go with goals from David Robinson and Joel Sinclair in Northampton Hotspur Reserves’ 5-2 win over Billing United Reserves.

David Hillman and an own goal accounted for the Billing reply.

FIXTURES

Sunday, December 8

NORTHANTS SUNDAY COMBINATION

NTFA Chronicle & Echo Cup: Devonshire Club v Pitsford Rangers, Duston & Diamonds v AFC Obelisk United, Golden Horse v Bat & Wickets, Lord Byron v FC Gallery, Outlet Sports v Eastern United, Swan & Helmet v Thorplands Club 81 Res, Windmill Warriors v FC Jeckyll

NFA Sunday Shield: Werrington Dragons v Hartwell Forest, Nene FC v W’boro FC Hornets A, Kislingbury FC Res v Roade, Brafield United v FC Sparta, West Haddon Albion v Welland Valley, Kett Orchard Park United v AFC Pioneers, Head Quarters v Thorplands Club 81 A, FC Locomotiv Moulton Res v Grendon Sapphires, FC Ryan Munich v Royals Res

Premier Division: Blakesley v Standens Barn, Dynamo v Harpole, Sunnyside Corinthians v Monks Park WMC

Division One: Sunnyside Corinthians Res v St Margarets Res, Fox & Hounds v MDS Rangers

Division Two: FC Locomotiv Moulton v Crown & Cushion United, Thorplands Club 81 v AFC Dee

Division Three: South Northants v Billing United, Tesco DG FC v Bugbrooke SM, Butcher Loco FC v AC Squirrels Res

Division Four: Zedi United v Northampton Hotspurs, Vesta FC v AFC Obelisk United Res

Division Five: The District v Abington Stanley, Spartak FC Res v FC Gallery Res, Hartwell Forest Res v Billing United Res

Jacob Round scored a staggering 96 points as Thunder secured an amazing 124-106 win over Sheffield Saints in this high-scoring Under 14 Boys Midlands Conference showdown.

The two teams attempted to burn out the scoreboard at the All Saints sports centre, and defence went out of the window as the two teams appeared to run a lay-up drill and the scores were tied at 58-58 at half-time.

Round was in simply unstoppable form for Thunder, scoring all but 28 of his team’s points.

Men’s National League Division 3 North

Derby Trailblazers II 89 Northants Thunder 77

Things are beginning to get very interesting in the North Conference of Division 3 and they’re going to get even more interesting this coming Saturday.

After last Sunday’s loss to Derby Trailblazers II, Northants Thunder are still top of the table with two losses but this Saturday they face Sefton Stars who have also lost just two games.

Against the Trailblazers second string Thunder turned in a lacklustre performance which saw them edged out in all four periods of play.

Trailing 59-66 going into the final quarter Thunder did manage a rally that got them back to within four points of their opponents but the Derby outfit re-grouped and on the back of some fine perimeter shooting from Henderson who finished with 27 points, closed out the game to win by 12 points.

For Thunder Leome Francis and Leon Henry led their scoring with Jonny Yates chipping in with ten points.

Junior Men’s Premier Division North

Birmingham A’s 111 Northants Thunder 55

The Northants junior men who are still without a coach travelled to Birmingham to take on an athletic and well drilled A’s team who had suffered just one defeat this season.

If Thunder were going to make any kind of challenge they would need all their players to step up and be counted.

In the event this didn’t happen and the team was subjected to a lesson in what the top level of junior basketball is really like.

From the start A’s were physically intimidating and their zone press forced a number of Thunder turn-overs resulting in easy scores.

The Northants players knew exactly what they needed to do to advance the ball through the press but on the day this went totally out of the window and they were guilty of over dribbling, standing still and passing poorly.

If this wasn’t bad enough they found A’s hot shot Salem Hanson-Young in prime form and he finished the game with nine three pointers in his 50 plus points haul.

Thunder were heavily outscored in all four periods of play although they did enjoy some success in the fourth quarter when their trapping zone caused the Birmingham team some irritations.

Their scoring was led by Linas Bajournas with 17 points, Sam Round and George Paul supported well with 15 and 14 points respectively but no other Thunder player was able to score in double figures although George Calvey and Kiran Virdee battled hard on the boards.

The game was notable in one respect with Jacob Round making his junior men’s debut at the tender age of 13.

He actually scored a point when he converting a free throw.

Junior Women’s Midlands South West Conference

Sporting Club Albion 18 Northants Lightning 74

The Northants junior women completed a routine win over an enthusiastic but inexperienced Sporting Club Albion team.

The home team scored just one basket in the first period of play and by half time Lightning had built up an unassailable lead at 38-6.

Coach Stacey Shakespeare was able to rotate her players freely and despite a slight improvement from Albion in the second half five of her players scored in double figures led by Lauren Brookes with 21 points.

Rio Blessyn supported well with 16 points, Tara Hings contributed 13 and both Lois Bain and Hannah Nolan scored 10.

Cadet Men’s Midlands Conference

Northants Thunder 77 Sporting Club Albion 55

Last Saturday the Northants cadet men took on Sporting Club Albion in what was their first fixture for two weeks.

This was clearly evident as Thunder started sluggishly by missing six easy lay ups and could only score four points in the first five minutes through Jacob Killeya; as the team failed to produce any momentum on court.

It was Albion who had the upper hand leading 7-4 but then Rhys Hill scored six back to back points to keep Thunder in contention but an Albion three point buzzer beater gave the visitors a 14-10 lead at the end of the period.

Coach Rob Crump encouraged his team to increase their defensive intensity and capitalise on their opponents offensive mistakes.

His players responded positively and stormed into a 14-0 run to lead 24-14.

Albion were only able to score five points in the second quarter which all came in the final three minutes.

Thunder had been able to disrupt the Sporting Club offense by changing their defences and they were again led by Hill, who scored six consecutive points.

Thunder finished the quarter in style by executing a sideline inbounds play for Will Grosvenor to score a lay up from a back door cut just beating the buzzer to give his team a 32-19 lead.

Albion opened the third quarter with back to back scores, but Thunder took control with some strong defence forcing numerous Albion turnovers.

A good partnership of Jacob Killeya, Carlo Nieva and Will Grosvenor proved to be lethal by collectively scoring 16 points in Thunder’s 20-1 run during the quarter; the period concluding with a score from Kaan Uyduran to extend the lead 56-30.

With the game practically out of reach for Albion, Thunder were urged to remain focussed and finish the game with a strong performance.

Thunder saw debutant Jack Norridge score his first points for Northants with a finish around the basket to extend the lead to 64-38 but the highlight of the quarter saw point guard Ollie Thomas produce two big blocks on an Albion big man close to basket.

Despite a small run from Albion to reduce the lead to 19 points, it was too little too late as Thunder saw out the quarter to win 77-55.

For Thunder all nine players contributed to the final total led by Rhys Hill and Jacob Killeya who scored 19 and 18 points respectfully and they were well supported by Will Grosvenor and Carlo Nieva who both contributed 10 points.

Bromsgrove Bears 36 Northants Thunder 127

Less than twenty-four hours after their win over Sporting Club Albion, Thunder travelled to winless Bromsgrove Bears and duly completed a weekend double.

The difference in quality of the two teams was evident from the first minute as good pressure defence and some quick transition offense saw Thunder storm into 16-0 run forcing a timeout from the home side; six points coming from Will Grosvenor.

Thunder continued to extend their lead, demonstrating some excellent up-tempo offence which Bears just couldn’t contain with a lot of credit going to Ollie Thomas who was able to advance the ball quickly and control the game from the back court.

With Coach Crump rotating his players frequently throughout the quarter it was Thunder’s big men who took control of the scoring as Jacob Killeya and Elliott Strausa scored eight and seven points respectfully alongside some strong defensive rebounding.

It had been a dominant quarter for the Northants boys as they took a 32-9 lead into the second period.

Bears attempted to employ a full court press in the second quarter in an attempt to slow down the Thunder ball carriers came to nothing and Thunder were able to score on the break almost at will.

Rhys Hill produced a strong scoring quarter display scoring 12 personal points helping his team to a 65-20 lead by the end of the quarter.

With The game as good as won Thunder Coach Rob Crump challenged his team to limit Bears to 40 points.

Spurred by this challenge Thunder opened the third period of play with a 20-zero charge to take their points tally to 85.

Jacob Killeya scored 12 quarter points as he dominated play close to basket.

Late in the quarter Coach Crump decided to go with a much smaller five and this proved to be just as effective, as Thunder took the quarter 36-8 to extend their lead to 101-28.

The fourth quarter saw all the Thunder players enjoying plenty of court time.

They won the quarter 26-8 ton run out winners by a massive 91 point margin at 127-36.

The Thunder scoring was led by Jacob Killeya who scored 36 points well supported by Rhys Hill who scored 22 pints.

Thunder had no less than five players in double figures the other three being Elliott Strausa, Will Grosvenor and Ollie Thomas.

Reflecting on a successful weekend Coach Crump expressed his pleasure that his team had produced two strong scoring performances after the two week break.

His team face a tougher challenge this weekend with another double header against City of Birmingham Bulls and league contenders Coventry Trojans.

Under 16 Girls Midlands South Conference

Northants Lightning 121 Solent Suns 24

For the second time this season the Northants cadette women ‘topped the ton’ in defeating a very young and inexperienced Solent Suns team.

After the two teams had exchanged opening scores Lightning went on a 27-zero charge thanks to some aggressive defence which was far too intense for the Solent girls to cope with.

With a 39-10 score line after the first quarter the game was as good as over as a contest and in the second quarter, the Lightning bench players’ maintained control of the game for their team winning the period 20-12 to put the final result beyond doubt.

There was no seasonal charity from Lightning in the third period during which time they added another 28 points whilst keeping their opponents scoreless.

Suns managed a single basket in the final quarter while Lightning piled in 34 to complete a 121-24 final score and once again Coach Karen Goodrich was left to ponder how she can get some meaningful competition for her team.

That competition will certainly come this Sunday when Lightning take on the highly talented Southend Swifts in the National Cup

Under 15 Boys Midlands Conference

Notts Nova 81 Northants Thunder 35

The Northants under 15 boys team travelled to Trinity School in Nottingham last Saturday to take on second placed Notts Nova.

They made the return journey contemplating a 46 point defeat and nursing quite a few bruises.

From the outset Nova employed an aggressive trapping defence which caught the Thunder players completely unawares.

They were also rather shocked by the amount of contact that was allowed by the game officials and it took them the whole of the first half to get used to the physicality of the game by which time they were trailing 11-34.

With Ayo Oluyede and Justin Trory rebounding strongly and David Nieva driving strongly to basket Thunder were far more competitive in the third and fourth quarters and up to the eighth minute of the fourth quarter the points count was 35-24 in favour of Nova.

The re-introduction of Nova’s point guard to the game for the last three minutes of the game saw the home side go on a 12-zero run to complete the 81-35 win.

For Thunder David Nieva top scored with 19 points but no other Thunder player could manage double figures and they were left to reflect on missing no less than 15 free throws.

Under 14 Girls Midlands South Conference

Northants Lightning 47 Ipswich Basketball 86

After picking up a couple of excellent wins against weaker sides in the Midlands South Conference the Northants under 14 girls were brought back down to earth against Ipswich Basketball last Saturday.

Ipswich fielded a tall athletic team but they are the sort of team that the younger Lightning should be targeting as they attempt to move to the next level.

In the first quarter the Northants girls were initially taken aback by the in intensity of the visitor’s full court man-to-man defence and when they were able to breach that defence they were guilty of missing some easy close to basket shots.

Trailing 25-48 at half time Lightning needed a good start to the third period of play but they could manage only nine points during the ten minutes of play and trailed 34-72 going into the final quarter.

With Ipswich fielding some of their bench players during the last period Lightning were far more competitive and only lost the quarter 13-14 to go down by 47 points to 86.

For Lightning the hard working Holly Winterburn top scored with 14 points while Lucy Amena, Bahira Barakat and Precious Ogoji all contributed nine points

Under 13 Boys Midlands Conference

Mansfield Giants 41 Northants Thunder 73

Thunder’s road trip to Mansfield proved to be a very satisfying one as the team responded to the hard work done in practice by recording their fourth win in four games.  After a pre-match discussion about a missing licence, all players present were eventually given the okay to play by the match officials and the game could begin.  There wasn’t much to separate the teams in the first quarter until Thunder went on a late run which gave them an 18-13 lead at the end of the period. 

At the start of the second quarter, Ed Wallhead scored Thunder’s first five baskets and pulled down numerous rebounds on his way to a double-double.  Relentless full court defence kept the pressure on the hosts and forced a number of turnovers, which Thunder successfully converted into fast-break points.  At the other end of the floor, the Giants were held to just nine points so by half-time, Thunder had established a 10 point lead at 32-22. 

Mansfield’s talented guard caused Thunder some problems in the third quarter scoring seven of his teams 11 points, but by now the Northants boys were in full flow and were starting to dominate the game.  When the fast-break wasn’t an option, Northants moved the ball extremely well to create an easy score.  Eight of the Thunder team contributed to the 25 points they scored in the third period, which meant that they entered the final stanza with a commanding 57-33 lead. 

The impressive scoring spread continued in the fourth quarter as seven players added 16 points to Thunder’s total and, although the defence had dropped back to half-court, Mansfield had their lowest scoring quarter managing just eight points. 

Ed Wallhead finished the game with 20 points.  Gio Prati and Chris Amankonah also reached double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively.  Coach Round was pleased to see that all the hard work done in the recent training sessions resulted in a great all-round team performance.

FIXTURES

Saturday, December 7

9.30-11am: Under 12 Practice

10-11am: Junior Ballers

11.30am: Under 13 Boys versus Notts Nova; Under 15 Boys versus Leicester Blaze

1.30pm: Under 16 Girls versus Exeter Eagles; Junior Women versus Gloster Jets

3.30pm: Junior Men versus Trafford

5.30pm: Senior Men versus Sefton Stars

Cadet Men travel to City of Birmingham II

Under 14 Boys travel to Mansfield Giants

Under 16 Girls Central Venue League @ Northampton School for Boys

Under 11 Central Venue League @ Northampton School for Boys

Sunday, December 8

11.30am: Under 13 Boys versus Sheffield Saints; Under 14 Girls versus Bucks Hornets

1.30pm: Under 16 Girls versus Southend Swifts (National Cup); Cadet Men versus Coventry Trojans

All the games and practices on Saturday and Sunday will take place at the Northants Basketball Centre which is based at Northampton School for Girls in Spinney Hill Road, Northampton

Spectators are welcome and admission is FREE

The Titans stunned Hertfordshire Warriors 48-46 in this EBL Under 14 Girls Midlands South Conference clash.

NEBC Titans travelled to one of girl’s basketball’S power houses in the shape of an unbeaten West Herts Warriors team who had disposed of every opposition so far.

However, Titans had had a real education the previous weekend and so came off with a win.

The Titans coach demanded that they took the game to the Warriors, and the Titan players responded right from the tip-off with an intensity that the surprised Warriors struggled to deal with.

This level of work-rate paid off as Titans took the first quarter 8-15.

Warriors continued to match pressure the ball, but the Titans captain Paige Vyse and Mica Denton had the keys to unlock their full court pressure.

Warriors were more productive in the second quarter but had real trouble containing Imi Devereux at the offensive end which resulted in Titans taking a 20-24 half time lead.

Titans’ Devereux and Vyse were dominant at both ends of the court and the rebounding of Vicky Hughs and Mica Denton was superior to the Warrior’s efforts in the third, which resulted in the Titans extending their lead to 32-42.

The Warriors are a team that are used to winning and were not prepared to go down without a fight.

They raised their defence effort and started to find their way through the Titans’ offense and with the fouls starting to affect the rebounding duo of Hughes and Denton it was looking like a grandstand finish to this game.

In the last minute both Hughes and Denton fouled out and with the Titans holding onto the slenderest of leads new recruit India Evans hit the floor and was able to pull down the vital rebounds required for the Titans to hang on till the end to secure the two-point victory.

Top scorers were Devereux with 22 and Vyse with 10.

EBL Under 15 Boys Midlands Conference

Northamptonshire Titans 87 City of Birmingham 50

NEBC Titans showed no signs of rust after two weeks off as they dominated the visiting West Midlands side that finished runners-up in the league last season.

With the win Titans incurred the heaviest defeat on the COB so far this season with a 37 point victory.

The game got off to a quick start with both teams trading baskets and with the score tied at 11-11, in the fourth minute Titans stepped up a level and went on a 10-1 point run, which gave the impression that they may run away with a routine home win.

However COB had other ideas and closed the gap to six points at the end of the first.

With a Titans 23-17 lead at the start of the second period, both teams felt confident they could get a win and some good team play from both sides showcased the quality both squads had within their line ups.

A close 20-15 point score-line in favour of the home team meant that although the Northamptonshire side led by 11 points at 43-32 it was by no means over as a contest.

At the start of the second half the Titans coaches decided to trial a defence that they had not yet had a chance to practice fully, however the players adapted well and closed down the middle of the court.

The third quarter was effectively where Titans took over the game and ended it as a contest as they went on a 13-0 run, increasing their lead to 24 points and taking the period 25-8 overall.

Going into the final quarter with a healthy 68-40 lead allowed the Titans coaching staff the opportunity to experiment with some alternative line-ups and a chance to give some of the squad players a chance to close out the game and gain some valuable experience as well as confidence which will aid their personal development as players.

It was pleasing that the ball movement and unselfish team play, as well as transition defence was still of a high quality despite the result not being in doubt.

The final quarter was won by the Titans 19-10.

Although the winning margin of 37 points was impressive, Titans will not be happy that they could only convert 19 of 40 free throws.

This is an area that will need to improve as the season progresses.

Top scorers were Keenan Salmon with 23, Hayden Alcindor with 20, Trei St Vie Hutchinson with 13 and Elliott Farrar with 10. Callum Chateris also contrinuted nine in an all-round team performance.

Titans consolidated top spot in the league and remain unbeaten with an 8-0 record.

Their next game will be at home to an improved Derby Trailblazers on Sunday.

EBL Under 16 Boys Midlands East Conference

Northamptonshire Titans 70 Ipswich Basketball 80

The previous time these two teams met was in the Sureshot Cup and Ipswich managed to get away from the Titans in the last three minutes in that encounter.

Cameron Hawes got the home team off to a quick start hitting the first four Titan points and with Ipswich shooters connecting from deep and both teams running the floor well Titans took a 26-22 first.

The bigger Ipswich side increased their defence intensity stopping the free flowing game of the Titans and reduced the Titans lead to just one point at the half.

The third was an even affair but Ipswich just edged it and took a 57-60 lead into the final quarter.

Yet again the final three minutes was the Titans’ undoing as Ipswich found another gear 12-10 running out winning 70-80.

Top Scorers were James Andrews with 26 and Sam Stopps with 12.

EBL Under 18 Men Midlands Conference

Northamptonshire Titans 63 Arden Griffins 54

NEBC Titans played host once again this season to the competitive and well drilled Arden Griffins U18s, a team that they narrowly beat in their first meeting earlier this season in the U18 SureShot Cup.

This was a highly competitive and physical match up right from the start, played at a frenetic pace which suited both teams.

However Griffins’ accurate long range shooting kept the game tight in the early periods of play.

Despite the spirited play of the visitors, Titans took the first quarter 24-18.

It was Arden that came out the more determined at the start of the second period, scoring from break away lay-ups and poor transition defence from the home side.

They eventually went on to win the quarter 13-11 to close the gap to just four points.

Titans took a narrow lead into the second half 35-31, after struggling to penetrate the West Midlands sides 1-3-1 Zone defence.

The third quarter mirrored events in the second period, with Titans switching their defensive strategy to playing a man to man pressure defence, which led to a number of Arden turnovers, yet the home side rushed on the offensive end of the floor failing to giving them an opportunity to convert their chances to score.

This resulted in a low scoring quarter of 12-11 to the visitors.

With Titans leading 46-43 going into the fourth quarter the game was finely balanced.

However Titans started to finally put some sequences together which lead to stops at the defensive end that led to scores and free throw opportunities against a flagging Arden defence.

Titans left it late but played their best basketball of the day, securing the fourth period 17-11.

Top scorers were Luke Lewis 18, Terrell Salmon 15 and Skipper Jordan Francis with 11.

Once again Titans struggled from the line, only managing to convert 10 of 23 free throws.

Titans remain unbeaten so far this season and secured second place in the table, with a game in hand on the team above them.

FIXTURES

Saturday, December 7

12.15pm: Titans Under 13 Boys away vs YH Leicester Sparks

4pm: Titans Under 16 Boys vs Enfield Scorpions at Weavers Leisure Centre

Sunday, December 8

Midday: Titans Under 13 Boys vs Coventry Tornadoes at Northampton Academy

2.30pm: Titans Under 15 Boys vs Derby Trailblazers at Weavers Leisure Centre

George North believes Saints’ clash with Leinster will have the same intensity as last weekend’s thrilling clash between Wales and Australia.

North scored two tries in that encounter, but was unable to help his country to victory as they succumbed to a talented Wallabies team.

He is now back at Saints, hoping for a more successful evening when Irish giants Leinster head to Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday.

And the wing feels last weekend’s endeavours have provided the perfect preparation for the huge Heineken Cup encounter.

“The Heineken Cup is a massive tournament and for those of us who have been playing international rugby this past month it will be a case of merely stepping across,” said North.

“It won’t be a step down in standard in any way.

“For those players who have been keeping Saints going so well in the Premiership and LV= Cup while we’ve been away on Test duty it will be a step up in standard.

“But these are the games that everyone looks forward to.”

Saturday’s game is the first of two meetings between Saints and Leinster, with Jim Mallinder’s men heading to Dublin eight days later.

And North is hoping to secure more happy memories from the Aviva Stadium, where he scored a try to help Wales beat Ireland 23-21 in the Six Nations in February 2012.

“With Wales it has been a happy hunting ground for me, but this will be a different challenge,” he said.

“I’m sure it will be a very good atmosphere there and it’s going to be another massive rugby occasion.”

Roy O’Donovan is available for Cobblers selection for the FA Cup second-round tie at Grimsby Town on Saturday (3pm ko) after completing his recovery from a double hernia operation.

The Irish striker also had an ankle injury but has trained with the team this week and will travel to Blundell Park.

Chris Hackett is also in the frame to return after completing a one-game suspension and Town manager Aidy Boothroyd will be forced into two changes.

Izale McLeod, on loan from Milton Keynes Dons, cannot play because he featured for his parent club in the first round, and Stuart Dallas has not been given permission to play by Brentford.

Boothroyd will also be unable to call upon his three long-term injured players - Kelvin Langmead (knee), Lewis Hornby (back) and Alex Nicholls (broken leg).

Grimsby’s only absentee will be Liam Hearn, who has undergone knee surgery and is ruled out for the rest of the season.

Yardley United returned to top spot in the Peter Smith Recruitment Town League after inflicting an 8-0 hammering on struggling Thorplands Club 81.

Luke Carroll led the scoring with a hat-trick and was well supported with a brace from Mark Kinder and singles from Daniel Brockwell, Ian Dickson and William Youney.

Duston Dynamo secured a safe mid-table position with a 3-1 victory over the unpredictable Hardingstone.

Duston’s goals were shared between Sam Parry, Ben Jones and Nathaniel Weston, leaving Richard Dunkley to net the ‘Stones’ retort.

NTFA Gorell Barnes Cup

Delapre Old Boys hammered high-flying JLB 9-0 courtesy of four goals from ace marksman Gavin Hitchcock and a double strike from ex-Hardingstone player Martin Stones.

Jake Hogben, Rob Bushell and skipper Richard Slater were also on target.

Spartak edged out the ever improving Falcons United by the odd goal in five.

Falcons’ marksmen were Brett Greenhalf and Jamie O’Keefe but a double from Adam Bazeley and a solo effort from Jonathan Byrne was enough to see Spartak progress into the next round.

Strikes from James McEnroe, Agron Nikoli and Roman Radocha earned Sporting Bat & Wickets a 3-0 win over Yusen Logistics.

BALL OFF THE MONTH

The winners for November are JLB, who scored 22 goals .

MANAGER OF THE MONTH

November’s winner is Yardley United boss James Cochrane, who guided his team to two wins and a draw.