Abington Park will play host to the Men’s Birmingham Cross Country League for the 20th time this Saturday, and the Northampton venue could see an Olympic athlete in action.

Rugby & Northampton AC will be hosting the division one race, which could include London 2012 Olympic steeplechaser Weynay Ghebresilasie from Eritrea.

The 19-year-old asylum seeker will be representing Birchfield Harriers and in the opening race of the season he stormed to victory by 51 seconds.

The Birmingham League was first formed in 1925 and Abington Park was first used for a division two race in February 1967, hosted by Northampton & County AAC and featured club stalwart and future Northampton Phoenix president John Love.

Still an active club member, Love, 74, will help out setting up the course on the morning of the race, which will consist of four laps and cover a distance of just over 10k.

Rugby & Northampton will have their own Junior star in Jacob Allen, who finished in an excellent fourth place in the first race at Leamington and helped the club to ninth spot from the 16 teams in the division.

They will hope to maintain this status and Allen should get back up from fellow U20 men Robert Male and George Goodwin along with seniors Robert Gardner, Luke Robinson and Brendan Moen.

Although the club record of 39 athletes taking part at Abington Park from 20 years ago will probably never be broken, R&N should still have a big turnout for their seventh Northampton home match in the top division.

The overall field is expected to consist of 250 runners and the race starts at 2.30 pm.

Rugby & Northampton strike gold at Kettering

Rugby & Northampton AC celebrated regaining the Kettering Charity Cup on Saturday as the senior men’s team struck gold at Wicksteed Park over 10km.

The six-strong side of John Gercs (11th, 38.58), Stephen Marks (12th, 39.02), Brendan Moen (13th, 39.28), Iain Gillam (23rd, 41.57), Terry Egan (25th, 42.13) and Nigel Roberts (26th, 42.24) ensured R&N scooped the prize for the first time since 2010.

It was another medal-laden performance from the Sixfields club, who won team gold in the under 11 boys, under 11 girls, under 13 boys, under 13 girls and under 15 girls to add to the senior men’s winning performance.

The u-11 girls and u-13 boys led the way with clean sweeps of the podium – Holly Walker (1st, 7.09), Gabriella Pack (2nd, 7.13) and Amelia McMurtie (3rd, 7.24) doing the business for the girls, with Adam Searle (1st, 9.29), Joe Musgrove (9.39) and Matthew Rushton (3rd, 10.02) taking the honours for the boys.

Mac Ryder (2nd, 6.41), Noah Bennett (4th, 6.55) and Harry Boynton (5th, 6.57) were all in-form in the under 11 boys on their way to the top of the podium, as were Poppy Carmichael (1st, 10.13), Amy Walker (3rd, 10.35) and Olivia White (4th, 10.53) in the under 13 girls, who narrowly missed out on a team one-two-three.

Emer Wintsch (2nd, 17.44), Lily Carmichael (3rd, 17.52) and Georgia Willix (7th, 19.08) ensured the under 15 girls kept up the gold rush, while the four-man over 35s men’s team of Brendan Moen (13th, 39.28), Terry Egan (25th 42.13), Scott Andrew (33rd, 43.18) and Neil Willsher (38th, 45.00) claimed a place on the podium in the NAA County Masters Champs, finishing third.

R&N also saw one of their athletes take the overall race win in the senior women’s - a time of 20.13 enough for Emily Waugh to become the proud winner over 5km.

The results are the perfect build-up to a busy weekend for the club and their athletes. This Saturday sees the men’s team in action in the Birmingham Cross Country League (see previous story), while the women’s team take part in the Northampton Women’s Cross Country League.

On Sunday, R&N will look to cement their position at the top of five age groups of the West Midlands Young Athletes Cross Country League, as they head to the home ground of main rivals Halesowen

Howes the star turn as Wootton enjoy good day at Wing

The third race in the Three Counties cross-country league took place at Wing in Buckinghamshire last Sunday.

There were a total of 37 Wootton Road Runners making the long trip down the M1 to brave the muddy course.

It was Matt Howes on his Wootton cross country debut who produced the performance of the day storming home in a superb fifth place overall.

Richard Lack continued his impressive cross-country season with another high placed finish in 28th followed by vet Dave Parkins in 41st.

They were ably supported by Stephen O’Reilly, 56th, Simon Tootell, 59th, and Graham Hollowell in 74th.

Adrian Sell in 84th completed the scoring for the first time this season to give the men’s team another sixth placed finish overall.

Matthew Brown, Martin Fowler and Terry Peters all enjoyed solid runs, while Richard Baldwin’s recent good form continued with a high placed finish.

Newer club runners Nicholas Huntley-Welsener and Glen Cousner both deserve credit for spirited performances.

For the ladies, Julie Dixon enjoyed another fine race to finish sixth.

Vicky Ayliff came home in 12th and a superb run from Frances Hooper in 23rd place saw her score for the team for the first time to put the ladies in fourth position overall.

Polly Randall and Lee Clayson both continued their recent good form with high placed finishes while there was an excellent run from Andrea Collingwood to finish well up the field.

The next round of the series takes place at East Haddon on December 15.

Royals All Stars went top of division one with a 5-2 win over struggling AFC Crown.

With pre-match leaders Abington Park Hotel in county cup action, All Stars took their chance thanks to two goals from Renaldo French and one apiece from Dean Hall, Josh Smith and Ben Arundell.

Eastern United are third, and level on points with APH, after they squeezed past Swan & Helmet 4-3. On target for Swan were Ben Lewington (2) and Phil Tyler.

Trinity Old Boys dropped to fourth after they were beaten 3-0 by Lord Byron, who netted through Stpehen McMonigle, Stuart Schofield and Matthew Thornber.

In the premier division, leaders Desborough Benals increased their advantage at the top to seven points with a 5-1 win over third-placed AFC Trinity.

Men on the mark were Adam Cooper (2), Elliot Burnham (2) and Gary Clark.

In division two, Northampton Sapphires moved to within a point of leaders AFC Hackleton thanks to a 6-2 trouncing of FC Sparta, who scored through Brett Foster and Robert Pinney.

Michael Brownsell, Ged Moss, Gary Nightingale and Patrick Tormey were all scorers as West Haddon Albion went third with a 4-1 win over Albany Athletic.

Head Quarters are the new leaders in division four following a comprehensive 4-0 win at Pitsford Rangers Reserves. Men on the mark were Dale Ebanks and Kane Reynolds, who both scored twice, and their team went top at the expense of Phoenix who were in cup action.

Sixfields Rangers are also in the title mix as goals from Chris Lynch (2), Murray White, Jamie Stevenson, Connor Leeson and Nick Floyer saw them to a 6-0 win over AFC Hackleton Reserves.

In the NFA Sunday Vase, AFC Hackleton went down 5-4 to Irthlingborough, Crown & Cushion lost 4-2 to Pioneer, and Abington Park Hotel lost 3-0 at Peterborough Indian Society.

RESULTS & TABLES

PREMIER DIVISION

Desborough Benels 5 AFC Trinity 1

Adam Cooper 2, Gary Clark 1, Elliot Burnham 2/

P W D L F A GD Pts

Desborough Benals 10 7 2 1 38 23 15 23

Cotton Hill 6 5 1 0 32 9 23 16

AFC Trinity 7 5 1 1 28 12 16 16

Denton 8 4 1 3 23 16 7 13

AFC Houghton Magna 9 2 4 3 21 26 -5 10

Obelisk 9 3 1 5 16 23 -7 10

The Peacock 6 3 0 3 16 18 -2 9

Kingsthorpe 6 3 0 3 15 19 -4 9

FC Shires 7 2 0 5 13 15 -2 6

Norteles 7 2 0 5 15 30 -15 6

Real Roochers 9 0 2 7 13 39 -26 2

DIVISION ONE

Lord Byron 3 Trinity Old Boys 0

Stephen McMonigle 1, Stuart Schofield 1, Matthew Thornber 1/

Royal All Stars 5 AFC Crown 2

Renaldo French 2,Dean Hall 1, Josh Smith 1, Ben Arendull 1/Danny Reboul 1, Scott Walden 1

Swan & Helmet 3 Eastern Utd 4

Ben Lewington 2, Phil Tyler 1/

P W D L F A GD Pts

Royal All Stars 11 6 2 3 45 27 18 20

Abington Park Hotel 8 6 1 1 21 6 15 19

Eastern Utd 9 6 1 2 37 23 14 19

Trinity Old Boys 9 5 2 2 21 16 5 17

Lord Byron 10 5 2 3 24 32 -8 17

Swan & Helmet 8 5 0 3 26 16 10 15

Kislingbury 8 4 0 4 20 19 1 12

FC County 8 2 0 6 16 27 -11 6

AFC Crown 10 1 0 9 16 37 -21 3

Monks Park WMC Res 7 0 0 7 7 30 -23 0

DIVISION TWO

FC Bozeat 1 Bat & Wickets 4

/Andy Bambrough 1, Matt Brown 2, Rob Hill 1

Sapphires 6 FC Sparta 2

/Brett Foster 1, Robert Pinny 1

West Haddon Albion 4 Albany Athletic 1

Michael Brownsell 1,Geddy Moss 1, Gary Nightingale 1. Patrick Tormey 1/Dave Garret 1

P W D L F A GD Pts

AFC Hackleton 9 6 1 2 27 12 15 19

Northampton Sapphires 9 6 0 3 33 23 10 18

West Haddon Albion 9 6 0 3 20 11 9 18

FC County Res 7 5 1 1 22 11 11 16

FC Sparta 9 4 3 2 20 18 2 15

Bat & Wickets 7 4 2 1 18 11 7 14

Nomads of Barratts 9 3 1 5 14 22 -8 10

Albany Athletic 9 1 2 6 16 35 -19 5

FC Pioneer 8 1 1 6 10 19 -9 4

FC Bozeat 10 1 1 8 18 36 -18 4

DIVISION THREE

Eastern Utd Res 5 Norpole Square 3

Grendon Sapphires 0 Wootton Club 0

Kislingbury Res 3 Park Royal 3

Sam Bristow 1, Robert Handley 1, Tom Richards 1/Rhyse Morgan 2, Stuart Neil 1

P W D L F A GD Pts

Grendon Sapphires 10 7 1 2 20 12 8 22

Eastern Utd Res 9 6 2 1 41 20 21 20

Wootton Club 7 4 2 1 21 5 16 14

Norpole Square 10 4 2 4 20 26 -6 14

Sapphires Res 10 4 1 5 34 30 4 13

Park Royal 9 4 1 4 19 18 1 13

AFC Mavericks 6 3 1 2 24 21 3 10

Pitsford Rangers 9 3 1 5 11 19 -8 10

Kislingbury Res 9 1 2 6 18 41 -23 5

Swan & Helmet Res 9 1 1 7 17 33 -16 4

DIVISION FOUR

Dallington Heath 8 Bat & Wickets Res 4

Daniel Butler 1 , Ryan Merry 3, James Stirling 2, Arron Shane 1, Daniel Holden 1/

N’ton Sapphires Res 8 Swan & Helmet Res 4

Jake Hinton 1, Daryll Pearce 4, Scott Sandy 2, Sean Toomy 1/

Pitsford Rangers Res 0 H Q FC 4

/Dale Ebanks 2, Kane Reynolds 2

Sixfields Rangers 6 AFC Hackleton Res 0

Murry White 1, Jamie Stevenson 1, Connor Leason 1, Nick Floyer 1, Chris Lynch 2

P W D L F A GD Pts

Head Quarters 9 8 0 1 31 8 23 24

Northampton Phoenix 9 7 1 1 36 21 15 22

Sixfields Rangers 9 6 2 1 35 8 27 20

Dallington Heath 7 6 0 1 26 10 16 18

Real Roochers Res 9 5 1 3 23 20 3 16

Spring Park 9 5 0 4 20 22 -2 15

Bat & Wickets Res 9 3 0 6 31 31 0 9

Oakley Diamonds 8 3 0 5 21 23 -2 9

Pitsford Rangers Res 10 2 0 8 22 42 -20 6

AFC Hackleton Res 9 1 0 8 10 32 -22 3

Northampton Alexandra 8 0 0 8 5 43 -38 0

GOALS LEAGUE CUP

Norteles 1 FC County Res 5

Blair Pattison/Sam Laptie 1, Jordan Anderson 1, Lewis Anderson 2, Sebastian Thompson 1

Phoenix 0 Denton 2

Oakley Diamonds 2 Nomads of Barratts 6

/Adam Ashby-Clarke 3, Tom Bluck 3

Real Roochers Res 2 Monks Park WMC Res 1

/Neil Clifford 1

NFA SUNDAY VASE

AFC Hackleton 4 Irthlingborough 5

Tom Brown 1, Ben Harris 1, Matt James 1, Tom Sharif 1

Crown & Cushion 2 FC Pioneer 4

/Derran Dooley 1, Iain Edmonds 1

P’boro Indian Society 3 Abington Park Hotel 0

Kevin Amankwaah will carry a very simple mantra into the Cobblers’ FA Cup second-round tie at Grimsby on Saturday - if we don’t concede, we don’t lose.

It is an ethos that has served the team well in its past two games but one to which they have struggled to adhere for the majority of the campaign.

Town have kept back-to-back clean sheets in their most recent games but only three other teams have failed to score against Northampton this season.

Amankwaah’s trademark is his consistency, and the reliability he shows on the pitch he extends to his views off it, where he is wary of declaring any great corner has been turned by the team.

He does feel, however, that the back four of which he is part has formed a good understanding in recent weeks.

“We know that we’ve got two centre-backs that have played a period of games now and so they’ve built an understanding,” said Amankwaah, who will line up at right-back for Northampton at Blundell Park this weekend.

“They’re good defenders too and we’ve got Joe (Widdowson) on the other side as well, so hopefully we can stay solid.

“We’ve kept three clean sheets in four games and we have to go into the games with the mentality that if we don’t concede we don’t lose.”

Amankwaah’s effortless style is often misinterpreted as a laziness but while the defender says he revels in making the game look easy, he states categorically that it is not.

“I don’t think I’d say I find it easy but I see myself as a reliable defender,” he said.

“You know what you’re going to get from me week in and week out, and the manager here knows that as well.”

Andy King has described Aidy Boothroyd as ‘the most positive man I’ve ever met’, and says the Cobblers boss is craving success at Sixfields.

Nobody at the club works more closely with Boothroyd than his assistant King, who is 17 years the first-team manager’s senior and his most trusted advisor in the Town camp.

The team have endured a torrid start to the campaign that has left them second-bottom in Sky Bet League Two after 19 league matches.

Things have improved recently, with Town winning three of their past five games and recording back-to-back clean sheets.

King knows the team still have a lot of work to do to escape their predicament but is confident in Boothroyd because of his positivity and desire to succeed.

“He’s the most positive man I’ve ever met and I mean that sincerely,” said King, who travels with the squad to Grimsby Town for an FA Cup second-round tie this weekend.

“I’m not just saying that to get Brownie points, you can ask the players and they’ll tell you the same thing.

“He believes in success and he’ll talk about going on a run now and reaching the play-offs.

“I’m a bit older, I’m probably more thinking about surviving first and then we’ll see what happens, so we’re different.

“There’s no down in him. I don’t know if he goes home and suffers quietly and there probably is some of that because he doesn’t want to be in the position we are in.

“But when he comes into the training ground you wouldn’t know the difference because it’s all about being successful.”

A business leader had welcomed George Osborne’s Autumn Statement, hailing it as “positive news” for companies in Northamptonshire

The Chancellor of the Exchequer promised a “recovery for all” as he announced a boost for jobless youngsters seeking work.

He revealed he was scrapping employers’ national insurance contributions for the under 21s.

Responding to the statement, Jo Lappin, CEO of Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership, said: “Overall we believe that the statement contains positive news for our Northamptonshire businesses and people.

“We certainly welcome the increased growth predictions to both this year’s output and for 2014, with our ambition locally being to deliver annual growth at one per cent a year over and above this, reflecting our strong performance to date.

“We particularly welcome the new measures announced to support apprenticeships, and abolish National Insurance for 18 to 21s, which will boost the jobs market for young people in the county and make it easier for businesses to employ them.”

She added: “In Northamptonshire, we are the second-highest national performer on the proportion of people employed in export-intensive industries, so really do understand the importance of working with international markets.

“We are already working on a number of trade initiatives, including work with China to boost trade locally, so it was good to see the pledged doubling of UK export finance to support British businesses.

“Northamptonshire offers unrivalled business support to companies and it was particularly encouraging therefore to hear the Government’s plans to expand start-up loans to help entrepreneurs start their own businesses.

“We have one of the strongest logistics hubs in the country and the freeze on fuel duty is great news not only for this thriving sector, but also for the many smaller companies who rely on a van or car. The decision on rail fares is also welcomed as we recognise the importance of this to those who commute in and out of our economy.

“Northamptonshire has committed to significant housing growth and the decision on the new infrastructure fund to unlock housing sites, together with the funding available for new affordable homes is very welcome.”

“The Chancellor stated that ‘Britain is moving again’ and we believe that Northamptonshire has and will continue to play an increasingly important role in that recovery.”

Members of the public are being asked to join forces with Northamptonshire Police and patrol the county’s streets.

Anyone who signs up to Street Watch, a new initiative being trailed, will be able patrol their local streets to help discourage the low level issues that impact on the most people.

Street Watch members will walk in pairs, wearing high visibility jackets.

Northamptonshire Police said today they will help to prevent crime by “improving security, increasing vigilance and community spirit and reducing opportunities for crime by increasing crime prevention awareness”.

Police and Crime Commissioner Adam Simmonds said: “Community safety is not just the responsibility of the police – we all have our part to play and the Street Watch scheme will empower people to safely patrol their streets and make a difference where they live.”

Volunteers will also help the police by reporting any suspicious behaviour in their area.

Police hope members will help to reduce the fear of crime by providing accurate information about crime to neighbours and keeping an eye out for vulnerable people in their community.

Local police will keep in regular contact with Street Watch members to share information and advice.

The Northamptonshire scheme will be trailed in Irthlingborough and an information evening is being held next week for members of the public to find out more.

Chief Inspector Gary Ashton, who is leading the scheme, said: “Street Watch is a scheme run by the community, for the community.

“The members are ordinary people with no police powers. If they see anything suspicious, all they are asked to do is report it to the police.

“They also give support to the community by providing reassurance and a visible presence to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.

“The scheme has already been successfully established in other parts of the country and we are keen to help people in Northamptonshire to tackle the issues that matter to them.

“Safety is of course paramount and all Street Watch members will be given regular briefings and support.”

The information evening for the Irthlingborough pilot will be held at 7pm on Wednesday, December 11, at the library in High Street, Irthlingborough.

For more information visit www.northants.police.uk/streetwatch or email sav@northants.police.uk

Detectives say a thief removed a wheel clamp, tow bar, lock and alarm before driving away with a caravan.

The caravan was stolen from East Haddon Hill, in East Haddon, sometime between 10.45am and 11.05am yesterday (Wednesday).

The thief is believed to have used a red saloon car, which police say is similar to a Citroen Xsara, to tow the caravan away.

As well as the security measures, the thief also took the number plate.

The thief is believed to be a white man with light brown hair down to his ears.

The caravan was a white Eldis Crusader Super Chirocco twin axle with a black sticker stripe on both sides.

Meteorologists have revealed a gust of wind measuring 67mph was recorded today, as the strongest gale to blow through Northampton in more than a decade caused traffic headaches.

Experts at Pitsford Hall Weather Station say the peak measurement represents is the strongest gusts to be recorded in Northampton since October 2002, when wind speeds were measured at 70mph.

Mike Lewis said: “These types of gusts are incredibly rare. Since we’ve been recording data here, in 1998, I can possibly count on one hand the number of times we have recorded gusts in excess of 65mph.

“So it is exceptional.”

He said wind speed increased throughout the day but says the worst of the gale is now over.

He added: “The wind speeds have been gradually increasing through the day. We saw that peak gust of 67mph and the wind speeds have fallen away since. We should see the wind gradually ease.”

The high winds have topples trees and caused traffic problems.

Traffic has been running slowly on the A43 near Sywell Range after a tree was blown over. The tree hit a blue Ford Focus, smashing the windscreen but appearing to leave the rest of the car undamaged.

Vehicles have been running slowly in both directions while the emergency services clear the road.

Other roads in the county which were affected by fallen trees included the A361 in Badby near the B4037 junction, the A508 Harborough Road, Boughton, between Brampton Lane and High Street, A5 Watling Street, Foster’s Booth, and Billing Lane, between Overstone and A5076 Talavera Way.

The A45 Nene Valley Way, Northampton, was partially blocked westbound because of a lamppost fallen down in the road.

Members of the public are being reminded that they should call Street Doctor to report those trees that have been brought down by the wind, rather than calling 999.

Experts say gales are rare in Northamptonshire as wind speeds are reduced by friction over land.

The prevailing wind in Northamptonshire is from the south west, although the highest gusts recorded at Pitsford are experienced when the wind is from the north east.

Police, meanwhile, have warned people to only ring 999 in the event of fallen trees if somebody is in danger.

Inspector Jon Lloyd from the Northamptonshire Police control room, said: “We have received calls about trees having been brought down by the wind from across the county, as has the Fire and Rescue Service.

“We are responding as quickly as we can, however, I must stress that unless someone is in danger, people should be calling Streetdoctor to report the problems.

“Please only call 999 if there is an immediate danger to the public; otherwise please dial 101 to call us.”

People can report issues to Streetdoctor via www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/streetdoctor or if it is an emergency they can call 0300 126 1000.

During his youth, Ken Pisi pretended to be Brian O’Driscoll – now he gets the chance to prove himself against his childhood hero.

O’Driscoll and his star-studded Leinster team head to Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday (kick-off 6pm) for a crunch clash with Saints in Heineken Cup Pool 1.

It is the centre’s final season before he calls time on a glittering career that has seen him gather a plethora of trophies at home and abroad.

And Pisi, who, at 24, is 10 years younger than the British & Irish Lions and Ireland legend, can’t wait to square up to the man who inspired him.

“It’s my first time playing against O’Driscoll,” said the Samoan wing.

“When I was young, I was watching him on television and pretending I was him.

“On Saturday, it will be really good to finally play against him.

“I admired his skill and everything about his game. He’s been one to watch.

“He’s awesome and hopefully I’ll get to play against him and beat him as well.

“I always relish the challenge of these Heineken Cup games and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Tom Wood says Saints must ensure Leinster remain firmly on the back foot in Saturday’s huge Heineken Cup clash at Franklin’s Gardens (KO 6pm).

Wood doesn’t want the Irish side to be given any time to breathe as Saints look to stifle the RaboDirect PRO12 team’s star-studded backline.

It is a key clash for Northampton as they aim to keep themselves in contention in Pool 1, which Leinster currently lead.

Matt O’Connor’s men have put in powerful displays against Ospreys and Castres so far, claiming two wins from two.

And Wood knows what Saints, who sit three points adrift in second, will have to do if they are not to be added to that list of victims on Saturday night.

“You look through their pack and some of their ball carrying, the likes of Cian Healy, Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip, is very strong,” said the England flanker.

“We’ll have to make sure they’re not on the front foot.

“If we collectively maul well, scrummage well and don’t give them a chance to launch their starter plays off front foot ball that will be really positive for us and give us a real chance.

“The last thing we want is to be back-pedalling because you’re likely to come off second best.”

Leinster have won the Heineken Cup in three of the past five years, including in 2011, when they beat Saints in the final.

They have established themselves as one of the benchmark teams in European rugby and Wood has nothing but praise for them.

“They don’t come much bigger in terms of a challenge than Leinster,” he said.

“They’ve got international experience throughout their team, Lions experience.

“They’re an established team and they’ve been together for a long time.

“The spine of their team is really strong, they’ve got talismen throughout and we’ll have to be at our best if we want to get a result this week.

“They’ve got a great track record in Europe and we’re going to have to make sure they’re on the back foot so we can contain some of their threats and get our game out there.”

As well as being a pretty important FA Cup tie in its own right, Saturday’s trip to Grimsby will be a timely reminder to the Cobblers of the true cost of relegation from the Football League.

Games at the homes of former Football League sides now languishing in the Conference are often like trips to seaside resorts in the winter.

Everywhere, there are reminders of better times - vast stands, a loyal and often large fan base, conference and banquetting facilities that go untouched.

Being promoted back from that level is intensely difficult and Grimsby have found themselves in it for the past three years.

Other clubs have returned to League football revitalised by their time out of it; Oxford and Carlisle being the most obvious examples.

But there are plenty more who have never returned.

Of the 24 clubs in the Skrill Premier, this reporter has covered Northampton league matches against 10 of them.

Some, like Boston United or Rushden & Diamonds, deprived of League income and anything remotely resembling away supporters, have fallen even further.

The presence of clubs owned by sugar daddies, such as Crawley or Fleetwood, has skewed the non-League picture further.

But even without the chequebook diplomats, the fact only one club gets automatically promoted from the Conference makes it a very difficult league from which to esacpe.

It is no exaggeration to call it a graveyard of former League teams.

Northampton remain contenders to be playing there in the near future; after dodging several bullets of late they remain in the bottom two.

Many people will see Saturday’s game as an unwelcome distraction when league points are an exigent priority and there is some value in such a theory.

The club, though, needs an FA Cup run, for the morale boost it brings to the squad and - more pragmatically - for the extra cash a third-round tie brings (to say nothing of the very useful £27,000 prize money a win at Blundell Park generates).

Sixteen years ago, Grimsby beat Northampton at Wembley to be promoted to what is now the Championship.

A lot has changed since but the two clubs share one aim this weekend - a victory that will help pay for a squad that will secure League football next season.

Both have overspent in pursuit of this. The stakes are high.

Andy King’s midweek scouting trip gave him some first-hand evidence of the narrow quality gap between teams in the League and those outside of it.

The Cobblers assistant boss was at the Abbey Stadium on Tuesday night to watch Cambridge United knock out Bury in an FA Cup first-round replay.

Just five places separate Bury and Cambridge in the overall league ladder, the exact same margin between Northampton and their opponents in the second round, Grimsby.

Town head to Blundell Park for a second-round tie for which the winners will receive £27,000 in prize money and a place in the third round draw.

And after witnessing a Cup giantkilling in person, King knows the dangers the contest brings for a Cobblers team that has won three of their past five games.

“It’s going to be a very difficult game,” he said. “I went to Cambridge on Tuesday night and they were a better side than Bury, from a higher division.

“There’s not a great divide now. Grimsby are fourth in that league, so they’re doing well, and their home record is good.

“But if we go there in a positive frame of mind and play the way we have been playing recently then there’s no reason why we can’t get a result.”

A man who was taken to hospital last month after a road accident at the Waterloo and Tavern Lane roundabout in Daventry has died.

He was taken to University Hospital Coventry with serious injuries on November 4. He died at 7.11pm yesterday.

Police have identified him as Peter Crocker, aged 63, of The Cherwell, Daventry.

Saints duo George North and Alex Corbisiero have been named in the IRPA Players’ World XV of the Year.

They are the only players currently playing in the Aviva Premiership to make it into the line-up, which includes seven men from New Zealand.

North and Corbisiero have been rewarded for a fine 12 months, with their performances for the British & Irish Lions during the summer a particular highlight.

The Wales wing and the England prop propelled the Lions to a 2-1 Test series victory against Australia.

North scored two tries in those three Test matches, while Corbisiero also chipped in with a crucial one in the decisive final game.

And both have gone on to enjoy impressive starts to their Saints careers after joining from Scarlets and London Irish respectively.

World XV of the year: Halfpenny; B Smith, C Smith, Fofana, North; Cruden, A Smith; Corbisiero, du Plessis, A Jones, Etzebeth, Whitelock, Messam, Warburton, Read.

Police and trading standards officers have vowed to continue the fight against shops and bars that sell booze to underage drinkers.

The Alcohol Harm Reduction Team was formed six months ago to work alongside licensing officers in a bid to cut alcohol harm and violence.

The team has been working clamp down on shops, pubs, bars and nightclubs that breach licensing legislations in a bid to stop the sale of alcohol to children and drunks.

Northamptonshire Police has said officers have seen a 26 per cent reduction in violent assaults in Northampton town centre, and a 23 per cent reduction across the county.

Among the premises to be targeted in the past six months are Academy, the nightclub off Gold Street which saw its licence suspended and additional conditions added, Lost, also in Northampton, which had its licence withdrawn, as well as Euro Express, in Abington Street, a shop that had its licence withdrawn.

Inspector Vaughan Clarke, who manages the Alcohol Harm Reduction Team, said: “I am delighted with the progress we have made to date in tackling violence, which is the most personal of all crime types. I am also delighted with the response from the licensed premises who have worked with us to reduce the levels of drunkenness in our town centres.

“I am particularly grateful to trading standards for the way they have worked with us to tackle the most poorly run premises in the trade, particularly those that have been prepared to sell alcohol to children as well as those involved in the illegal supply of tobacco.

“Not surprisingly, their licences have been withdrawn.”

Northamptonshire County Council cabinet member, Councillor Andre Gonzalez de Savage, said: “Our trading standards team is working closely with the police and the licensing authorities to stop illegal trading at licensed premises.

“We will continue to seek the revocation of alcohol licences where businesses engage in wider criminality or disregard the safety of children.”

Chris Hackett is the Cobblers’ dangerman at Blundell Park this afternoon – according to Mariners boss Paul Hurst.

The winger returns from a one-match suspension for today’s FA Cup Second Round tie, boosting the Cobblers who are without cup-tied forward Izale McLeod.

Striker Roy O’Donovan also returns to the fray after completing his recovery from a double hernia operation.

Midfielder Stuart Dallas has not been given permission to play by Brentford, while Aidy Boothroyd is also unable to call upon his three long-term injured players – Kelvin Langmead (knee), Lewis Hornby (back) and Alex Nicholls (broken leg).

Hurst has certainly done his homework on the League Two strugglers since the draw was made, and highlights former Millwall man Hackett as the one to watch.

“Northampton have got a few injuries, but Hackett is back and most managers who look at Northampton would suggest that he’s their best player,” said Hurst.

“Whether he plays out wide, as he has done for much of his career, or whether he plays inside, we will see – and also what system they play.

“They can’t play McLeod, who is cup tied, so there is a decision for them up front.

“They could opt to go with two big men in Clive Platt and Jacob Blyth, or just select one of those and play the way they did at Chesterfield when they looked extremely solid and started to threaten the longer the game went on.”

Former Mariners, Joe Widdowson and Ricky Ravenhill, will return to Blundell Park as part of an experienced Cobblers line-up, who appear to be recovering from a poor start to their league campaign.

Hurst commented: “They’ve got a very good keeper in Matt Duke and decent pedigree at the back – the two centre-backs, with Kevin Amankwaah and Widdowson who Grimsby fans will know. That backline have been doing a very good job for the team recently.

“Ricky Ravenhill is another one who has been brought in on loan and is vastly experienced.

“So they’re not going to be intimidated in the slightest by coming to Blundell Park.”

He continued: “I strongly believe they will be nowhere near the relegation zone come the end of the season.

“Aidy changed a few things around and was looking at perhaps the style of play, and that takes time.

“He’s now brought a few loan players in, the sides getting a little bit more settled, and results are picking up.

“We could have played them at a much better time, let’s put it that way.

“They will be confident, coming here, that they can continue being solid defensively and get the result to get them through.”

Kick-off at Blundell Park is at 3pm.

Chairman Andy Worrall says he has already fielded a couple of phone calls from managers interested in filling the vacant manager’s position at Woodford United.

The man who had been occupying the role, Mitch Austin, sent Worrall an email on Saturday to inform him of his decision to stand down.

Austin had helped the club end a run of 65 successive defeats dating back to April 2012 with a win over Blackstones last month.

But that proved to be a high point in a tough stint at Byfield Road, with Woodford sitting bottom of UCL Division One with just that solitary win to their name.

And with Austin deciding to call it a day, the club are now on the hunt for a sixth new manager in the space of just 15 months.

But Worrall, who is currently away, says there has been no shortage of interest.

“We’ll move on and even on Saturday I got a couple of calls from people wanting to know about the job,” said the Woodford supremo.

“For us it’s about survival rather than stability because we don’t have anyone coming to watch us and we don’t get enough money to cover some expenses.

“We’re bottom of the league with just three points to our name but we don’t really expect anything more than that at the moment.”

And on Austin, he said: “Mitch worked hard for us and he got us that first win.

“He was finding it hard financially because we’ve not been able to pay expenses and we’ve struggled to attract players, which we understand in our situation.

“Mitch did very well for us. He’s a nice, genuine guy and we know it wasn’t easy for him. We wish him and his players all the best.”

Woodford’s decline has been stark as they have slipped from the Southern League into UCL Division One.

But Worrall says there is no worry about the club’s future and is currently seeking investment in a bid to turn its fortunes around.

“We’ve got no intention of turning into an AFC,” he said. “We’ve got four sides here on a Saturday and our reserves are more than capable of playing at UCL Division One level.

“They’re in the quarter-finals of the County Cup and they don’t ask for any money. They actually pay £5 to play.

“It would be unfair to turn them into the first team and we’ve got no intention to do that.

“We’re speaking to people about the financial side of things to see if anyone wants to come in and there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”

MIDWEEK ROUND-UP

Cogenhoe United caused an NFA Hillier Senior Cup upset on Tuesday night as they demolished Southern League Premier Division side Corby Town.

Doubles from skipper Josh Urquhart and Jack Bowen sealed a fine success at Compton Park.

The win means Cogenhoe now progress to the semi-final stage, where they will meet fellow UCL Premier Division outfit Long Buckby.

Those teams will scrap it out for the right to face Daventry Town in the final.

Darran Foster’s men were also in the goals as they booked their place in the showpiece in midweek.

Scott Cross opened the scoring for Southern League side Daventry, with Ashley Robinson doubling the advantage before the half hour mark.

Neil King and Tom Lorraine wrapped up the win.

RESULTS

Saturday, November 30

UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE

LEAGUE CUP

Boston Town 5 Burton Park 3

PREMIER DIVISION

Kempston Rovers 2 Sleaford Town 0

Rushden & Diamonds 4 Long Buckby 1

Cogenhoe United 4 Harborough Town 0

Deeping Rangers 4 Newport Pagnell Town 0

Huntingdon Town 4 Northern Star 0

Spalding United 1 Wellingborough Town 0

s&l Corby 1 Holbeach United 1

Yaxley 1 Wisbech Town 2

DIVISION ONE

Bourne Town 1 Rothwell Corinthians 2

Bugbrooke 1 Olney Town 2

Eynesbury Rovers 2 Thrapston Town 0

Irchester United 0 Blackstones 3

Lutterworth Athletic 2 Rushden & Higham 2

Spencer 1 Harrowby United 3

O N Chenecks 0 Oadby Town 1

P’borough Sports 3 Buckingham Town 0

St Neots Saints 1 Raunds Town 1

Woodford United 2 Whitworth 5

P W D L F A GD Pts

Oadby Town 19 16 2 1 78 20 58 50

Eynesbury Rovers 19 14 3 2 59 21 38 45

Harrowby United 19 13 3 3 52 28 24 42

St Neots Town Saints 21 12 4 5 59 34 25 40

Lutterworth Athletic ** 18 12 2 4 42 22 20 35

Northampton Spencer 18 10 5 3 41 21 20 35

ON Chenecks 20 9 6 5 53 39 14 33

Raunds Town 20 7 10 3 31 25 6 31

Burton Park Wanderers 19 9 3 7 31 33 -2 30

Rushden & Higham 19 7 8 4 34 24 10 29

Potton United 19 8 4 7 39 38 1 28

Olney Town 21 8 4 9 39 40 -1 28

Thrapston Town 21 8 3 10 33 40 -7 27

Peterborough Sports 20 7 5 8 41 40 1 26

Rothwell Corinthians 22 6 6 10 40 47 -7 24

Buckingham Town 20 6 5 9 27 40 -13 23

Irchester United 18 5 6 7 26 33 -7 21

Blackstones FC 19 5 1 13 31 55 -24 16

Whitworth 21 4 3 14 30 50 -20 15

Bugbrooke St Michaels 18 3 1 14 26 55 -29 10

Bourne Town 23 2 4 17 40 82 -42 10

Woodford United 18 1 0 17 13 78 -65 3

** 3 points deducted

RESERVES DIVISION

Desborough Town 3 Bugbrooke St Michaels 2

Harborough Town 1 Eynesbury Rovers 3

Long Buckby 1 Irchester United 0

Oadby Town 1 Cogenhoe United 7

Olney Town 3 O N Chenecks 3

Northern Star 3 Bourne Town 1

Raunds Town P Spencer P

Rushden & Higham 3 S&L Corby 1

NFA LOWER JUNIOR CUP

Clipston 2 Thrapston Town Res 1

Rothwell Cor Res 4 Corby Strip Mills 0

Whitworth Res 0 Corby Eagles 2

Tuesday, December 3

UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE

KO CUP

Kempston Rovers 1 Long Buckby AFC 0

Deeping Rangers 9 Whitworth 1

Wisbech Town 4 Eynesbury Rovers 3

After extra-time

PREMIER DIVISION

Rushden & Diamonds 2 Newport Pagnell 1

Harborough Town 1 Stewarts & Lloyds 0

Sleaford Town 2 Huntingdon Town 3

P W D L F A GD Pts

Spalding United 17 17 0 0 60 4 56 51

Deeping Rangers 18 14 2 2 72 21 51 44

Huntingdon Town 17 13 3 1 44 18 26 42

Rushden & Diamonds 18 13 2 3 47 19 28 41

Cogenhoe United 19 13 2 4 42 18 24 41

Wellingborough Town 19 10 3 6 32 21 11 33

Wisbech Town 21 10 3 8 46 36 10 33

Yaxley 19 10 2 7 38 25 13 32

AFC Kempston Rovers 20 7 6 7 40 47 -7 27

Holbeach United 17 8 1 8 36 31 5 25

Northern Star 18 7 3 8 32 34 -2 24

Desborough Town 17 5 5 7 24 37 -13 20

Long Buckby AFC 21 4 5 12 31 56 -25 17

Sleaford Town 19 4 3 12 27 49 -22 15

Newport Pagnell Town 20 4 2 14 25 61 -36 14

S&L Corby 19 3 4 12 19 46 -27 13

Sileby Rangers 17 4 1 12 21 50 -29 13

Boston Town 18 2 4 12 19 47 -28 10

Harborough Town 18 2 1 15 13 48 -35 7

RESERVES DIVISION

Rushden & Higham 2 Olney Town Reserves 0

P W D L F A GD Pts

Cogenhoe United 19 17 1 1 75 14 61 52

Northern Star 18 16 1 1 57 14 43 49

Oadby Town 21 12 4 5 53 33 20 40

Desborough Town 19 11 1 7 44 47 -3 34

Eynesbury Rovers 17 10 3 4 39 36 3 33

Bugbrooke St Michaels 20 10 2 8 46 38 8 32

Stewarts & Lloyds Corby 17 9 4 4 39 21 18 31

Harborough Town 18 9 1 8 45 31 14 28

ON Chenecks 20 7 7 6 35 39 -4 28

Rushden and Higham 20 9 1 10 40 51 -11 28

Bourne Town 23 8 1 14 43 57 -14 25

Whitworth 21 8 1 12 43 68 -25 25

Irchester United ** 22 8 2 12 38 49 -11 23

Huntingdon Town 19 6 4 9 43 48 -5 22

Rothwell Corinthians 19 6 3 10 34 36 -2 21

Olney Town 19 5 4 10 33 43 -10 19

Spencer 19 6 1 12 26 40 -14 19

Long Buckby AFC 19 5 2 12 25 48 -23 17

Thrapston Town 17 4 4 9 25 35 -10 16

Raunds Town 17 2 1 14 22 57 -35 7

** 3 points deducted

NFA LOWER JUNIOR CUP

Clipston 2 Thrapston 1

FIXTURES

Saturday, December 7

CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE

Premier Division: Desborough v Peterborough Northern Star, Harborough v AFC Kempston, Holbeach v Wellingborough Town, Long Buckby v Sleaford, Newport Pagnell v Boston Town, Sileby v Deeping, Stewarts & Lloyds v Yaxley.

Division One: Blackstones v Rushden & Higham, Bugbrooke v Rothwell Corinthians, Burton Park Wanderers v Lutterworth Athletic, Harrowby v St Neots Saints, Irchester v Olney, ON Chenecks v Buckingham, Northampton Spencer v Thrapston, Peterborough Sports v Eynesbury, Potton v Oadby, Whitworth v Raunds, Woodford United v Bourne.

Reserve Division: Bourne v Bugbrooke, Cogenhoe v Harborough, Eynesbury v ON Chenecks, Olney v Northampton Spencer, Raunds v Oadby, Rothwell Corinthians v Stewarts & Lloyds, Rushden & Higham v Long Buckby, Thrapston v Whitworth.

Tuesday, December 10

CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE

Knockout Cup, first round: Spalding v Peterborough Northern Star. Second round: Wellingborough Town v Northampton Spencer.

Division One: Burton Park Wanderers v Buckingham, Eynesbury v Olney, ON Chenecks v Irchester, Raunds v Potton, Rothwell Corinthians v Blackstones, Rushden & Higham v St Neots Saints, Whitworth v Bugbrooke.

Reserve Division: Cogenhoe v Long Buckby.

WEDNESDAY

CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE

Division One: Peterborough Sports v Thrapston.

Reserve Division: Irchester v Peterborough Northern Star, Stewarts & Lloyds v Oadby.

Brackley boss Jon Brady says Saturday’s FA Cup second round clash with Macclesfield will be the second biggest game of his managerial career.

A win at Moss Rose would secure a third-round place, bringing with it the possibility that the Saints could land a plum tie against a Premier League team.

Brady is relishing that prospect, but does not see this weekend’s encounter as his most important in charge of Brackley.

Instead he highlights last season’s Skrill North play-off final, which ended in a 1-0 defeat to FC Halifax Town, as the most important to date.

“It’s probably the second biggest for me,” said Brady of Saturday’s game.

“The Halifax match was probably the biggest because to sustain Conference football, even for a year, is a dream for this club.

“But this is an opportunity to reach the third round and then who knows who you could get?”

Brady gave a masterclass in taking the pressure off his players in the previous round as they beat Sky Bet League One side Gillingham in a replay in front of the BT Sport cameras at St James’ Park.

And he is once again removing any burden from the shoulders of his squad, saying Macclesfield will be the men under the cosh.

“We want to go an take the game to them,” said Brady. “We go to win every game and we won’t be sitting back.

“We’ll try to be as positive as we can and they’ve lost a bit of form recently.

“The pressure’s on them because they need this for their football club to keep them alive.”

Macclesfield manager John Askey had a front row seat when Brackley beat Gillingham in the last round, as he was a guest of BT Sport, who were televising the game live to the nation.

And Brady knows that gives Askey a real inside track as to how his team play.

“He couldn’t have been any closer, could he?” said the Saints boss. “You could say he knows us inside out.

“That will be a test of how good my players and I are because we’ll have to see if we can lift ourselves again.”

The Saints struggled to lift themselves on Tuesday night, taking time to get into their stride in a Skrill North game at Solihull Moors.

Brady’s bunch were eventually beaten 1-0, with the manager left frustrated.

“We started very slowly,” he said. “We gave away a very soft penalty inside the first 15 minutes and they scored from it.

“It was all us in the second half and there were a lot of near misses.

“We had almost total possession and we should have had a penalty for a foul on Izak Reid.

“Those sort of decisions make the difference in tight away games like that, but I 
feel we could have been better.”

And Brady will hope Brackley are just that on Saturday, as they aim to set up a tie that would surely be their manager’s biggest.

Striker Steve keen to keep Diggin name in sporting spotlight

One Diggin has already made a name for himself among the Northamptonshire sporting community - now another has his sights set on similar acclaim.

Steve Diggin, cousin of Northampton Saints stalwart Paul Diggin, will look to shoot Brackley Town into the third round of the FA Cup at Macclesfield on Saturday.

The striker put in two superb performances in the first round as the Skrill North Saints saw off league one Gillingham.

Glenn Walker’s strike in the replay at St James’ Park proved pivotal, with Diggin’s fine 90-minute display also key.

In the crowd, Paul Diggin watched on proudly as his family member did the business.

And Steve, who has been given the nickname ‘non-league Messi’ by Brackley boss Jon Brady, said: “All the family turned up to watch the game and I think a lot are going on Saturday as well.

“Paul got in touch with me before the Gillingham game and wanted to come to watch. I didn’t get to speak to him much after.

“Obviously he’s done really well for himself and is still doing well now.

“Hopefully I can do well as well and we can get a result on Saturday.”

Diggin’s performance in the replay against Gillingham attracted plenty of praise from all quarters.

His contribution was highlighted by the BT Sport commentators and it was an illustration of what the former Aston Villa trainee can do.

Now he is hoping to produce another big display as Brackley aim to tee up a dream third-round tie against one of English football’s biggest clubs.

“We’re very confident,” said Diggin, who is a former Cogenhoe United and Corby Town frontman. “Because of the way we played against Gillingham, we know we can beat higher level teams.

“The attitude, work rate and way we kept our shape was really good.

“We’ve got a brilliant squad and we’ve even got lads who aren’t in the team who would walk into most sides in our league.”

Macclesfield, who are currently 15th in Skrill Premier, are big favourites to claim a place in the hat for the third round.

John Askew’s men dumped Sky Bet League One side Swindon Town out of the cup in the previous round, surging to a 4-0 success at Moss Rose.

The home side know they are expected to progress this weekend, and Diggin is revelling in the lack of pressure on Brackley shoulders.

“There’s no pressure on us,” he said. “We’ve just got to go and do what we do.

“They’ve got to deal with most of the expectation.”

So is Diggin allowing himself to start dreaming about what could lie ahead should Brackley beat the odds and make it through?

“Obviously the third round is the one when the big teams come in,” he said. “But we’ve got to deal with Saturday first.”

CORBY TOWN

Andrew Wilson insists he and fellow manager Tommy Wright will do “everything in our power” to put things right at Corby Town, writes JON DUNHAM.

Wilson branded his team’s 4-0 defeat at ChromaSport & Trophies United Counties League Premier Division side Cogenhoe United in the NFA Hillier Senior Cup quarter-final on Tuesday as “a disgraceful performance and a disgraceful result”.

It came after a fine 3-1 success at Frome Town in the Calor League Premier Division last weekend.

And, while some changes were made to the squad, it was the manner of the loss that left the Steelmen boss with serious concerns.

They return to league action against Chippenham Town at Steel Park on Saturday.

And Wilson pulled no punches in his assessment of what happened at Compton Park in midweek.

He said: “The only thing I can do is apologise to everyone who is associated with our club. It was a disgraceful performance and a disgraceful result.

“The positives are that there is no way we can be that bad again and that we have every reason now to produce a reaction to the performance on Saturday.

“We want to win every game of football, we did make changes but the team we put out there should have been good enough to get a positive result.

“I will go away and see if there is anything more that I can do.

“We maybe could have put a stronger team out but there were players that needed minutes and there were others carrying knocks that needed a rest.

“But we will do everything in our power to put things right and we know we need to do that quickly.

“We have a home game this weekend and there is no better opportunity to get a reaction.

“You can’t change what has happened but you can affect the future, that is what we must do.”

Wilson, meanwhile, felt his players “turned up expecting to win” on Tuesday and insisted that kind of approach is not welcome.

“We are two levels above Cogenhoe but, in 25 years of watching football, I have never seen a team from a higher level go to a side lower than them and win when they simply turn up expecting it to happen,” he added.

“You have to earn everything in football and we got what we deserved on Tuesday.

“We conceded after a minute and when you do that, you give the opposition something to cling on to. We had chances but didn’t take them. We can have no complaints whatsoever.”

KETTERING TOWN

Kettering Town’s fine form and their rise up the Calor League Division One Central table is something manager Dean Thomas is determined to enjoy, writes JON DUNHAM.

The Poppies moved up to seventh place after a 3-1 win at Marlow on Tuesday night as new signing Dubi Ogbonna followed up a goal on his debut in the 2-1 success over Uxbridge last weekend with a hat-trick in midweek.

And while some may feel that a nine-match unbeaten run and a move up to the brink of the play-off places may bring with it extra pressure and more expectation, Thomas couldn’t disagree more.

“This isn’t pressure, this is the time for enjoyment,” he said.

“The pressure is what we were under earlier in the season when things weren’t going so well and there was a lot of criticism of us.

“Any manager will tell you that when you get on a good run, you have a good team spirit and the players are taking the message on board that it is a pleasurable experience.

“We have worked very hard to get the players in recently and we have got to a situation where other clubs are putting seven days in for our boys but they are turning those down.

“It shows they are happy and that they want to play for Kettering.

“There is a bit of familiarity to the squad now. The players have smiles on their faces and when that happens, the results usually come.”

The Poppies are back on the road in the next few days and they will look to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 10 matches when they head to Aylesbury on Saturday.

That game is followed by a trip to the team currently one place below Kettering in the standings, Royston Town, on Tuesday night.

DAVENTRY TOWN

Daventry reached the final of the NFA Hillier Senior Cup for the second year in succession by beating UCL Premier Division outfit Peterborough Northern Star in Tuesday’s semi-final.

Goals from Scott Cross, Ashley Robinson, Neil King and Tom Lorraine ensured a return visit to the Sixfields Stadium, the home of Northampton Town, next April.

In the final, Daventry will played either Cogenhoe United - who thrashed Corby Town 4-0 in their quarter-final on Tuesday - or Long Buckby.

Daventry endured heartbreak at Sixfields in last season’s final, slipping to a 3-1 defeat to Corby, with former left-back Callum Burgess scoring the consolation goal for Daventry.

Daventry boss Darran Foster said: “The lads showed a great attitude out there, especially as there were only nine fit players.

“Both Scott Cross and Tom James were carrying injuries, and unfortunately it looks like Scott has made his injury worse!

“With the change of formation, it was encouraging that all three strikers got on the score sheet. It was an excellent win, PNS are a good side, and we had to work hard to achieve our victory.

“Defensively Guy Sanders looks as though he nearly back to his best and there were good performances from Ash Deeney and Joe Henderson. It was also good to see Liam Dolman come through the last 25 minutes unscathed.”

On Saturday Daventry travel to St Ives in the Calor League and next Tuesday they host strugglers Chertsey Town.

Saints have brought in a quartet of key men for Saturday’s clash with Leinster at Franklin’s Gardens (kick-off 6pm).

James Wilson and George North return from injury and Wales duty respectively, while Courtney Lawes and Phil Dowson start after coming off the bench in the 33-10 Aviva Premiership win at Worcester last weekend.

Wilson comes in at full-back, North is on the wing, Lawes reunites with ‘bruise brother’ Samu Manoa in the second row and Dowson joins Tom Wood and Sam Dickinson in the back row.

Jamie Elliott is back on the bench after missing last weekend’s game with an ankle knock, while Ryan Glynn and Glenn Dickson are also among the replacements.

But Northampton will have to do without the services of several key men, with Ben Foden, Alex Corbisiero and Kahn Fotuali’i injured and George Pisi suspended.

Leinster have 14 of the men who helped Ireland come so close against the All Blacks in Dublin recently in their squad.

Brian O’Driscoll starts alongside Gordon D’Arcy in the centre, while Sean O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip provide a formidable back row platform.

Saints: Wilson; K Pisi, Waldouck, Burrell, North; Myler, L Dickson; A Waller, Hartley (c), Ma’afu, Manoa, Lawes, Wood, Dowson, Dickinson.

Replacements: Haywood, E Waller, Mercey, C Day, Clark, Glynn, G Dickson, Elliott.

Leinster: R Kearney; D Kearney, O’Driscoll, D’Arcy, Fitzgerald; Madigan, Reddan; Healy, Cronin, Ross, Toner, McCarthy, Ruddock, O’Brien, Heaslip (c).

Replacements: Dundon, McGrath, Moore, Cullen, Jennings, Boss, Gopperth, Kirchner.

Detectives are warning residents not to be complacent about leaving their home open to burglars following a nine per cent fall in break-ins.

Since April, there have been 167 fewer reporter burglaries across the county compared with the same period last year – a fall of 8.5 per cent.

However, police often see an increase in reported burglaries during the winter months and are encouraging the public to help cut crime.

Assistant Chief Constable Russ Foster said the support of the public is essential in helping to reduce crime.

He said: “Reminding people to lock up may seem unnecessary but, in the past year, nearly one in three homes have been burgled because a door has been left unlocked or a window open.

“We can’t be absolutely sure the burglary wouldn’t have happened anyway but it would have certainly made it more difficult, and it’s very likely the opportunist burglar would simply move on to see if he could find an easier target.

“Burglary is an invasive and upsetting crime and if it helps reduce the number of people who become victims by simply encouraging them to make sure they lock up properly, we’ll carrying on giving out these messages.

“However, we know a lot of burglaries happen even when doors and window are secure. There are many ways to make your home less attractive to burglars and, over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing lots of crime prevention advice to help people better protect their home and property.”

Northamptonshire Police will launch a new campaign, Operation Lock It, next week with a ‘week of action’.

Officers will be targeting known burglars, carrying out increased patrols in areas where burglaries are more likely to happen and giving out crime prevention advice.

Police and Crime Commissioner Adam Simmonds added: “Reducing burglary and other acquisitive crime is a priority in my crime and policing plan and officers have been working hard to target some of our most prolific burglars, with several successful convictions.

“But there is still more we can achieve and public support is crucial. As well as working together to make sure people’s homes and property are as safe and secure as possible, we need people to feel confident about reporting crime to us and telling us what they know about anyone involved in crime.”