With all the games on public park pitches being called off by the Borough Council, there was only one premier division game that managed to get played.

Thorplands Club 81 entertained Sporting Bat & Wickets on the artificial pitch at Northampton Academy and it was the visitors who won 5-2.

Aaron Linnell and James Church both netted twice for the pub men and Derrick Sanya one. Ben Walker and Kyle Francis replied.

BALL OF THE MONTH

The John Henry Sports ‘Ball of the Month’ winners for January are Spartak who scored eight goals in January.

TOP MANAGER

THE manager of the month for January is JLB boss James Cochrane who guided his team to three victories during the month beating Yusen Logistics 7-3, Falcons United 3-2 and Thorpland Club 2-0.

After a narrow victory over top-of-the-table Rossendale Raptors, followed the next day by a close win over Sheffield Sabres, the Northants Thunder senior men sit proudly on top of the North Conference of Division Three.

Northants Thunder 77 Rossendale Raptors 71

With both teams knowing how important this top-of-the-table clash was likely to be, Thunder made the better start to the game by opening up a 15-6 lead after five minutes of play

This forced a Raptors time-out and the team responded well to Coach Masser’s words and thanks to some excellent shooting from guards Graham and Gayle, led 19-17 at the end of the first period of play

For Thunder, Leome Francis was showing what a threat he was close to basket with 8 points.

In the second quarter Thunder were able to spread the offensive load with five players getting on the score sheet, but rather worryingly Raptors were beginning to dominate proceedings ‘in the paint’

The visitors were also showing a great deal of patience on offence and were able to set up open shots for Gayle and Porter, who hit three, three pointers and 15pts between them

Raptors went into the break with a 43-36 lead, and Northants knew they had a real game on their hands

After the half time break, Northants showed exactly why they have toppled Division 1 and 2 teams this season

They kept Raptors to just 7pts in the quarter, and kept them scoreless for the final six minutes

Thunder’s defence constricted and frustrated the Raptors so much that signs of dissent could be seen from some of their players

Meanwhile, Jonny Yates, Jason Tucker and Francis were hurting Raptors from all areas of the floor

With the Raptors ‘bigs’ falling asleep, Northants won the quarter 24-7 to open up a 10 point lead at 60-50 going into the final stanza

In that third quarter Thunder had put in a major physical effort and this certainly showed as the final quarter got underway

Raptors picked up a number of easy scores, whilst Thunder looked tired in their shooting, taking shots out of rhythm

By now Raptors were on fire with new signing Rangeley connecting from ‘deep’ as Rossendale shot themselves into a 70-65 lead with just two minutes of the game remaining

The Northants players needed to dig deep and they did just that

Tucker did a great job by ‘locking up’ the Raptors guards Houghton and Gayle, while Leon Henry and Yates hit two big treys and Francis converted eight of ten attempts from the ‘charity stripe

Raptors called a couple of time-outs and ran offences to get the lead back, but Thunder’s determined defence forced them into tough shots

When these shots missed Raptors were forced to foul and Francis continued to clinically score from the resulting free throws

Raptors took the period 21-17 but it wasn’t enough to win the game and Thunder were able to celebrate a 77-71 win despite losing three of the four periods of play.

For Thunder, Leome Francis was virtually unstoppable close to basket and he top scored with 28 points

Leon Henry contributed 15 points and Jason Tucker 14 while Jonny Yates’ 9 points all came from beyond the arc and Richard Higgins had numerous rebounds to go with his 7 points.

The post game comment of delighted coaches, Grahame Yates and Rob Eddon, was succinct and to the point, Fantastic game, Fantastic effort

Fantastic performance.

Sheffield Sabres 75 Northants Thunder 83

After their tremendous comeback win against Rossendale the previous evening Thunder travelled to Sheffield Sabres knowing a win would move them to the top of the North Conference of Division 3

The major concern of the team’s coaching staff was that the team was not still celebrating the fantastic accomplishments of the previous day

They also felt it was important that the tempo of the game against Sabres was controlled so that they didn’t run out of steam too quickly

The first quarter turned out to be a very close affair, with the lead changing hands no less than ten times

Thunder just edged the period 23-18 thanks to two big ‘threes’ from Jason Tucker and the forceful play of Leome Francis which saw him hitting 10 personal points

Sabres did well to drag themselves back into the contest and thanks to some poor decision making by Thunder at both ends of the floor, and the home side had drawn level midway through the second quarter

Thunder took a time out to talk things over and this led to a 10-2 run to re- open up their eight point lead

Sabres refused to go away and pulled the deficit back to just 2pts with 90 seconds left to halftime at which stage the Thunder guards came to life with Leon Henry scoring after penetrating to the basket, and Sam Round connecting sweetly from deep, from a Jonny Yates penetration and dish

Thunder have a reputation of being deadly after half-time breaks

Whilst this post half time period didn’t match the beauty of the previous day, it certainly matched it for intensity and determination

Thunder won the quarter 27-21 to open up a 13pt lead and give the team a little bit of breathing space

Tucker was on another level from the perimeter scoring at will, and contributing 11pts, whilst the whole team did a fantastic job of switching on screens, closing down Sabres shooters and taking the Sheffield team out of their comfort zone

Sheffield’s hearts sank a little further when both of their ‘bigs’ got into foul trouble and were taken out of the game.

Thunder had expended a great deal of energy in that third quarter and the team coaches emphasised how important it was to control the game clock and work for good looks at the basket

Everything was going to plan until the home team went on an 11-2 run over a period of two minutes

This meant that Thunder now held a narrow 76-72 lead with just over two minutes of the contest remaining and knowing the ‘finishing line’ was close

The growing tension was reduced when Leon Henry got a three from a Tucker hand off, followed by a Jacob Holt put-back and now the game was as good as over

The two teams exchanged scores with Thunder running out winners by 83 points to 75; a win which moved them to the top of the table with just five regular season games to go

Once again the Thunder coaches were full of praise for their players who had produced a mature, disciplined and determined performance.

In the eight point win Leome Francis had another dominant game with 26 points while excellent support came form Jason Tucker with 20 points which included five three-pointers, Leon Henry with 13 points and Jacob Holt with 11

Junior Men’s Premier Division North

Cheshire Panthers 66 Northants Thunder 103

After unproductive trips north on the two previous weekends the Northants junior men made a switch from the M.1 to the M.6 for the trip to Cheshire to take on bottom of the table Panthers.

A plethora of injuries had reduced the Thunder squad to just six players but stand-in coach Stacey Shakespeare made sure her charges were in optimistic mood

Against weaker opposition than in previous weeks Thunder were able to dominate proceedings winning all four periods of pay to run out comfortable winners by 103 points to 66

Karan Virdee dominated the rebounding department launching numerous fast breaks which saw Linas Bajournas score 35 points while Sam Round totalled an amazing 51 points including no less than eight, three-pointers

Coach Shakespeare was also impressed with the efforts of Josh Round who scored 10 points and the work effort of Luke Joines and David Radford

Under 16 Girls Midlands South–West Conference

Northants Lightning 83 Wiltshire Demons 26

For the second week running the Northants under 16 girls team were involved in another meaningless game against an enthusiastic but inexperienced Wiltshire Demons team.

Coach Karen Goodrich was absolutely delighted that once again all twelve of her players got onto the score sheet but she bemoaned the fact that her players hadn’t been really challenged.

She commented, My players work hard in practice and their attendance record is excellent but the motivation to work hard decreases because they know we win most of our games too easily.

Against Demons, Lightning kept their opponents below double figures in all four periods of play whilst scoring freely themselves and playing very little of the pressure defence they prefer.

All 12 Lightning players contributed to the win with Lauren Milne recording a double-double while Ruchae Walton led all scorers with 28 personal points

Under 16 Boys Midlands Conference

Coventry Trojans 50 Northants Thunder 64

Following this 14 point win over Coventry Trojans, the Northants Thunder cadet men sit proudly on top of the Midlands Conference boasting a record of Won 14, Lost 0.

Thunder made the short journey to Coventry last Saturday in the knowledge that when the two teams met earlier in the season the game was a close encounter with Thunder edging the contest by just eight points

A tough game was expected and so it proved and the Thunder victory was based on both ability and determination.

Trojans opened the game with a zone defence, a tactic they maintained for most of the game and there was little difference between the two teams in the first quarter but 10 points from Jacob Round consisting of two three pointers kept Thunder within reach

The Northants boys were struggling with the size of the Trojans players who dominated the boards and it was the home side that held the upper hand at the end of the quarter leading 17-15

Due to the numerous mismatches, Thunder Coach Rob Crump switched his team to a zone defence

His team was inspired by an influential performance from Brendan Ross who battled hard against the opposition big men to secure defensive rebounds and on two occasions ran the length of the court to score in transition

Thunder were given a boost, when Trojans displayed some disciplinary problems when their point guard committed his third foul which was immediately followed by a technical foul for unsporting behaviour

In response Thunder sparked into 13-2 run to conclude the quarter, with scores from Rhys Hill, Carlo Nieva and Jacob Killeya giving Thunder a 34-24 half time lead

Thunder needed to produce a strong performance at the start of the second half to combat any Trojans comeback

The home side refused to come out of their zone defence but now were looking to ‘trap’ on the perimeter

Thunder calmly dealt with this pressure and when Carlo Nieva stroked home a 3 point shot, the Thunder lead had been extended to 13 points

Trojans responded with three points of their own but at the end of the quarter Thunder were still leading 49-39

Thunder knew that if Trojans made a strong start to the final period of play their double digit lead would soon be eroded

Trojans did score the first basket of the period but a 6-zero run gave the initiative back to Thunder

Scores from ‘bigs’, Elliott Strausa and Jacob Killeya extended the lead to 14 points then the final five minutes became the Ollie Thomas Show as the Thunder point guard scored all 9 of his team’s last points

He also put in a great individual defensive performance by frustrating the Trojans guards who were unable to match his speed and athleticism.

In the 64-50 win, the Thunder scoring was led by Jacob Round with 20 points, whilst three other players reached double digit scoring with Jacob Killeya, Ollie Thomas and Carlo Nieva scoring 12,11, and 10 points respectively

Under 15 Boys Midlands Conference

Ilkeston Outlaws 34 Northants Thunder 96

After their heavy defeat at the hands of City of Birmingham the previous Sunday the Northants under 15 boys travelled to the wilds of Derbyshire to take on winless Ilkeston Outlaws in the hope of picking up their sixth win of the season

The initial game plan was simple, play with speed and defensive intensity so as not to let the home side settle into a routine.To say the game plan worked was an understatement as Thunder kept Outlaws pointless while pouring in 32 points themselves.

For Thunder, Julian Abeam was leading the break with great athleticism while Jaz Campblell,, David Nieva and Hayden Sayers were scoring freely from the perimeter

Four minutes into the second period of play the small crowd was brought to their feet as Outlaws netted their first basket but at half time Thunder had stretched their lead to 45 points at 55-10.

For the rest of the game coach John Collins was able to rotate his players freely and to their credit the Ilkeston players refused to give up and actually finished the game with a morale boosting 7-2 run which included a fluke over-the-head shot

In the 62 point win Abeam and Sayers top scored for Thunder with 26 and 20 points respectively

Excellent support came from Nieva with 16 points and Campbell with 15 while Collins was full of praise for his ‘big’ men Emanuel Arimoro, Robert Clarke, Solomon Day-Adley, Justin Trory and Ayo Oluyede who hauled down countless defensive rebounds to launch fast break attacks.

Under 14 Boys Midlands Conference

Northants Thunder 92 Shropshire Warriors 24

The Northants Under 14 boys kept alive their chances of an end of season Play Off place with a comfortable win over bottom of the table Shropshire Warriors.

Thunder won all four periods of play restricting their opponents to single figures in all four quarters while all eleven Thunder players contributed to the 92 points total.

Ed Wallhead led his team’s scoring with 23 points while Zac Kitchen, Tyler Mutemasango, Shekina Ntumba, and Laurence Williams all scored in double figures.

Under 14 Girls Midlands South Conference

Bucks Hornets 43 Northants Lightning 69

After their heavy defeat at the hands of Herts Warriors the previous weekend the Northants Under 14 girls got back to winning ways with a solid 26 point win over Bucks Hornets.

Lightning started the game with some aggressive defence and lots of energy on offence and thanks to a number of successful fast breaks established an 18-9 lead after the first period of play

Hornets had tried to slow down the tempo of the game but had missed a number of easy scores from which Precious Ogaji was able to haul down rebounds and launch Lightning breaks.

If the Lightning defence had been miserly in the first quarter it was even tighter in the second as they restricted Hornets to just 5 points

Meanwhile on offence Lightning were showing more discipline and patience as they took the period 18-5 the highlight being the first three pointer in a league game for Lucy Amena.

Leading 36-14 at half time the Lightning players were guilty of easing off at the start of the third quarter as the home side opened with a 6-2 run

Coach Darjius Maldutis took a time out and insisted that his team raised their efforts to the levels of the first half

His payers responded well and Lightning went on a 15-2 run including a three-pointer from Holly Winterburn

Lightning took the quarter 23-13 and at 59-27 the game was as good as over as a contest.

To their credit Hornets came out for the final quarter in determined mood, employing a double teaming defence which forced a number of Lightning turn-overs

Hornets actually won the period 16-10 to reduce Lightning’s winning margin to 26 points with their scoring led by Winterburn with 15 points, she also pulled down 10 rebounds

Excellent support came form Bahira Barakat, Amena and Georgia Collins with 14, 13 and 12 points respectively but the win had been based on excellent team defence and unselfish play which led to all the players scoring.

FIXTURES

Saturday, February 8

9.30-11am: Under 12 Practice

10-11am: Junior Ballers

11.30am: Under 13 Boys v Leicester Sparks; Under 14 Girls v Southend Swifts

1.30pm: Cadet Men v Worcester Wolves; Junior Women v Sporting Club Albion

3.30pm: Junior Men v Leeds Carnegie

These games will be played 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

Cadette Women travel to Exeter Eagles

Senior Men travel to Tees Valley II

Sunday, February 9

Under 13 Boys travel to NEBC Titans

Under 14 Boys travel to Derby Trailblazers

Under 15 Boys travel to Shropshire Warriors

NEBC Titans consolidated top spot in the EBL Under 18 Men Midlands Conference with this convincing 91-51 win against a young City of Birmingham (COB) side in the Midlands Conference division, a league that has proven to be unpredictable and uncompromising so far this season.

Titans responded with a 13-0 run after COB had established an early 4 -2 lead after the first two minutes of the game.

It would be the only time the visitors had the lead in the entire contest.

Titans went on to take the opening period 27 – 9.

It was a much tighter affair in the second quarter as both teams traded baskets via easy opportunities around the basket.

The eventual score during this period of the game ended 19 - 13 in favour of the Titans, who took a healthy 24 point lead into the locker room at half time with 46 – 22.

It was the Titans that came out to start the 3rd quarter with a purpose after a change in defensive tactics and this proved to be the period of the game where it was confirmed there would be no comeback from the West Midlands side.

Titans’ defensive pressure helped to build an even bigger lead as they went on a 14-0 run; this enabled them to take the quarter 28-15.

This meant that Titans went into the 4th quarter leading 74-37 and despite COB’s best efforts, combined with sloppy play from the Northamptonshire side, the honours were almost even in the last period as COB played with determination to make the score-line more respectable and the home side battled complacently.

The Northamptonshire side ensured they won all fourr quarters as they narrowly edged the 4th with 17 -14^pWith this win Titans retain their unbeaten streak that now stands at 10-0 and consolidate their position of conference league leaders.

In the 40 point win, the top scorers on this occasion were Terrell Salmon 15, Luke Lewis 11 and 10 apiece from Charlie Tucker & Joe O’Connor.

Titans travel to Worcester next weekend to take on the Wolves

EBL Under 13 Boys Midlands Conference:

Northamptonshire Titans 41 Leicester Warriors 88

As the teams took to the floor it was NEBC Titans verses the one man superstar of Leicester Warriors, big man Queeley, who Titans could not contain at either end of the court.

Bradley Powell came off the bench to get the Titans offense going with a quick two, followed by a ‘banked’ three, this spurred the Warriors on a 8-0 run, but then Dane Carr made them pay hitting both of his foul shots and Sam Grant also found his way to the basket.

At the end of the first quarter Titans trailed 11-33.

In the second quarter Grant found his confidence and attacked the basket with a real determination, Diarra Layne started to rip through the Warriors defence but still they could not close the gap^pIn the third we got a glimpse of Titans’ next season’s potential as Queeley was rested for the Warriors.

Titans’ defence sprung into action causing Warriors to turn over the ball and Connor Mason began to execute in the broken play.

Warriors were left with only very limited opportunities as Carr dominated the Titans boards and Titans ended with winning the quarter 15-9.

The game finished with a Leicester surge and the result was in no doubt.

Top Scorers were Grant with 12 and Carr with 10

EBL Under 14 Girls Midlands South Conference

Northamptonshire Titans 35 Ipswich Basketball 51

On the previous meet the Ipswich team had beaten NEBC Titans by a convincing 42 points by applying their trade mark intense full court pressure.

Ipswich got the game started with back to back baskets before Mica Denton got Titans off the mark.

Both teams’ defence was on top form and with the Titans breaking the full court pressure, Ipswich were left to work the Titans defence hard to find any success and the low scoring first quarter was no surprise to anyone, ending 9-15 in favour of the visitors.

Titans again stepped up at the defensive end, causing Ipswich to move to a half court defence which produced an even 2nd quarter.

Then Frankie Patmore hit the visitors with two driving baskets and Titans found themselves chasing an 8 point game.

In the third Patmore was a constant thorn in the side of Ipswich again, but once more both teams were trading baskets and the quarter finished 29-38.

Due to time restrictions on court hire Titans moved to a faster pace offense, which allowed for Denton’s versatile shooting from deep as well as going to the basket, unfortunately this was not enough and Ipswich took the spoils, winning by 16.

Top scorers were Denton with 14 and Patmore with nine.

EBL Under 15 Boys Midlands Conference

Leicester Warriors 45 Northamptonshire Titans 90

NEBC Titans under 15 boys made the short journey to Leicester for their 14th fixture of the season in the Midlands Conference and returned after inflicting a heavy defeat on the home team.

Titans soared into a 14 – 2 lead as the home team were guilty of losing the ball on a number of occasions against Titans’ full court press.

The Northamptonshire side were also being effective in regards to containing the Warriors perimeter threats.

After a dominant first half performance, Titans went into the half-time break leading 51 -23.

Despite a determined effort to get back into the game after the break, the home side narrowly lost the 3rd quarter 11-15 and managed to challenge Titans successfully in a battle of the boards.

A 10 – 2 point run at the start of the 4th period increased the Titans’ lead to 76-36, eventually winning the quarter 24 – 8 and there was no way back for the Warriors, who slipped to their 12th defeat of the season, whilst Titans remain unbeaten in the league securing their 14th win of the season.

In the 48 point win, the top scorers for the Northamptonshire side were, Hayden Alcindor with 34, Keenan Salmon & Trei St Vie Hutchinson with 17 apiece.

Titans are back in action next week on 9th February at Northampton Academy at 12pm for their last home league game of the season against Wolverhampton Slam, a team they narrowly beat earlier in the season.

EBL Under 16 Boys Midlands East Conference

Barnet Bulldogs 45 Northamptonshire Titans 70

Coach Powell agreed to play this away fixture with only one referee and the first quarter reflected this as both teams struggled with their execution and the clock was hardly stopped, resulting in a slender Titan lead of 6-9.

Titans got into their running game to combat the Bulldogs’ zone defence with Cameron Hawes and Mitch Timmins connecting from deep, and an all round good offensive execution so that Titans enjoyed a 19-34 halftime lead.

U15 Hayden Alcindor was making his debut for the U16s and got the Titans underway in the 3rd.

However Bulldogs were in a defiant mood as they moved to an inside game, which proved to be fruitful as Titans did not adjust well and found it tough going as the more physical Bulldogs managed to get back to within 8 points.

Then up stepped Jordan Grant and Lewis Kain to get Titans back on track with a 33-46 lead.

The fourth quarter defensive adjustments made all the difference and saw Titans go on a 11-2 run, followed by another 11-2 run, Bulldogs were restricted to perimeter shooting as the door was firmly closed near the basket, resulting in Titans winning 42-70.

Top Scorers were Alcindor with 15 and Grant with 10.

FIXTURES

Saturday, February 8

12.20pm: Titans Under 13 Boys away vs City of Birmingham

2pm: Titans Under 18 Men away vs Worcester Wolves

4pm: Titans Under 16 Boys vs Colchester Jammers at Weavers Leisure Centre

Sunday, February 9

10am: Titans Under 13 Boys vs Northants Thunder at Northampton Academy

Midday: Titans Under 15 Boys vs Team Wolverhampton Slam at Northampton Academy

3.20pm: Titans Under 14 Girls away vs Norfolk Iceni

Determined to fish every exotic corner of the world before going to that great keepnet in the sky, Northampton’s Mike Green is fresh back from the Brazilian Amazon.

He and three mates shared more than 800 fish in a week – mostly ‘butterfly’ peacocks with a smattering of larger peacock bass up to 15lb.

Anything over 8lb is considered to be specimen size for the latter, and all the fish were caught on fly tackle.

Some 4,000 miles long and passing through seven countries, the Amazon holds more than 3,000 fish species (and they’re still counting!) plus crocs and giant anaconda snakes...

“Best of all, for once, I didn’t get bitten by anything on this trip,” said Green, who took it into his head to swim in the river every day... proving there are some things even piranhas won’t eat!

Regularly doing his ‘Old Man of the Sea’ act – sitting back musing on the veranda of their floating lodge each evening – he reckons a highlight of the trip was watching the pink freshwater dolphins at play. Pink dolphins? Whatever it was those lads were drinking... I want some!

There are no known crocodiles in Meadowlands, but there are carp – and Jason Shirley (Baileys) had 22 for 141-6 in the venue’s teams-of-three round.

Neil Carless (Swans Gold) caught 98-4 and Ray Durrant (Tussies) 45-4.

With three rounds to go Lowdowns lead and town’s Team Ringer, way down the list, must be hoping they can repeat last year’s performance and stage a ‘back from the dead’ last minute win.

Reporting through Gilders’ Kettering branch Hayden Hull had a 22-7 English ‘croc’ (pike) and a 19 from K&TDA’s Wickstead Park lake.

At Stanwick John Green had commons to 20lb from Mallard while Andy Bazley netted eight to 16lb from Swan.

With parts of the canal – brim-full of Tove floodwater – flowing like a fair-paced river, Gary Britton trotted stickfloat river-style for a double-figure bream net from the Castlethorpe Navvi.

WHITE Hart Flore, Spring Pool: Alan Barnes 55-8, Tom Griffiths 47lb, Terry Adams 40lb.

MAKINS, individual league third round: Gary Morgan 41lb, Dave Chapman 37lb, Chris Horsley 26lb.

CASTLE Ashby: midweek, Brickyard, Dick Rogers 21-12, Frank Pizmenti 19-2, Jeff Rice 15-8; Saturday, Grendon, Mick Hewlett 54-8, Dick Rogers 43lb, Peter Gibson 35-12; Sunday, Grendon, Chris Garrett 130-6, Pete Lovell 77-12, Dave Martin 63-4; Sunday, Scotland, Keith Bishop 19-12, Gary West 9-14, Nick Antonacci 8-14.

WELLINGBOROUGH, Cranford lake: Ivor Stokes 19-13, Ian Halliwell 6-3, Malcolm Hobbs 5-4.

TOWCESTER, Astwell Mill: Mick Goodridge 9-12 (and lost two tench), Tosh Saunders 4-14, John ‘the vicar’ Broughton 3-10.

FINEDON, canal, Elkington: Paul Brand 4-3, Steve Amos 1-10, Roger Brown 0-14-8.

NENE, canal, Heyford marina: Brian Beard 3-5, Chris Howard 2-15, Andy Webster 2-5.

FIXTURES: Feb 16, Olney open 01234 240061.

Club history was made at Kingsthorpe GC over the weekend as Adam Willix became the first ever player to bag a hole-in-one on the 16th as he aced the par four hole in a Winter League match.

Although the pin was on a temporary green, due to the wet weather, the hole still measured 300 yards up a steep hill.

To make the achievement even more remarkable is that it also sealed victory in the match as he combined with brother-in-law Mark Bazeley to beat Chris Caswell and his partner.

USPGA Tour

Top county professional Simon Lilly’s hopes of making his debut on the US PGA Tour ended in final qualifying at the Waste Management Phoenix Open at McCormick Ranch GC.

Despite producing a solid level par score of 72, the 37-year-old couldn’t threatened the leaders as Ki Taek Lee (65), Chris Smith and Danny Lee (both 66) took the three spots.

Lilly, who made it through pre-qualifying a few days earlier, didn’t have luck on his side after he was drawn in the final group and was forced to come back the following day when darkness set in.

Portugal

Northamptonshire senior ladies champion Carol Gibbs enjoyed plenty of success during the Portuguese Senior Ladies Amateur Open as she picked up a collection of prizes on the Oceanica courses.

Gibbs joined forces with Wellingborough club-mate Mary MacLaren to win the Fourball Betterball by two from the defending champions after carding a two-over-par total on the Victoria track.

After shooting net scores of 81 and 77 over the Old course in the Strokeplay comp, Gibbs was runner-up behind Sandy Catford (Kent). Finland’s Minna Kaarnalahti won the gross prize.

The two-handicapper was also part of the winning Nations Cup team as she combined with Lindsay Shaw (Derbyshire) and Annie Gowring (Oxfordshire) to grab the plaudits.

In an event which saw over 100 entries from 10 countries playing in various categories, Gibbs finished on the podium in the overall comp. MacLaren grabbed eighth spot, while another Wellingborough member Gill Snelson came in 17th.

Australia

Ryan Evans maintained his fantastic strokeplay form in Australia as the Wellingborough amateur recorded another top 10 finish in the North South Wales Medal.

Fresh from his first prizes in the Lake Macquarie International and Australian Amateur Championship qualifying, plus a ninth spot in the Australian Master of the Amateurs, Evans bagged fifth place.

The plus-four-handicapper, who has risen to 11th in the world rankings, carded scores of 68 and 67 on the opening two days, before shooting rounds of 68 and 76 on the final day.

The 26-year-old was unable to transfer his strokeplay form into the matchplay format however as he lost in round one to Australia’s James Bannan, who went on to reach the final.

Evans, who will represent Europe in the Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy in India next month, completes a successful six-week trip down under by teeing off in the first round of the Avondale Amateur Medal today (Thursday).

Ladies European Tour

Charley Hull made a solid start to her second year on the Ladies European Tour as she finished 11th in the ISPS Handa New Zealand Open at Clearwater GC in Christchurch.

Competing in the same group as world number four Lydia Ko on the opening day, the Solheim Cup winner birdied the first two holes on her way to a three-under-par 69.

Hull, who turns 18 next month, struggled for consistency over the next 27 holes, before finishing with one birdie and eight pars on the back nine as she carded scores of 73 and 71.

Farthingstone

Pars on half the holes on the course proved decisive for 15-handicapper Gavin Price in the February Medal as he clinched the honours with 39 points.

Richard Marsh birdied the 18th hole to grab second spot by a single point from Duncan Bisatt, Michael Taylor and Ian Bell, who all fired 37 points.

Ian Donald and Bryn Thomas reached round two of the Winter Pairs KO after they recorded a 6&5 victory against Brian Arnold, who battled hard despite his partner John Moody being away on holiday.

Staverton

Andy Sant proved too strong for the field in the third week of the Winter Back Nine Stableford as the six-handicapper smashed a brilliant score of 21 points.

The runners-up spot went to Adrian Parr as he nudged a single point clear of Darren Barrett and Nicholas Burtt (both 18).

Brampton Heath

Leighton Adams was the standout performer in the February Medal as the 22-handicapper bagged seven pars in his opening 12 holes and a birdie at the 14th in a superb net 66.

Top division player Ricky Stockwell compiled a gross one-over-par back nine on his way to a net 68. while Lee Bellham finished a couple of strokes back in third position.

Cold Ashby

Selwyn Lloyd and Stuart Thomas will be looking to seal the last spot in the second round of the Winter League Pairs KO event when they face Glenn Bass and Adrian Todd this weekend.

Andy Begley and Robert Steane completed the line-up in the bottom half of the draw after defeating John Boston and David Tinston in their opening match.

Whittlebury

Forty points was the best score in the latest 9 O’Clock Club Competition as Paul James came out on top in the first round of the Winter Trophy.

The 14-handicapper’s consistency lifted him one and two points respectively ahead of Dennis Hackett and Mike Swinnerton, who both finished strongly.

Cherwell Edge

Philip Lee’s net 63 pushed him one ahead of Keith Pauling in the fifth round of the Seniors Winter League. David Allen and Dave Stansfield were a further shot off the pace.

Pat Durant (34) was successful in the Ladies January Stableford as she finished one and two points ahead of Gillian Keenan and Sandy Pattenden respectively.

Silverstone

Pete Yates made the most of the better weather conditions on Sunday as he won the Pro Shop Stableford with an excellent round of 43 points. Trevor Barnes (40) collected the runners-up prize by two from Dougie Mitchell.

Long Buckby overcame a battling Cannock 26-10 side to book their place in the final of the prestigious RFU Midlands Junior Vase.

Bucks ran in tries through Ed Sitch, Luke Foster, Jake Toseland and Ben Walton to seal their place in the final, but they don’t as yet know their opponents.

The other semi-final between Rugby Lions and Cleethorpes was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, and the pair will try again on February 22.

Despite the wetness of the Station Road pitch and the windy conditions, there was some great rugby played.

Cannock got off to a good start and after 15 minsutes they led 3-0.

However Buckby were quickly coming to terms with the oppositions plan to send their inside centre on the crash ball with Luke Foster, Nick Dixon and Sam Evans 
all putting in some tidy tackles.

On 20 minutes Buckby kicked a penalty to the corner.

From the line out won by Andrew Tarplee, Cannock came in at the side and Buckby called for the scrum only 10 metres out.

When Cannock infringed for the third time, back row Toseland took a quick tap and went over for the try.

Another penalty meant another kick to the corner and this time the ball went down the line. Cannock again tackled well in mid field but after a couple of phases scrum half Richard Ryan fed Foster who was well supported by Tim Dixon.

He put the ball wide to Sitch who was in for Buckby’s second try and a 10-3 lead.

Just before half-time prop Tim Lewis made a great charge and fed Sam Evans who was held up inches short.

However Buckby were patient enough to go through a series of phases taking the ball left and when Toseland was also held up short this tied in enough Cannock defenders for centre Foster to come though on the crash and score to make it 15-3.

Buckby were playing down the slope and with the wind at their backs in the second half, and they scored a fourth try through Walton before Andrew Frankland banged over a penalty. Buckby were 23-3 ahead and coasting.

Cannock responded well though and went on to enjoy their best spell of the 
match, which resulted in a converted try to make the score 23-10.

The visitors kept pushing, but couldn’t manage another score and another Frankland penalty near the end sealed the win.

The final is scheduled to be played on March 15, with opponents and venue to be confirmed.

TOWCESTRIANS

Towcestrians move up to second spot

Towcestrians moved up to second in South West One East after a comfortable 38-5 win over Maidenhead at Greens Norton Road.

Tows started well through a try from out of position Martyn Harvey who was forced to play on the wing. He scampered over wide out.

The fortune continued for Tows as they moved the ball well to find Adam Wilkinson who finished in the other corner.

Matt Yuill converted from touch with the wind behind him.

Tows now had the upper hand and their domination in the scrums lead to two tries for the team. Chrissie George and Dave Stocks both getting themselves on the score sheet, Yuill converting both.

The score at the end of the half was 26-0. Tows looked firmly in control having already grabbed the bonus point.

The visitors, now with the wind at their backs scored a constellation try shortly into the second half which was quickly stamped out.

Tows came straight back, second row Chris Kirby charging for the line found Yuill in support to touch down.

Tows saved the best till last with a very well worked try, sucking players in through the forwards then releasing the backs and fly-half Charlie Barker to touch down under the posts.

Tows’ second string were pipped 13-12 by Daventry’s first team, while the colts side beat Mens Own colts 29-7.

OLD NORTHAMPTONIANS

Hammersley denied as ONs IIs lose out

Old Northamptonians’ second string were beaten 26-19 by Cambridge Wanderers.

The ONs trailed 19-5 at half-time with their only score coming from a Ben Hammersley try, although Hammersley was denied another when the referee was probably the only person on the pitch not to see his early touch down after pressure on the Cambridge line. A Sam Howes’ try soon after the break converted by Alex Rose reduced the deficit but poor tackling allowed Cambridge a fourth touch down and with the conversion they led 26-12.Rose dummied over and added the two points but Cambridge held on for their win.

DAVENTRY

Ryan shines as Dav see off Southam

Daventry Development XV had a change of opposition on Saturday when Casuals dropped out, so instead they travelled to face Southam IIs.

Arriving early they found Southam short on players so three Daventry players, Ryan Compston, Harry Dudgeon and Kelsey Myton swapped shirts.

Although played in very wet and cold conditions, both teams really tried to run the ball and attacked at every opportunity.

The Southam centre bustled over the line for the first score which was converted and Daventry knew they were in for a tough game.

It was some time before Daventry got their first score which was supplied by the increasingly reliable Ollie Haynes who gathered a cross field kick to score out wide.

Although the conversion was missed the score encouraged the Daventry attack and Perry Davis fought off several defenders and one or two of his own players , for a deserved score. Luke Essex scored the conversion.

Before the break Southam defended their line stoutly before finally succumbing to a Jared Quinn try. The half time score was 17-7.

At the break Daventry swapped back their players and instead Russ Welch, Harry Heathcock, Ollie Haynes and Billy Markham all played for the opposition.

Straight away they made some strong attacks.

In the end Southam could not fashion a score and it was left to Jared Quinn to barge over for his second which was again converted by Essex for a final score of 24-7.

It was a great display of sportsmanship to make the game playable and very enjoyable for all. Man of the match was Ryan Compston who played very well for both teams.

RESULTS

February 1

South West One East: Reading 5 Oxford Harlequins 73, Salisbury 20 Newbury Blues 6, Swindon 45 Marlow 0, Towcestrians 38 Maidenhead 5, Witney 30 Cheltenham 12

Midlands One East: Market Rasen & Louth 22 Paviors 7, Peterborough Lions 66 Coalville 7

Midlands Four East (South): Old Newtonians 77 Bourne 9

Midlands Junior Vase semi-final: Long Buckby 26 Cannock 10

FIXTURES

February 8

South West One East: Buckingham v Newbury Blues, Cheltenham v Marlow, Devizes v Maidenhead, Swindon v Salisbury, Towcestrians v Reading, Windsor v Oxford Harlequins, Witney v Grove

Midlands One East: Bugbrooke v Mansfield, Coalville v Kettering, Derby v Ilkeston, Old Northamptonians v Newark, Paviors v Matlock, Peterborough v Market Rasen & Louth, Peterborough Lions v Huntingdon & District

Midlands Two East: Lutterworth v Leighton Buzzard, Market Harborough v Leicester Forest, Newbold on Avon v Dunstablians, Northampton BBOB v Rushden & Higham, Northampton Old Scouts v Olney, Oadby Wyggestonians v Wellingborough

Midlands Three East (South): Daventry v Deepings, Northampton Casuals v Brackley, Northampton Mens Own v Biggleswade, Queens v Stockwood Park, Rugby St Andrews v Stewarts & Lloyds, St Ives (Midlands) v Vipers

Midlands Four East (South): Corby v Bourne, Kempston v Bedford Swifts, Old Newtonians v Thorney, Oundle v Stamford College Old Boys, St Neots v Westwood

David Cardoza has issued an apoology to the Cobblers supporters for ‘having a lot to put up with’ in the past two months of what has been a turbulent season.

But the Town owner has stressed the time for unity between the fans, the board of directors and the playing and coaching staff has to be now as the club continues to fight against relegation from the Football League.

The club was criticised for the delays in appointing new manager Chris Wilder, who took charge of the club 36 days after Aidy Boothroyd was sacked and with just a week of the transfer window remaining.

Cardoza himself admitted he was frustrated at the length of time that elapsed between the two managerial appointments.

Now, however, he wants to hold off on any ‘inquests’ into the events of the recent past and has encouraged the club’s fan base to get firmly behind Wilder and his remodelled Cobblers side.

“The role of the fans will be huge,” he said. “It is time for everyone to get behind the team.

“We can hold the inquests at the end of the season. Chris and the players really need the fans now, we need to stick together and go for it.

“Hopefully the fans have seen we as a club and a board have spent a huge amount of money recently on Chris Wilder’s compensation, Aidy Boothroyd’s compensation, all the new players, paying up other players etc, doing everything we can to correct the position we are in.

“I am sure the fans are onside, they have been great so far, having to put up with a lot and we are sorry about that, but we need them even more now.”

Chris Hackett is in line to return to the Cobblers squad for Saturday’s game against Plymouth Argyle after recovering from a hamstring tear.

The influential winger was pencilled in to make his comeback in last week’s game at Cheltenham but just missed out.

He has, however, been training with the squad this week and will be included for the visit of the Pilgrims to Sixfields.

Hackett’s return means manager Chris Wilder will only be without long-term injured trio Kelvin Langmead (knee), Alex Nicholls (broken leg) and Lewis Hornby (back), none of whom have played this season.

Wilder has spoken to all three players but is unable to pinpoint a date for the recovery of any, although Langmead has resumed light running.

Chris Wilder’s recruitment as Cobblers boss is not over yet despite the recently-appointed manager signing five new players.

But Wilder is mindful of the need to balance the books at Sixfields and confirmed some of the current squad will be leaving the club in the near future.

Wilder has brought in Alan Connell, Emile Sinclair, Ricky Ravenhill, Leon McSweeney and Gregor Robertson in what has been a significant overhaul of the squad.

He has also sent back loan players Hallam Hope, Sean McGinty, Matty Blair and James Hurst and terminated the contract of Ishmel Demontagnac.

Such decisions have been made as a matter of urgency, with the team rock bottom in Sky Bet League Two.

And Wilder told the Chron this week that the upheaval is likely to continue, with new players possibly even arriving in time for Saturday’s visit of Plymouth Argyle to Sixfields (ko 3pm ).

“We are still looking to make signings and there might be a couple that go out of the building as well,” said Wilder, whose reign as Town boss began with a 1-1 draw at Cheltenham Town last weekend.

“There will be lads that don’t play and don’t see a future here and we’ll be up front and honest with them.

“There has to be a balancing act. The chairman has been first class and he has backed me 100 per cent.

“It’s a difficult market place, especially when you’re trying to sign players at the top end of the pitch and I’m pleased with the business that we’ve done there.

“We’ve got players with desire and quality and there has to be a balancing of the books so one or two might have to go.

“But we’re always looking so that we’re at our strongest now.

“It’s happening now and we can’t wait until March and April to make things happen.”

The man accused of killing Giuseppe Miceli searched for his own name and the word “murder” on the internet shortly after the coin dealer was killed in his Northampton home, a court heard.

Mark Ellson, aged 41, is also said to have searched for terms including ‘best place to hit head’ and ‘how hard hit someone knock them out’ shortly before the attack on Mr Miceli last July, a jury at Northampton Crown Court was told.

Ellson, who denies murder, also visited the Chronicle & Echo’s website to see if there was a report about Mr Miceli’s death.

Mr Miceli, aged 71, died some time between 11.10am on Friday, July 12, 2013 and 12.30pm the following day, at his home in Bants Lane, Duston.

The jury at Ellson’s trial heard that Martin Gibbs, a computer forensic examiner from Northamptonshire Police, examined a laptop computer Ellson had been using, and discovered a number of words he had searched for in the days leading up to, and after, the time Mr Miceli died.

First, Ellson is said to have searched for ‘Miceli’ and ‘Bants Lane’ and then searched for details about collectible coins on auction site eBay, the court heard.

On another occasion, he is said to have searched for ‘best place to hit head’ and ‘Best place to hit head knock them out’, before searching for ‘how hard hit someone knock them out’, and then the same phrase with the words ‘back of head’ and ‘hammer’ as a suffix.

Then on July 13, Ellson is said to have made a number of searches on a public computer in a tourist information centre in Nottingham for his own name, ‘Northampton news headlines’ and ‘Murder Northampton’

On the morning of July 15, he is said to have made separate searches for ‘Giuseppe Miceli’ and ‘murder Northampton’, and also visited the Chronicle & Echo website to see if there were any details of the story.

There were not, as the report did not appear on the Chron’s website until later that day.

On another occasion, Ellson is said to have searched for ‘overdose drugs lethal amount’

Another witness, who knew Ellson when he lived in Wellingborough, described him as a “sponger” in a statement read earlier in the day.

Ellson knew the woman through a mutual friend and texted her regularly complaining that he was short of money, the court heard.

He told the woman he had been given a £700 fine for a motoring offence and needed to borrow £300 towards it, which she lent him.

She then lent him a further £150 when he said he had an “urgent bill” which needed paying. He only repaid £100 of the total amount, it was said.

The woman, who then broke off contact, said: “I’d had enough of his moaning about having no money. I did not want him sponging from me any more, so I deleted his number.”

The trial continues.

Traces of Giuseppe Miceli’s blood were found on a laptop case seized from murder suspect Mark Ellsom when he was arrested, a court heard.

The case of the computer was sent away for forensic investigation.

And the results showed there was a “one in a billion” chance of it not being Mr Micelli’s blood, a jury at Northampton Crown Court was told.

Mr Miceli, aged 71, died of head injuries some time between 11.10am on Friday, July 12, 2013, and 12.30pm the following day, at his home in Bants Lane, Duston.

Ellson, aged 41, formerly of Wellingborough, denies murder.

Giving evidence at the trial, forensic scientist Penelope Griffiths said the one in a billion figure was a “conservative estimate.”

She also said clothes seized from Ellsom were checked for blood, but none was detected.

Describing the crime scene, Mrs Griffiths said she found blood on the doorframes and doorhandles of the bathroom and lounge, but not the front door.

There was also blood on the floor of the living room, on the sofa, on an armchair, and on a number of surfaces.

Mrs Griffiths said that at various points after the attack, Mr Miceli had sat in his armchair; laid on his sofa and attempted to stem the flow of blood with a towel, as well as walking into the bathroom.

There was also blood on surfaces which would have been consistent with Mr Miceli being hit while he was on the floor, or slipping over and falling “extremely heavily,” Mrs Griffiths said.

Mrs Griffiths said it was not possible to ascertain what order these events occurred, although she could be sure each had happened.

Describing the DNA profiling, she said: “A sample was taken of the blood spots. Both were sent for full profiling, and both matched fully the blood of Giuseppe Miceli.”

Ellson denies the charge of murder. The trial continues.

Chris Wilder has urged the Cobblers supporters to recreate the atmosphere they generated for the visits of Oxford United when he takes charge of his first home game tomorrow.

Wilder is well acquainted with the away dug-out at Sixfields, having sat in it three times when in charge of the Us.

Those three visits were all characterised by two things - vociferous support for both sides and single-goal winning margins for Northampton.

While Plymouth will not bring the same level of support that Oxford, who are Town’s nearest league two rivals in geographical terms, do, a healthy crowd is still expected.

The home fans will be hoping to see the start of a new chapter in what has been a dire season so far, with renewed confidence among the paying punters that Wilder, who has signed five new players, can lift the team off the bottom of the Football League.

And the new boss has promised to give the long-suffering Sixfields faithful plenty to shout about in his maiden home outing.

“I don’t think I’ve ever got a result here,” said Wilder, whose first game in charge of the Cobblers ended in a 1-1 draw at Cheltenham. “I’ve been here a few times and there has always been a good crowd here.

“My previous club would always bring a good following here because of the proximity and there was always a terrific atmosphere for those games.

“The home support, whenever I have brought a team here, have really got behind the home team and they never seemed to be a crowd that went in for negativity.

“That’s what we need and I know it’s difficult for a manager to ask for that after what the fans have had to put up with this season.

“But this is a time for everybody to come together. The players have to start it off and give the supporters something to shout about and we’ll be doing that.

“We’ll be going on the front foot and hopefully the fans will enjoy that and respond to that.”

The sister of Paul Barber said she feared her brother was going to kill someone unless he was given professional medical and mental health support.

Giving evidence at the inquest on Tuesday, Paula Lloyd-Chamberlain said she believed her brother’s behaviour had changed after he started overdosing on the medication he took to treat the Parkinson’s Disease he suffered from.

Mrs Lloyd-Chamberlain told the jury she knew in December 2006 that her brother’s marriage to Ms Robinson had deteriorated due to his behaviour.

She said her brother spent time in John Radcliffe Hospital in April 2007 and was diagnosed with diamorphine dysregulation syndrome.

Mrs Lloyd-Chamberlain said his condition appeared to improve when he was in hospital as his medication was properly regulated, but he then deteriorated as soon as he was released.

She said her brother became “obsessed” with Ms Robinson and went to her workplace on May 9 and made threats to kill her.

Mrs Lloyd-Chamberlain said she attempted to stop him from following Ms Robinson by getting hold of his car keys and hiding his car.

However, Barber would get round this by hiring a car.

In a bid to stop her brother overdosing on his Parkinson’s medication, Mrs Barber spoke to his doctor and made sure he was only prescribed pills in small amounts.

However, Barber got hold of more medication by buying it off the internet.

Mrs Lloyd-Chamberlain said she took a call from her brother in May 2007 when he told her that he had handed himself into Campbell Square police station and told officers that he needed help as he feared he was “going to hurt someone”.

Mrs Lloyd-Chamberlain said that when she heard about the fire on New Year’s Day, she had thought “oh my God” as she had “grave fears” that something like this was going to happen if nothing was done to stop it.

A flood warning has been issued by the Environment Agency for the River Nene in Northamptonshire.

People living in low-lying areas near the river between Daventry and Billing are being warned to take precautions as more heavy rain is predicted during the weekend.

People living near tributaries of the river in Daventry, Weedon, Badby, Nether Heyford, Bugbrooke, Blisworth, Collingtree, and Moulton are also being warned about possible floods.

The A5 at Kilsby is partially blocked at the A428 junction, because of flooding. Drivers are also warned to take care due to flooding on Banbury Lane near Rothersthorpe.

Paul Mustow, Flood Risk manager at the Environment Agency, said: “We’re preparing for yet more heavy rain into the weekend, which is falling on already saturated ground following the wettest January on record.

“We urge people to stay safe and not to walk or drive through flood water which can be dangerous.”

Samu Manoa is revelling in his status as a Saints fans’ favourite.

The powerhouse lock enhanced his burgeoning reputation with another two blockbusting scores to seal a 20-16 LV= Cup win against Saracens last weekend.

Supporters in the Gordon Terrace were once again in full voice as they serenaded their American star to the tune of Seven Nation Army.

And Manoa is happy to be following in the footsteps of former Saints prop Brian Mujati in claiming his own Franklin’s Gardens chant.

“I thought I was tripping when I came back from my first try and I heard them singing a song with my name in it,” said Manoa. “It’s good.

“I suppose I can see myself like Mooj and that was good.

“It was a good game and we’ve got good support. I’m loving it here.”

Saints have now won their past three games against Saracens, with Manoa man of the match in each one.

And the current player of the year believes he and his team-mates have got into the minds of their rivals.

Manoa said: “It started from the semi-final win there in May and I think we got in their head a little bit.

“Every game is a crucial game and we really wanted that semi-final. We got it.”

The wet weather has put paid to sport on Northampton’s council pitches yet again this weekend.

Heavy rain overnight has left many of the town’s pitches waterlogged today (Fri), and with more heavy rain forecast for Friday night, it has been decided to postpone all matches.

A Northampton Borough Council statement on Twitter read: “Unfortunately, due to waterlogged pitches there will be no football or rugby matches on our parks this weekend.”

The move has been made to protect the pitches from serious and more long-term damage, with the council making this point in response to a frustrated footballer: “Playing on parks when waterlogged damages them and takes weeks to recover.”

It is the second weekend in a row that all matches on council pitches in Northampton have had to be postponed, and the third time already in 2014.

The picture doesn’t look much brighter for many of the areas other clubs that play on private pitches either, but the Cobblers are confident their Sky Bet League Two clash with Plymouth Argyle will go ahead tomorrow.

The club has invested in new waterproof covers which were used for the first time on Thursday night, and they seem to have had the desired affect.

Statements from the club on Twitter read: “The pitch covers saved the pitch from a huge amount of rain last night and did a terrific job.

“Pitch in good condition as the covers are removed. Sunny and dry day forecast with some rain to come overnight. Covers back down later.

“Groundstaff have done a wonderful job keeping pitch in such a good condition. Will update should conditions change but no inspection planned.”

Follow @chronsport on Twitter for all the latest news on postponements or games going ahead on Saturday.

Saints have made seven changes to their team for the Aviva Premiership game at Exeter Chiefs on Saturday.

Alex Waller, Calum Clark and Sam Dickinson return from England Saxons duty, while Salesi Ma’afu, and Phil Dowson are back after being rested for last weekend’s win over Saracens.

Stephen Myler and Christian Day, who came off the bench during the LV= Cup success, make their return to the starting line-up.

Ethan Waller, Gareth Denman, GJ van Velze, Ben Nutley and Will Hooley are all named among the replacements after impressing on Anglo-Welsh duty.

Saints will be bidding to secure their ninth win in a row in all competitions at Sandy Park on Saturday evening (kick-off 7pm)

Saints: Wilson; K Pisi, G Pisi, Waldouck, Elliott; Myler, Fotuali’i; A Waller, Haywood, Ma’afu, Manoa, C Day, Clark, Dowson (c), Dickinson.

Replacements: McMillan, E Waller, Denman, van Velze, Nutley, A Day, Hooley, Autagavaia.

Exeter: Arscott; Jess, Whitten, Dollman, James; Steenson, Lewis; Moon, Yeandle, Brown, Mumm (c), Welch, Ewers, Scaysbrook, Horstmann.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Rimmer, Tui, Armand, Johnson, Thomas, Slade, Vainikolo

The Cobblers have given themselves the best chance possible of staying in the Football League this season - what remains now is the small matter of actually completing the job.

The past six or seven weeks have probably been the most expensive since David Cardoza took control of the football club more than 12 years ago.

It was a period which started with the settlement with departing manager Aidy Boothroyd and finished with a compensation payment to Oxford United for their boss, Chris Wilder.

In between those two chequebook-thumping events, countless players have come and gone; loan fees have been paid, wage contributions met, contract termination packages ageed, signing-on fees shelled out and still, even now, the spending continues.

In terms of the players signed, it is hard to imagine how they could have done any better, although there remains an issue with creativity in midfield.

The pace and attacking instinct of Leon McSweeney was the eye-catcher at Cheltenham and could be given a start against Plymouth, Alan Connell had some nice touches but needs games to sharpen up, Ricky Ravenhill is the exact same brute of a player he was in his loan spell and Emile Sinclair brings an ungainly quickness to the forward line that no other current player does.

Of course, all of them are gambles.

There are no ‘safe bet’ signings in football unless you want to spend the kind of Manchester City-level money that is going to guarantee quality, but they all have good experience and should be better options than short-term loan additions.

The whole concept of sacking a manager and replacing him with another one is a gamble, too.

What Cardoza and the board of directors have essentially done in the past couple of months is roll the dice. Pay the money and see what happens.

Due dilligence has been done but nothing can be guaranteed - as the appointments of Boothroyd himself and Gary Johnson, men with comfortably the best acumen for the job, perfectly illustrated.

But credit should go to the club’s owners for putting their money where their mouths are.

The consequences of dropping out of the Football League are so stark for Northampton Town that they do not even - at this stage - bear contemplation.

So the spending now was entirely necessary but it still represents a tangible commitment to the cause that can be directly measured in pounds and pence.

Now it’s down to the players and the coaching staff to match that show of faith by producing the results that keep the club in the Football League.

Aviva Premiership games don’t come much tougher than a trip to Exeter on a wet and windy night during the Six Nations.

But that’s exactly what’s in store for Saints this weekend as they aim to make it nine wins in succession in all competitions.

It is a pivotal weekend for Jim Mallinder’s men, who are bidding to stay in touch with Saracens at the summit.

The Allianz Park outfit should claim victory at home to London Irish, while the other sides with realistic top-four chances, Leicester, Bath and Harlequins, will also be expected to prevail.

That leaves Saints, who have it all on to come away from Sandy Park with a successful outcome.

Exeter are missing just one player – Jack Nowell – to England duty, and will be expected to cook up a storm in blustery conditions.

Saints, shorn of eight internationals, including injured duo Alex Corbisiero and Ben Foden, will need to grit their teeth and show just why they are being heavily tipped for the title this season.

There has been plenty of talk about increased squad depth from fans, players and coaches – and the starting 15 shows why.

Despite missing Corbisiero, Dylan Hartley, Courtney Lawes and Tom Wood, the Saints forwards still look capable of packing a mighty punch.

It was an area in which dominance was achieved at Sandy Park in the Premiership meeting last January, with Saints simply too strong for their hosts in the second half.

Soane Tonga’uiha and GJ van Velze were the beneficiaries of irresistible forward surges as the Chiefs were beaten up by the opposition pack, falling to a 30-19 defeat.

And more of the same will be needed tomorrow in a mud and thunder fixture that will test those much vaunted Saints resources.

But the biggest challenges can bring the most extreme feelings of elation, and if Saints can secure another win at Sandy Park, they will deserve a huge pat on the back and a couple of beers.

Because with games against Worcester, Newcastle and Gloucester coming up before the LV= Cup semi-final showdown against Sarries, they would be marching towards a top-two finish.

That is the minimum requirement from a league campaign that has so far yielded 10 wins from 12 games.

It is a fine record, especially when you consider the other two matches have been a draw at Leicester and a controversial late defeat at Gloucester.

Saints have shown a penchant for negotiating tricky hurdles this season, and they will certainly need to do so again on Saturday night.

Police are trying to find a mystery woman who may have vital information about a burglary.

On December 20 last year, a house in Rushden was broken into and a number of items were stolen, including an iPad.

Three weeks after the burglary, the owner of the iPad noticed photographs of a mystery woman had been attached to the device’s iCloud account, which is an online data storage service.

It is thought the woman could have unwittingly bought the iPad from the people who stole it.

Anyone with information about the burglary, or who knows the woman in the picture, can contact Northamptonshire Police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.