A widower believes his wife would have survived had Northampton General Hospital doctors diagnosed her fractured hip sooner in the run up to her death.

Irish born Esther McKenna, of Ledaig Way, Spinney Hill, passed away after contracting pneumonia while at the hospital on October 14, 2013.

She had been admitted to the accident and emergency department after falling while trying to pick a cup up from a table at her home on October 5, which knocked her unconscious.

But an inquest into her death yesterday revealed that doctors missed signs of an undisplaced fracture in her femur until five days after her admission, believing it to be heavy bruising, which her husband Patrick, 84, believed contributed to her death.

He said: “If my wife had been diagnosed properly in the first place we would not have been going through this now.”

Mr McKenna said that he, his wife and paramedics who treated her at home, all suspected that she had a fractured hip.

Mrs McKenna suffered from a number of complicated health issues including diabetes, chronic kidney disease, asthma, severe back pain, hypertension and stroke.

In his postmortem report into Mrs McKenna’s death, Dr David Fattah also believed that the delay in diagnosing the fracture “minimally contributed to Mrs McKenna’s death.”

However he said the pneumonia was the main cause when considering Mrs Mckenna’s other underlying health issues.

The inquest heard how Mrs McKenna was first assessed by Dr Adburraham Nagjar in the accident and emergency ward, who said X-rays did not appear to show signs of a fracture.

He referred the scans to consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Muztar Faizi, who chose not to order a second X-ray or an MRI scan of the patient, because Mrs McKenna could move her leg.

He told the inquest: “Moving a leg with a fracture is something we don’t see. I have not seen that before.

“I was very surprised that a fracture was identified and when I discussed this with a consultant he was very surprised as well.”

While first displaying signs of pain in her back and hips, by October 10, Mrs McKenna was showing signs of infection and doctors began treating her for pneumonia.

The inquest heard from more than one witness how elderly people are considered a high risk of catching the infection while being treated at hospital.

The fact that doctor’s missed the fracture until another review of her hip X-rays on October 10 meant her condition had deteriorated so much, she was unsuitable for surgery. She died on October 14, having suffered multiple heart attacks.

Mr McKenna, had also raised concerns that his wife had been given too much morphine while at the Brampton Ward of the hospital, which specialises in elderly care.

“There had to be a cause for this pain,” he said. “But they were just pumping her with painkillers.

“By 2pm (On Wednesday, October 9) she had lost her voice and was totally unable to talk.”

He went on to say: “Her whole system shut down, there was no response from her, not even in her eyes.”

Specialist registrar in elderly medicine Dr Peter Rhead suspended Mrs McKenna’s morphine on Wednesday, October 9, suspecting she may have been suffering from a possible overdose.

However a serious incident review of the 80-year-old’s care concluded that doctors acted within medical guidelines by prescribing her strong painkillers from her admission, as the patient was suffering from intense pain in her hip and back.

The postmortem report did not attribute Mrs McKenna’s death to an overdose of opiates.

Concluding the inquest, coroner Anne Pember returned a narrative verdict.

She said: “I am unable to say whether early diagnosis of her hip fracture would have resulted in a different outcome.”

A spokesperson for Northampton General Hospital said: “This is a sad case and we would like to pass on our condolences and sympathy to the family of Mrs McKenna. We carried out our own investigation and completed a report which included an action plan to enhance the support we provide to patients who are admitted with falls.”

People in Northamptonshire struggling to pay water bills may be eligible for a huge discount by April through a new Anglian Water price plan.

The social tariff will be administered by Central and East Northamptonshire CAB, an advice cahrity based in Mercer’s Row, and is likely to offer discounts well in excess of 50 per cent to those in need.

Customers with tiny amounts of disposable income will be put forward for consideration for the tariff after approaching either the water company or their local CAB office.

They will then undergo a deeper assessment carried out by the CAB in Northampton, who will at the same time tell them of other ways of maximising their income.

Martin Lord, chief executive of Central and East Northamptonshire CAB, said: “We are very pleased that Anglian Water have recognised that people on low incomes can often benefit from the advice and guidance we can offer.

“For example, supporting people to increase their income, and to signpost or refer them to sources of local advice if they come from outside Northamptonshire.”

The social tariff will be introduced region-wide in April 2015, and Mr Lord is currently recruiting staff to a new team that will help administer the tariff.

He is currently recruiting supervisory staff, assessors and administrators to help deliver the scheme.

It will add to other measures the water company offers to help customers struggling to pay, such as free water meters and water saving

devices and a special Anglian Water Assistance Fund for customers facing real hardship.

Spencer Hough, Head of Billing and Collections for Anglian Water said: “Citizen’s Advice Bureau will add specialist skills and expertise to

ensure our means of assessing customers is robust, fair and enables us to help those who need it most.

“We’re pleased our partnership will also support local services and mean new jobs are created in Northamptonshire.”

Details of the new posts are on the national Citizens Advice website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk

A Northampton man who persuaded a schoolgirl to send him naked photographs of herself after talking on Facebook has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Sean Fallon, aged 21, was caught after the 13-year-old’s mother became suspicious and installed spy monitoring software which could access her daughter’s Facebook page.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Fallon was living in Northampton, 50 miles from the girl’s home in Lincolnshire, when they began talking to each other over the internet in the spring of 2013.

Michael Cranmer-Brown, prosecuting, said the girl’s mother discovered she had been having inappropriate contact with somebody calling themselves Sean “cheeky” Fallon when she installed the spy monitoring software in June 2013.

Mr Cranmer-Brown said: “It was plain the activity involved sexualised conversations and the sending of photographs.”

Fallon asked about the girl’s breasts and tried to persuade her to send him photographs despite the fact she was “reluctant and refused on a number of occasions,” Mr Cranmer-Brown added.

The girl eventually sent Fallon three photographs after he sent her a naked picture of himself, the court heard. Fallon also persuaded the girl to perform a sexual act on herself.

Robert Underwood, mitigating, told the court Fallon was an “immature” 19-year-old at the time of the offences and had not been in trouble before.

Mr Underwood said: “He was unemployed and often sat alone and isolated.

“He has come to court terrified of losing his liberty.”

Fallon, of Stockmead Road, Priors Meadow, Northampton, admitted two charges of intentionally inciting a child in to sexual activity and to take pornographic pictures.

He was sentenced to two years imprisonment suspended for two years and placed under the supervision of a probation officer for two years. He was also made the subject of Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which will last for five years and must register as a sex offender.

Passing sentence Recorder Nicholas Syfret QC told Fallon: “I don’t want you in any doubt about the seriousness of what you have done. You have shown a lack of understanding on the impact of your behaviour.”

The Recorder added: “Thirteen-year-olds have to be protected from everybody, and have to be protected from 19-year-olds.”

Kahn Fotuali’i can’t understand why Lee Dickson has been omitted by England during the Six Nations.

But the Samoan star has backed his Saints team-mate to rise to the challenge of reclaiming his international spot.

Dickson was named in the England EPS squad in October, but did not play a part in any of the November internationals.

And he has yet to get a minute of Six Nations action, with Leicester’s Ben Youngs and Saracens’ Richard Wigglesworth named in the matchday squads.

Fotuali’i feels Dickson is playing well enough to be given a shot, and he believes the 29-year-old will soon get back in the mix.

“I was getting used to Lee being away last year and I got a run of games, but it’s good having him here,” said the former Ospreys player.

“He’s a leader of the squad, he’s always chirpy and positive, which is good around this sort of period.

“Last year, Lee was on form and in the autumn he made the initial squad, but just got pushed out of the back.

“I couldn’t see why because he was playing well, but I suppose the other players brought different styles of play.

“He’s just got to focus on his job here and control his performances and hopefully us players around him, with our forwards and backs, will help him out.

“He’s playing really well and hopefully a couple months down the track he’ll get back in.

“Lee will look forward to the challenge.”

Emergency services have been called out to a van which caught fire on the M1 near Northamptonshire.

Fire and ambulance services responded to a call at 8.30am this morning with reports of a van on fire just before junction 15 for Northampton on the northbound carriageway.

Northamptonshire Police have confirmed that they were not needed at the scene and that the ambulance service were called as a precaution but nobody was injured.

Roadworks on two of Northampton’s busiest roundabouts are on track to be completed by April, Northamptonshire County Council has said.

Work is currently being carried out on the Gas Street roundabout in the town centre and the Round Spinney roundabout to increase the amount of lanes and improve the road surface.

The county council has announced that both projects are now in their “final phase”, with overnight road closures due to be put in place in March.

At the Gas Street roundabout, the work will take place in two phases with the first 12-night tranche between Monday, March 2 and Friday, March 13 and the second 10-night block between Monday, March 16 and Wednesday, March 25.

Work during the daytime will continue with night time working and road closures between 8pm and 6am.

At the Round Spinney roundabout, the work will be carried out between Sunday, March 8 and Monday, March 23, with night time road closures between 8pm and 6am.

Councillor Michael Clarke, county council cabinet member for transport, highways and environment, said working at night was less disruptive to traffic and local businesses.

He said: “We are taking this opportunity to provide a more long term solution to improve the standard of the road and are ensuring this resurfacing work is done before the busy trading period of Easter.

“The work can also be carried out more effectively and more quickly as well as being safer to work at night when the streets are quieter and there are fewer pedestrians.”

In total, the roadworks have cost £6.8million, including £3.9 million from the Government, as part of a county council scheme to improve the capacity of the infrastructure and enable and facilitate growth in the town.

A council spokesman said every effort would be made to carry out the noisier activities in the early part of the night and vehicles have been fitted with low frequency reversing bleepers, which are designed to limit audible noise outside the danger zone, but are still effective and safe.

The manager of a Northampton charity shop is urging witnesses to come forward after burglars stole £350 from the store safe.

The Mind shop on Alexandra Place in Kingsthorpe was raided between 5.30pm on Saturday (February 21) and 9am the following Monday.

A top floor window was forced open and the safe, till money and even a charity collection tin that had no more than five pence in it was taken from the premises.

They also took a digital radio given to the staff and volunteers there as a gift, a plastic till tray and an accounting book.

Manager Toni York is hoping people will contact police on 101 if they have any information on the break-in, as it is the second time in eight months the store has been targeted by criminals.

In June last year two men pushed over a member of staff before taking cash form the till.

Miss York said: “I’m totally at a loss as to why they would target us.

“They’ve not thought about what they have taken at all. Why do they need a plastic tray and a bank book?

“To take that much risk to break into a building for £350 is very strange.”

“But to us that is a lot of money, it’s really going to make a dent in our takings.”

Miss York said she had recently emptied the collection tin before it was taken and knows it only had five pence in it as she had placed the coin in there after she found it on the floor while hoovering.

Miss York added that the break-in and the robbery last year have had an effect on staff morale.

“There is only me and an assistant manager who are paid here,” she said.

“We rely solely on the kindness of our volunteers to run the shop. These are nice people , they should not have to put up with this sort of thing.”

Anyone with any information can call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or use the anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

Bosses of the Northampton-based Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) have praised the Academy Awards for recognising Eddie Redmayne’s ‘brilliant’ portrayal of charity patron Stephen Hawkings with a best actor Oscar.

The British actor scooped the prestigious gong at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday night for his role in The Theory of Everything, where he played scientist Professor Stephen Hawkings, a long term sufferer of Motor Neurone Disease.

On accepting the award from Cate Blanchett, Redmayne, dedicated the award to “all of the people around the world battling” the condition.

Redmayne, who worked with the Northampton based charity while researching the role and even nominated its chief executive to take the ice bucket challenge last year, had already previously won a Golden Globe, Bafta and Screen Actors Guild for the performance.

Chris James, Director of external affairs at the MNDA, said: “We are delighted that the Academy has recognised Eddie for his amazing performance as Professor Hawking.

“Eddie made sure that his portrayal of our MND Association patron was true to the memoirs of an amazing family, as written by his first wife Jane Wilde.”

Mr James said that actor Redmayne spent many hours living with people who had Motor Neurone Disease, “studying the small details of the progression of the disease.”

He added: “Sadly, because of the usual rapid progression of MND, many of these individuals have since passed away.”

One person who met the actor several times was MND sufferer Glenn Phillip.

The 49-year-old from Bushey, in Watford, said watching the film was emotional and he saw how Eddie had used the time he had spent with him:

“I recognised the hands,” he said. “He was very interested in how I wrote and how I used my hands.

“At the time I was still walking a little bit, shuffling around the place.

“Eddie was keen to see how I did that because I had a stick. In the film, Professor Hawking was using a stick quite like me.”

Sally Light, Chief Executive of the MND Association said: “We are incredibly proud of the success of so many of our celebrity supporters at the Oscars this year.

“As an Association we worked with the people behind The Theory of Everything since 2013 and the film will continue to raise awareness of MND globally, with the Oscar for Eddie a fitting accolade for a project that took the responsibility of accurately portraying MND in one family, but on behalf of so many more people, so very seriously.”

A Northamptonshire car trader has been given a suspended prison sentence after admitting removing more than 750,000 from the odometers of 13 vehicles he then sold online.

Gershorn Hatinawedu, who ran a car workshop in Geddington Road, Corby, was charged with 17 counts of fraud following an investigation by Northamptonshire County Council Trading Standards officers.

The investigation revealed that Hatinawedu used false identities to buy cars cheaply on online auction sites. He then changed the odometers to a lower mileage before selling the cars on the Auto Trader website in order to make a greater profit.

One car had 130,000 miles taken off the clock. In total, more than 750,000 miles were removed from odometers of cars he sold on.

Hatinawedu is believed to have made a profit of £12,000 as a result of his fraudulent behaviour.

He was sentenced to an 18-month suspended prison sentence and 250 hours of unpaid work and was ordered to pay £500 costs during a hearing at Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday. The court also imposed a six-month curfew between the hours of 7pm and 7am.

Councillor André González de Savage, county council cabinet member for strategic infrastructure, economic growth and public protection, said: “This was a blatant attempt to defraud customers who unknowingly bought vehicles that had travelled more miles, consequently with more wear and tear, than they were led to believe.

“This is a great result for our Trading Standards team and I hope it will serve as a deterrent to dishonest traders and demonstrate that we will not hesitate to take action where appropriate.

“Anyone who has concerns about the working practices of any business can contact Trading Standards by calling Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 04 05 06.”

Shoppers in Northampton town centre are being asked not to ‘Kill with Kindness’ by giving money to beggars.

The ‘Killing with Kindness’ campaign is supported by Northamptonshire Police, Charities from Oasis House, housing support and community safety staff from Northampton Borough Council.

It aims to highlight the concern that gifts of money to homeless people are likely to be used to fuel a drink or drug habit.

PC Michael Rogers and PCSO Naomi Burkart-Barker will be supporting local agencies that offer long-term support at an event in the Grosvenor Centre on Friday, February 27, from 11am to 3pm.

The ongoing campaign aims to help raise awareness of and deal with the issues in the town centre relating to begging and street drinking.

Members of the public will be urged to consider giving a donation to charities, who work with people providing essential life skills and support, to introduce them back into society and ultimately a better quality of life.

Violence-prevention advice will be given at a s eries of community events organised by Northaptonshire Police.

As part of Opetation Limit, intensive policing acitivity has taken place across Northamptonshire throughout February aimed at cracking down on violent cime in the county.

The month will be rounded off by a high-impact weekend, with more robust policing activity taking place.

On Friday this week (February 27) there are a number of community events taking place where violence-prevention advice will be given.

7pm - Women’s Safety Talks at the following locations:

• Kingswood Neighbourhood Centre, Corby

• Redwood Leisure Centre, Barnwell Road, Wellingborough

• Heritage Church, Park Road, Rushden

• Abbey Centre, Market Square Daventry.

These will all include presentations from police officers around safety, tailored to women. There will be free advice leaflets and safety items given away at the event. Officers will also be available to speak to people on a one-to-one basis.

9am -11.30am Community event – Corby Cube

A roadshow focused on violence, where safety information will be distributed, with officers available to give help and advice.

12.30pm to 2.30pm - Community event, Kettering Newlands Centre

As above

7pm Kingswood Community Centre – Event focused on general safety and violence prevention. Safety packs will be available, with officers on-hand to give advice.

3pm onwards Odeon Cinema, Kettering

Officers will be at the Odeon cinema speaking to members of the public and offering crime-prevention and violence prevention advice.

Sheds, garages and cars have all been targeted during a spate of thefts acrosss two days in Northamptonshire.

Police in Towcester are now appealing for witnesses to come forward following the thefts across the town overnight on Sunday and into Monday.

Sheds were broken into at a house in Solly’s Way and two houses in Meadow Bank. A shed and garage were broken into in Belle Baulk and tools were stolen from a garden in Nene Lane.

Sat navs were stolen from two vehicles in Belle Baulk and property was taken from a glove box in Cappenham Close.

Officers are appealing for witnesses and are asking anyone who saw anything suspicious to call police.

Sergeant Tania Ash said: “We’ve had a number of incidents reported to us which all happened overnight on Sunday into Monday. Anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious or unusual, or has any information about the people involved, is asked to call us on 101.

“I would also encourage people to make sure their sheds, garages and homes are as secure as possible and would also urge drivers to remove sat navs and other valuables from their vehicles when they leave them, even if parked on the drive at home or only left for a short time.”

For more information about how to keep your home and property safe, visit www.northants.police.uk/crimeprevention.

Witnesses, or anyone with information, is asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Brackley Town boss Jon Brady has snapped up Dean Snedker as he looks to make sure his side stay clear of the Vanarama Conference North relegation zone.

The young keeper, who spent time on-loan at St James Park earlier in the season, was released by Northampton Town on Tuesday and Brady moved quickly to sign him on a permanent basis.

Brady said: “Dean did very well when he was with us earlier and with the March deadline coming up we needed to get some cover.

“Billy Turley cannot play every week with his back problems. He came out of retirement to help us out and has been fantastic for us, Dan Farrell has done very well when he’s come in but he’s still very young.”

A man who was walking through a car park in Blackthorn was attacked and left with a broken tooth, cuts and bruises.

The victim was walkikng through Blackthorn in Northampton when he was punched in the face by a man in an unprovoked attack on Friday, February 20.

The 39-year-old victim walked through the car park towards Blackthorn shops between 11.50pm on Friday and just past midnight on the Saturday.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said: He was approached by four men, one of whom asked the victim for a cigarette, which the victim supplied.

“He was then asked if he was on his way to the cashpoint, to which he replied that he was on his way home.

“At this point, one of the offenders hit him to the face, causing him to lose consciousness.”

The victim suffered bruising and swelling to his left eye, cuts above the eye requiring stitches, a broken tooth and cuts to his legs and shoulders.

The offenders were described as teenagers or young adults.

Anyone with any information can call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or use the anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

Dylan Hartley admits it is time England ended their wait for a Six Nations title.

And the Saints hooker knows a win in Sunday’s game against Ireland in Dublin will be vital to achieving that aim.

England have only won the Six Nations once since 2003, with the 2011 success the last time they claimed glory.

But with confidence high after an opening night triumph in Wales and a thumping success against Italy, Stuart Lancaster’s men head to the Aviva Stadium in buoyant mood.

And Hartley said: “This team is building. We’ve had our big losses, our big disappointments and it’s time we won something.

“We’re hungry and I’m not afraid to say it: we want to be Six Nations champions.

“It’s a long way to go but this weekend is a step towards that goal for us.

“Preparations have been going well, but no hiding - this is a crunch test for us. It’s another huge game away from home.

“We’ve been to Cardiff already, exorcised a few demons down there and this is a whole different challenge for us.

“It’s one we’re looking forward to and to keep our tournament hopes alive we’ve got to win this weekend.”

England 21-16 win in Wales on February 6 showed exactly what the current side is capable of.

And Hartley wants another huge performance in what promises to be another epic encounter this weekend.

He said: “We’re trying to replicate what we did (in Wales), how we went and won there, what we did during the week, the mindset of winning away from home.

“Nothing has been different this week because the challenge is the same. It’s a huge game away from home and hopefully on the day we turn up like we did in Wales.

“They’re in a good bit of form, they’re a confident side and they’re the current champions so that’s where we want to be.”

Sam Dickinson has hailed ‘relentless’ Calum Clark for refusing to sulk about being released by England.

Saints flanker Clark earned a place in October’s EPS squad, but did not get the chance to represent his country during the autumn and has again been sent back to Franklin’s Gardens on a number of occasions during the Six Nations.

That has not stopped the 25-year-old excelling for his club, with Clark one of Saints’ players of the season so far.

And back row colleague Dickinson said: “It’s a good reflection on him that he’s not coming back moping or sulking.

“He knows there’s a job to be done and he’s a great clubman.

“He’s always talking to the boys and he’s always got a lot to say in meetings about what we need to work on.

“He’s a great character to have around and it’s a great reflection on him that he comes back and performs like he does.”

Clark was again one of the best players on the pitch as Saints battled to a 21-13 win at Bath last weekend.

And Dickinson can’t help but be impressed by the contribution of the former Leeds Carnegie player.

“CC is relentless, all over the place, tackling left, right and centre, making turnovers, which is what he does best,” said the No.8.

“He’s been better than consistent. He’s been constantly improving and he’s a very driven character who puts a lot of pressure on himself to improve.

“It is maybe a surprise he’s not playing for England, maybe not because the captain is at seven.

“Maybe there’s a space to slot into around that, but I don’t know whether they’re going to change that any time soon.

“It would be nice to see him get a shot.

“I’m sure once the opportunity comes he will take it.”

Cobblers supporters will get the opportunity to put their questions to chairman David Cardoza and manager Chris Wilder at an open forum on Thursday night (February 26).

The event is being staged by the Northampton Town Supporters Trust but is free to attend to everyone.

It will take place in the executive restaurant at Sixfields and not Carr’s Bar as originally planned.

Doors open at 7.15pm with a start time of 7.45pm.

A full transcript of what is said at the forum will be Cavailable on the Chronicle & Echo web site after the event.

New signage has been put up in The Mounts area of Northampton to mark the boundaries of the town’s Boot and Shoe Quarter.

The predominantly Victorian buildings in The Mounts were the historic core of Northampton’s boot and shoe industry and the new signs mark the importance of the heritage of the town.

The signs are at the corner of St Michael’s Road and Lower Mounts, Raglan Street and plans for a third location are currently underway.

Councillor David Mackintosh, leader of Northampton Borough Council, said: “The boot and shoe industry is an important part of Northampton’s heritage which has contributed so much to the town’s economy and continues to do so today.

“The Boot and Shoe Quarter is rich in history with many of the factories connected with the shoe or leather trades now listed as being of architectural or historic importance and so it is fitting that we mark the quarter with these new signs.”

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Dean Lukeman was the hat-trick hero as Dynamo moved to within a point of leaders Standens Barn in the premier division.

Lukeman scored three and Bobby Lane added a single as Dynamo won 4-0 at Midshire Electrical.

The win means they stay second, a point behind Barn, but with a game in hand.

Windmill Warriors are up to fourth after they saw off Blakesley 4-1.

The men on the mark for Windmill were Callum Vango, Ross Arundell, Andy Seaton and Chris Swallow, with Jack Vacher replying.

In division two, leaders Golden Horse dropped points for the first time this season as they were held to a 2-2 draw at Roade.

James Laughton and Dane Salmon netted for Roade, with Andy Watts and Jake Hogben rescuing a point for Horse.

Manfield Rangers found their shooting boots as they hammered FC Locomotiv Moulton 6-1.

Tim England and Gareth Goddard both netted twice, while there was one apiece for Jack Bates and Mark Tiffany.

Moulton’s consolation was scored by Joe Bomben.

Division three leaders AFC Pioneers dropped two precious points as they were held to a 4-4 draw in a thriller at Thorplands Club 81 Reserves.

Luke Kentish, Daniel Richards, Shane Lothian and Leroy Donegal scored for Club, with Chris Hales (2), Thomas Antwi and Luke Marlow levelling it up.

Second-placed Hartwell Forest are now just a point behind with three games in hand following their narrow 2-1 win at Woodford United.

Tony Gibbs notched both for Hartwell, with Alex Kibblewhite netting for Woodford.

Northampton Hotspur had an easy morning as the picked off Royals Reserves 5-0, their goals coming from Tom Julings (2), Johnny Spooner (2) and Darren Elliott.

Luke Anderson was Billing United’s two-goal star as the division four pacesetters edged out Yusen Logistics 2-1, the latter’s reply coming from Daniel Thompson.

Marc Jobson scored for Northampton Hotspur Reserves, but it was the merest of consolations as his side was battered 12-1 by Thorplands Club 81 A, while second-placed Spartak Reserves kept the pressure on Billing with a 7-3 win at Hartwell Forest Reserves.

Brian Foggarty (2) and Andy Fair were on the mark for Hartwell, but their efforts were dwarfed by goals from Brad Mosedale (2), Ali Foote, Danny Heard, Harry Mundy, Kasy Morgan and Ashley Morton.

Brafield United hit the goal trail as the division three side hammered the Sunday Combination’s bottom team, Vesta FC, 10-0 in the Ken Parker League Cup.

Mark Kallenbach led the way with a hat-trick, while also on target were Dan Brockwell, Chris Brockwell, Jake Mayhew (2), Rikki Roberts (2) and Andy Houlden.

Standens Barn were also in the goals as the premier division leaders beat division two high-flyers Billing United 7-2.

Barn’s goal grabbers were Daniel Webster (2), Justin Dowling (2), Ben Foster, Ryan Ansell and Steve Swan, with Billing hitting back through Nick Ling and Russell Collier.

Kieran Faulkner scored the only goal as AFC Dee edged out FC Gallery, and there was also only one goal in the game between Welland Valley and FC Fotogold, with Lynden Attwell winning it for Valley.

Devonshire Club cantered to a 4-1 win at Spartak (Will Briscoe) thanks to strikes from Joe Handley, Matthaus Bates (2) and Ryan Brown, while Kingsthorpe Wanderers were 5-3 winners at FC Victoria.

Wanderers’ marksmen were Jonathon Shakespeare 2, Mark Faulkner, Ashley Clamp and Fabian Brown.

Penalties were needed to separate Butcher Loco and Deers Leap after they drew 2-2 after extra-time, and it was Loco who held their nerve to win 5-4 on spot-kicks.

In the match itself, Loco’s goals came from James Morgan and Ben Spick, with Joe Dewar and Robert Bolton hitting back for Leap.

There was one match in the NTFA Plester Shield, and it was won by Zedi United who saw off AFC Thorpe 4-2.

Michael Cromey and Ryan Thompson were on target for Thorpe, but doubles from Luke Pankewycz and Jacob Gartland won it for Zedi.