Leaders Northampton pushed all the way by bottom-place Newcastle

Northampton returned to the top of the Gallagher PREM table with a narrow 28-27 victory after a disjointed performance saw them struggle to overcome battling bottom side Newcastle Red Bulls.

Saints were tested to the full by their visitors, who overcame the loss of two yellow cards, to come within a whisker of picking up only their second league win of the season.

Archie McParland, Ollie Sleightholme, Curtis Langdon and Tom Litchfield scored Northampton’s tries, with Anthony Belleau successful with all four conversions.

In reply, Harrison Obatoyinbo, Ollie Leatherbarrow, Simon Benitez Cruz and Tom Christie crossed over for the away side, with Brett Connon adding two conversions and a penalty.

Connon led out Newcastle for his 150th appearance for the club but he began badly by putting the kick-off straight into touch.

From the resulting scrum, Saints attacked in style with a break from Litchfield creating a try for McParland with less than 90 seconds having elapsed.

However Newcastle soon drew level when from a line-out in the opposition 22, Leatherbarrow tore through a hole in the defence to gallop 20 metres to score before they took the lead with an excellent try.

From a line-out in their own half, swift passing from their three-quarters gave Obatoyinbo an opportunity, which he took with some aplomb by racing in from 40 metres.

The visitors then suffered two blows in quick succession. First they lost Sammy Arnold to a yellow card for a high tackle on George Furbank, with the full-back having to leave the field with a cut head.

His replacement was Sleightholme and in less than a minute he was presented with a simple touchdown with Belleau’s conversion, putting Saints back in front.

Newcastle’s woes continued when Adam Brocklebank was sent to the sin bin for illegal use of the boot on Langdon before a patched-up Furbank returned.

Northampton never looked like taking advantage of their opponents being reduced to 13 and it was their turn to lose a player when James Ramm was penalised for a deliberate off-side.

The hosts were fortunate to be 14-12 ahead at the interval but with Ramm returning, they bossed the opening exchanges of the second half and were eventually rewarded when Langdon finished off a driving line-out.

Still Newcastle would not lie down and a penalty from Connon before a breakaway try from Benitez Cruz set up a tense finish but – four minutes from the end – Litchfield broke through to collect a bonus point.

There was still time for the away side to earn a deserved reward when Christie finished off a period of pressure for a converted try to pick up two bonus points.