Northampton Saints needed a late try to secure a 23-19 win over Leicester Tigers in the Aviva Premiership this afternoon.
Their task was made harder as hooker Dylan Hartley was dismissed just over 15 minutes into the tie when he elbowed Matt Smith in the face.
The visitors were ahead at the end of the first half when they were awarded a penalty try just a few minutes after the red card, for a scrum infringement by the hosts.
Despite being a man down, the hosts made a strong start to the second half, as Alex Waller sprinted over for their opening try.
Vereniki Goneva appeared to have sealed the win for the visitors when he scored two tries in 10 minutes, but Ben Foden kept the scores close before Jamie Elliott crossed the line four minutes from full time to secure a narrow victory for the home side.
The result leaves Northampton at the top of the table, six points clear of Bath, while Leicester sit sixth.
Sian Cowper
