Northampton returned to the victory trail, in the Premiership, with a 23-16 win over London Welsh at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday.
Ken Pisi's touchdown and a penalty try, alongside seven points from the boot of Ryan Lamb, gave the Saints a 17-10 half-time lead.
A penalty try and a three-pointer from Gordon Ross was Welsh's response in the opening period. Lamb and Ross traded penalties in the second half but the home team held on.
Northampton went into the game off the back of three consecutive league defeats and they found themselves seven points down early on.
As the visitors rumbled towards the line, Gerrit-Jan van Velze brought down the maul illegally and referee David Rose awarded a penalty try.
Van Velze was then sin-binned as a result of his indiscretion and the visitors led 7-0 after eight minutes.
Lamb reduced the arrears with a drop-goal, but Ross responded with a penalty to restore the seven-point lead.
Prop Franck Montanella was then yellow carded for the Exiles and the Saints took advantage of the extra man in the set-piece when a dominant scrum ended in the second penalty try of the afternoon.
Incredibly, Dan Caprice became the third man of the half - the second for Welsh - to be given his marching orders for 10 minutes.
Almost inevitably, the hosts moved ahead just before the interval when a well-weighted cross-field kick was collected by Pisi. Lamb and Ross traded penalties after half-time before the Saints' stand-off took Northampton ten points clear.
However, Ross secured the losing bonus-point for the visitors with a late three-pointer.
For Northampton:
Tries: Penalty try, Pisi
Cons: Lamb 2
Pens: Lamb 2
Drops: Lamb
Yellow cards: van Velze
For London Welsh:
Tries: Penalty try
Cons: Ross
Pens: Ross 3
Yellow cards: Montanella; Caprice
Northampton: 15 Tom May, 14 Ken Pisi, 13 Dom Waldouck, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 Jamie Elliott, 10 Ryan Lamb, 9 Martin Roberts, 8 GJ Van Velze, 7 Phil Dowson, 6 Calum Clark (c) 5 Courtney Lawes, 4 Samu Manoa, 3 Brian Mujati, 2 Mike Haywood, 1 Soane Tonga'uiha.
Replacements: 16 Ross McMillan, 17 Alex Waller, 18 Paul Doran Jones, 19 Mark Sorenson, 20 Rhys Oakley, 21 Alex Day, 22 Stephen Myler, 23 Vasily Artmeyev.
London Welsh: 15 Tom Arscott, 14 Dan Caprice, 13 Sonny Parker, 12 Hudson Tonga'uiha, 11 Nick Scott, 10 Gordon Ross, 9 Tyson Keats, 8 Adam Balding, 7 Ed Jackson, 6 Daniel Browne, 5 Kirill Kulemin, 4 Jonathan Mills (capt), 3 Paulica Ion, 2 Neil Briggs, 1 Franck Montanella.
Replacements: 16 Greg Bateman, 17 Tom Bristow, 18 James Tideswell, 19 Matt Corker, 20 Alfie To'oala, 21 Jamie Stephenson, 22 Alex Davies, 23 Seb Jewell.
Referee: David Rose
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