Front-row forwards Mike Shelley and Mark Regan shared the glory as Leeds dumped Northampton out of the Powergen Cup at Franklin's Gardens.

Shelley scored his first try for four years and former England hooker Regan's opportunist effort after the break clinched a superb win for the Tykes with Gordon Ross adding 14 points with the boot.

Northampton produced a second half comeback after trailing 24-6 early in the second half and Ben Cohen took the opportunity to impress watching England coach Andy Robinson in attack and defence.

But any chance of a win ended with replacement scrum-half Mark Robinson sent off for stamping on Regan's face 13 minutes from time.

Ultimately, though, Saints were made to pay for their failure to control the ball at the breakdown and were troubled all day in the lineout by a more streetwise Tykes pack.

Wing Wylie Human gave them some hope with his opportunist try but all the Saints could manage after that was a conversion and four penalties from Shane Drahm.

Leeds, who have never won the cup, go into the hat for Monday's semi-final draw with Bath, Gloucester and Saracens or London Irish, who meet at Vicarage Road tomorrow.

Northampton were short of a handful of key players with skipper Steve Thompson, Tom Smith and Corne Krige all missing, while Leeds had arguably their strongest side of season as Iain Balshaw started his first game since December.

The Tykes settled fastest with fly-half Ross drilling over three penalties and a drop-goal in the first 17 minutes.

Drahm replied with two penalties of his own but despite the attacking threat of Cohen and Bruce Reihana the Saints were struggling.

They were lucky to escape when Cohen had to dive in to stop Diego Albanese scoring in the corner after Balshaw and Scott Morgan's handling set him free down the left.

And after Chris Budgen and Grant Seely combined to mess up a good scoring chance on the half-hour, Leeds hustled their way downfield to deliver a decisive blow.

Darren Fox was sin-binned by referee Chris White for stopping one drive for the line, only for Leeds to go again with loose-head Shelley driven over for his first score since the 2001-02 season.

Northampton coach Budge Pountney took the drastic step of replacing scrum-half Jonny Howard with Robinson before the break but things got worse immediately after the interval.

Cohen could not hold a wild pass in his own 22 and Leeds immediately regathered with Regan romping over and Ross' conversion left Northampton trailing by 18 points.

The Saints needed a quick score to have a chance and got one with 30 minutes to go when Human chased his own chip and beat Albanese to the line with the TV replay needed confirm he had grounded the ball correctly.

Drahm added a superb conversion from the touchline and then stroked over a penalty on the hour to give his side a chance of getting out of jail.

Instead they were reduced to 14 men within minutes after Robinson took the law into his own hands when Regan was caught round the wrong side of a ruck and the TV replay showed the scrum-half's boot clearly connecting with Regan's head.

Drahm landed a fourth penalty to bring his side back to within five points and set up a frantic last five minutes but despite the best efforts of Cohen and Reihana the struggling Saints could not find a way through.