Poppies win 2-0 at Trinity but play-off hopes ended

Gainsborough Trinity 0

Kettering Town 2
Zico-Black 9
Koo-Boothe 63

Kettering Town manager Morell Maison made two changes from Monday's starting lineup, bringing in Junior McDougald to replace the suspended Anthony Elding and Jamie Paterson returned in place of Ollie Burgess. Darren Lynch again started on the bench for the Poppies.

Kettering got off to a real flyer at Northolme when a cross into the box was parried by the keeper and Ryan Zico-Black nipped in to head the Poppies into a 1-0 lead after 9 minutes.

No further scoring by either side before half-time and Kettering went into the dressing rooms with a narrow 1-0 lead over host Gainsborough.

A substitution by Morell Maison midway through the second-half, Darren Lynch came on for Serge Makofo as Kettering looked to make the game safe. They were rewarded shortly after when a Paterson free-kick was guided into the net by Nathan Koo-Boothe to make it 2-0 on 63 minues.

At the final whistle it remained 2-0 to Kettering, but it wasn't enough to keep them in the play-off race as both Droylsden and Harrogate Town won their matches to put them out of reach for the Poppies.

Att: 457

Kettering: Osborn, Thoebald, McIlwain, Solkhon, Koo-Boothe, Paterson, Hall, Zico-Black, McDougald, Okai, Makofo. Subs: Lynch, Bussey, Olaleye, Peter, DiFante.

Gainsborough: Holmshaw, Ellis, Lancaster, Lill, Smith, Steadman, Parker, Purkiss, Pell, Graves, Mallon. Subs: Bird, Caudwell, Burberry, Menga, Trout.

Today's full Conference North results