Poppies drawn at home in 3rd Qual Round of FA Cup

Kettering Town have been drawn at home to St Margaretsbury of the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division in the 3rd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup. On the way through the earlier rounds the Bury have picked up £7,000 in prize money already and the winners of the 3rd Qualifying Round tie (to be played Saturday 11th October 2003) will claim the £5,000 prize money as a bonus.

Poppies safely through at Stamford

FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round:

Stamford 0 Kettering Town 3

Paul Fewings put Kettering in front after 20 minutes and they went into the half-time break 1-0 up. In the second-half the lively Richard Graham connected with a Lee Clarke cross to increase the Poppies lead and with 20 minutes left the game was made secure when Lee Clarke slotted home from an Ian King corner.

Kettering: Pettinger, Gordon, Lodge (Paschalis), Matthews, Boyle-Chong, Thomas (Diuk), Graham, Butterworth, Clarke, Fewings, King. Subs: Diuk (Thomas), Turner, Dancy, Paschalis (Lodge), Gourlay.

Poppies earn a point at Grays

Grays Athletic 1 Kettering Town 1

Ellis Remy put Kettering 1-0 up after 2 minutes at The Recreation Ground but the home side equalised shortly afterwards following a mistake by Gavin Kelly and the two teams were all-square at the break. Thanks to some excellent goalkeeping in the second-half (with Kelly somewhat redeeming himself), there were no more goals and the matched ended 1-1.

There appears to have been a lot happening at the club OFF the field leading up to tonight's kick-off with several Kettering players apparently either dropped, walked out or left the club. Goalkeeper Gavin Kelly was drafted in at short notice for tonight's match.

Poppies humiliated again, this time by Hayes

Kettering Town 0 Hayes 3

Following Tuesday's abysmal first-half display when Kettering surrended 3 goals in 25 minutes, Dominic Genovese promised that "things would change", however what the Rockingham Road faithful didn't bargain for was that they'd get even worse. Hayes came into the game having managed just 10 goals in 10 games so far, but easily outscored the home and side came out comfortable winners at the whistle.

Kettering again conceded three goals over the 90 minutes and this time couldn't even muster one in reply, leaving the lowest attendance of the season so far at Rockingham Road to wonder what on earth was happening to their team. Notably the rapid decline in the defence, which has now leaked 11 goals in their last 5 games and managed to keep just one clean sheet in 11 games so far this season, has seen the team slip down to 10th in the table.

Nightmare first-half destroys Kettering at Billericay

Billericay Town 3 Kettering Town 1

A nightmare first-half performance from Kettering saw them trailing bottom but-one club Billericay by 3-0 at the break, with the first goal being scored in less than 60 seconds. To quote BBC Radio Northampton, "Kettering's defence opened up easier than an Essex girl on her first date!"

Kettering pulled an early goal back in the second-half through Ian King to trail 3-1, but couldn't reduce the deficit any further and at the final whistle it was another Essex nightmare performance from the 'Jekyll and Hyde' Poppies.

With wins for Canvey Island, Bognor Regis and Bedford, Kettering drop down to 5th place in the table and now trail pacesetters Carshalton by 7pts.

FA Cup draw - It's Stamford away for Poppies

Kettering Town have been drawn away to nearby Stamford (who won 2-0 away at Oadby on Saturday) in the 2nd Qualifying Round of of the FA Cup, with the tie to be played in two weeks time on Saturday 27th September 2003.

Rothwell Town (who won 3-1 away at Waltham Forest) were drawn at home to Bedford Town, but Corby Town will first need to get through their replay against Halesowen (having drawn the first match 1-1) if they are to join the other clubs and face the winners of Spalding United or Sutton Town in a fortnight's time.

Poppies see off Bognor

Kettering Town 3 Bognor Regis Town 1

After a scoreless first-half, Paul Fewings put the home side in front early in the second-half, then a Matt Murphy header made it 2-0 on 69 minutes. Eliot Paschalis put the result beyond doubt with 5 minutes left, but Kettering's clean sheet was spoilt when they allowed their visitors a late consolation goal two minutes from the final whistle.

Poppies salvage a draw

Kettering Town 1 Hitchin Town 1

Kettering Town could only manage to scrape a 1-1 draw against Hitchin Town at Rockingham Road tonight and had to comeback from a 1-0 half-time deficit to gain a point with a late equaliser after their visitors took a first-half lead.

Poppies throw it away at Carshalton

Carshalton Athletic 3 Kettering Town 2

Despite leading 2-0 at one stage in the first-half, Kettering finally went down 3-2 to hosts Carshalton Athletic after a second-half collapse, concededing two late goals in the final five minutes to a rampant Robins.

Poppies continue winning form

Kettering Town 3 Maidenhead Utd 1

Kettering overcame an early setback, which also saw a return to the comedy of errors in defence, to eventually lead their visitors at the break, but the game wasn't finally settled until the dying seconds when a Craig Norman penalty made it 3-1 to the Poppies and secured the home win and 3 more points.

Poppies win away at Thurrock

Thurrock 0 Kettering Town 2

Kettering Town got their Ryman League campaign back on track with a solid away win at Thurrock and a much-improved all-round performance into the bargain. No early goal give-aways this time as the first-half ended 0-0 and Kettering steadily overcame a difficult home side in the second-half to take all three points in a 2-0 win.