Poppies pegged back by Gulls

Canvey Island 1 Kettering Town 1

No score in the first 45 minutes at Park Lane as Kettering manager Kevin Wilson decided to rest striker Darren Lynch and bring in Paul Fewings up front alongside Richard Graham to spearhead the Poppies attack.

Kettering broke the deadlock and took the lead in the second-half courtesy of a Paul Fewings strike and the home team then piled on the pressure trying to find an equaliser. With less than 10 minutes remaining on the clock, the pressure finally told and the Gulls managed to find a way through the Poppies rearguard action to level the score at 1-1.

The final whistle saw Kettering maintain their current unbeaten run and the 1-1 draw leaves the Poppies still in 11th position, now only 1pt behind Bishop's Stortford in 10th. Kettering's final match is at Rockingham Road on Saturday when they host second-placed Hendon.

Att: 356

Kettering: Bunn, Matthews, Gould, McIlwain, McCafferty, Solkhon, Hore, Diuk, Cavill, Fewings, Graham. Subs: Turner, Reid, Paschalis, DiFante, Carson.

Poppies pegged back by Gulls

Canvey Island 1 Kettering Town 1

No score in the first 45 minutes at Park Lane as Kettering manager Kevin Wilson decided to rest striker Darren Lynch and bring in Paul Fewings up front alongside Richard Graham to spearhead the Poppies attack.

Kettering broke the deadlock and took the lead in the second-half courtesy of a Paul Fewings strike and the home team then piled on the pressure trying to find an equaliser. With less than 10 minutes remaining on the clock, the pressure finally told and the Gulls managed to find a way through the Poppies rearguard action to level the score at 1-1.

The final whistle saw Kettering maintain their current unbeaten run and the 1-1 draw leaves the Poppies still in 11th position, now only 1pt behind Bishop's Stortford in 10th. Kettering's final match is at Rockingham Road on Saturday when they host second-placed Hendon.

Att: 356

Kettering: Bunn, Matthews, Gould, McIlwain, McCafferty, Solkhon, Hore, Diuk, Cavill, Fewings, Graham. Subs: Turner, Reid, Paschalis, DiFante, Carson.

Poppies secure Conference Division Two berth

Aylesbury Utd 0 Kettering Town 2

A goaless first-half at Buckingham Rd as the Ducks' defence held their former striker Darren Lynch at bay and Kevin Wilson's men couldn't find a way through in the first 45 minutes of play.

Kettering pressed forward in the second-half in search of the win that would ensure their Conference Division Two berth for next season and it was a rare goal by Richard Graham who put the Poppies 1-0 up on 49 minutes. Darren Lynch made the result safe when he increased the Poppies lead to 2-0 with a penalty in the last minute.

Ironically, Kettering didn't need a win in the end as rivals Basingstoke went down 2-0 at Kingstonian, Maidenhead Utd went down 1-0 at Hornchurch and Ford Utd were thumped 3-0 at home to Canvey Island; however, other results were irrelevant as far as Poppies boss Kevin Wilson was concerned and his players made sure they secured the victory and another 3pts.

The win means Kettering will finish in at least 11th position in the table and could conceivably finish in 9th if results go their way in the remaining fixtures.

Poppies victory brings Conf Division Two a step closer

Maidenhead Utd 1 Kettering Town 2

A narrow 2-1 away victory at close rivals Maidenhead Utd puts Kettering just one win away from an automatic berth in Conference Division Two next season. The Poppies had to comeback from a goal behind just after the start of the second-half when the home side took the lead.

An equaliser by Brett Solkhon set up the game for a tense finish but Kevin Wilson's men kept their composure and with 10 mins left on the clock it was Darren Lynch who provided the winner when he rounded the keeper and smashed the ball into the net.

Only the victory by Basingstoke Town kept the Poppies supporters from celebrating clinching an automatic berth, but their fate is firmly in their own hands and one win from their final three fixtures would see Kettering 'home safe'.

Poppies struggle as rivals gain ground

Kettering Town 0 Bedford Town 0

A scoreless first 45 minutes at Rockingham Road with neither side able to find a way through to break the deadlock. At the final whistle it was a point apiece as Kettering failed to breakdown the visitors' determined defence despite creating the clearer openings in front of goal.

Att: 1,260

Lynch penalty inches Poppies closer to goal

Braintree Town 0 Kettering Town 1

A poor first-half looked like ending goaless until two minutes before the break when Kettering were awarded a penalty and in the absence of Craig Norman it was Darren Lynch who stepped forward to score from the spot and give the Poppies traveling support something to cheer about.

The second-half continued in the same vein and despite numerous chances the traveling Poppies supporters probably breathed a sigh of relief at the final whistle that the penalty was enough to earn the victory and three more vital points.

With their main rivals stumbling all around them the win lifted Kettering up to 11th in the table and sets them up nicely for the Easter Monday home fixture with local rivals Bedford Town.

Gulls clinch championship

Congratulations to Canvey Island who clinched the RLPD championship with a 2-1 win over Thurrock at the Thurrock Hotel ground on Friday afternoon. The Gulls took the early lead through striker Ollie Berquez in the 3rd minute and still lead 1-0 at the break.

Shortly after the restart Thurrock pulled level through striker Cliff Akurang, but with 15 minutes left on the clock, Lee Boylan restored Canvey's lead and at the final whistle the away fans in the 1,003 local derby crowd celebrated their team's championship winning victory.

10 man Poppies score late winner

Kettering Town 2 Thurrock 1

It may have taken Darren Lynch 11 games to eventually get off the mark, but he seems to have finally rediscovered his goalscoring touch after scoring his third goal in three games to pull Kettering back level at the break.

Thurrock took the lead on 23 minutes when prolific marksman Cliff Akurang shot them in front, but Kettering battled back and deservedly pulled back on level terms just before the half-time break through a revitalised Darren Lynch.

As Kettering continued to battle through the second-half, they were reduced to 10 men late in the game when new signing Scott McCafferty was dismissed. However the drama wasn't over yet, with most Poppies supporters hoping they could hang on for a point, Kettering scored a dramatic late winner courtesy of Rob Gould's 89th minute strike to claim all three points.