Poppies make it back-to-back home wins as high-flying Stratford are sent packing

However, they remain only four points from the drop line with AFC Sudbury also enjoying back-to-back wins but other teams are now being sucked into the relegation battle.

Two teams needing the points for very different reasons took the field at a sunny Latimer Park, but it would have been very difficult for the neutral to work out who was fifth in the table and who was fourth from bottom.

Kettering's resurgence under Richard Lavery in the last two games has been refreshing and inspiring which has resulted in the Poppies bagging their first back-to-back home wins since February 2023.

The hard-work and fresh attitude will delight fans even if the performances aren't the most beautiful things to watch - that's still yet to come according to the manager.

Three out of the last four games have also produced clean sheets for Kettering which will please the backroom staff greatly.

Under-23 debutant keeper Arlo Doherty, who was an emergency signing from Leicester City just 24 hours prior to kick-off, enjoyed a relatively quiet afternoon as the Poppies defence blunted anything Stratford threw at them.

The visitors did enjoy more of the opening period, coming to terms quicker with the wind and heavy surface.

League top scorer Callum Ebanks had a tame effort on target after six minutes but Doherty saved easily. Lewis Ison's free-kick just over the bar minutes later was the best of the opening chances for the Bards.

Kettering eventually found their feet hitting the post from Lewis White's header on 22 minutes with the rebound shot from George Forsyth hacked off the line.

Jack Storer was proving tricky for Kettering's defence with the midfielder testing the keeper twice but his chip shot was easily stopped on 23 minutes as was his shot from distance minutes later.

The only goal of the game came in slightly fortuitous circumstances when a cross from the right hand side on 32 minutes was met by Dan Jarvis who launched the ball goalwards.

Callum Smith made a great save onto the post but the ball hit the gloveman's back and over the line.

Jarvis was denied on 40 minutes by Smith's acrobatics - his shot from a tight angle was arrowing into the corner had it not been saved.

An entertaining first half could not be matched in the second with opportunities on goal few and far between. Kettering intent on keeping their single goal lead sat deeper but were rarely unlocked by Stratford.

White hit the woodwork yet again with a header on 65 minutes which would have all but killed off the match.

Late on Ison's powerful header went just over the bar with the keeper nowhere near the ball.

Hearts were in the mouth during stoppage time when former Poppy Liam Daly found substitute Andre Carvalho-Landell who's bicycle kick effort went agonisingly wide.

Kettering could have added gloss to the scoreline moments before the final whistle but Charlie Marzano rushed his chance on goal opting for power instead of placement and saw hit effort on goal saved.

The nervy single goal win wasn't enough for the Kettering gaffer who was complaining in the post-match interview of a headache such was the stress of watching his men waste chances to make the game more comfortable!

That headache will slowly start to disappear if the Poppies continue this upward trend in performances.