Back to square one for 'soft' Poppies as they are sent packing by late Leiston goal rush

Having put together a mini run of four games unbeaten at the back end of 2025, Liam McDonald's men have now shipped in eight goals across their two most recent defeats while also failing to take advantage of a number of chances in front of goal.

Things got even worse on Saturday when the influential Blaine Rowe received a red card on 79 minutes which dramatically turned the match.

Until the sending off, the match was firmly in the balance at 1-1 with both teams well position to try and nick a late goal.

Leiston had led after 28 minutes when Jude Frostick’s cross from the right-hand side found the center of the box, and Ronnie Blois outjumped Will Glennon to nod the ball into the bottom corner of the goal.

Earlier, former Poppies keeper Billy Johnson, who has often gifted Kettering a bizarre opportunity, could only half clear a back pass 30 yards out towards a waiting Callum Powell.

With an open goal to take aim at, Powell launched the ball into the body of the retreating Eddie Panter - a comedic tableau that come April may describe Kettering's season!

The visitors did have chances to hit back before half time.

On 38 minutes Levi Andoh rounded the Leiston keeper before sending a low ball across the face of goal towards a waiting Panter but Frostick was on hand to turn the danger away from just yards out.

With seconds of the half remaining, Ismael Fatadjo stung the hands of Johnson with a fierce shot from 25 yards out.

Kettering were gifted a way back in two minutes after the restart via the penalty spot.

Panter ran towards the Leiston area and at first glance appeared to be dragged down outside the box.

But the officials saw it differently, awarding the penalty and Glennon took on the duties to drill the ball and send Johnson the wrong way.

Johnson would go on to make two excellent saves in the next 10 minutes.

The first came when a right boot was stuck out at the near post to deny Panter on 57 minutes.

From the resulting corner, Andoh's header was for all money about to settle in bottom corner at the far post, but acrobatics from the keeper kept the scores level.

A quiet period of the game ensued as both teams were getting visibly tired on a heavy surface which, credit to the Leiston ground staff, was playing very well considering the horrendous weather the country had been experiencing.

On 79 minutes, Peterborough Sports loanee Ben Fowkes received the ball on the left and surged towards the Kettering area only to be bought down by the well beaten Rowe.

Referee Shipp had no choice to brandish a second yellow, to go with Rowe's first card which he received on the hour mark for not retreating 10 yards for a Leiston free kick.

Down to 10 men, Kettering were quickly undone when Willie Clemons headed home a corner on 81 minutes - ironically Clemons had been marked by Rowe for the entire match.

Now chasing the game, Kettering left a lot of space behind and it was inevitable that they would be picked off.

Adam Mills and Frostick both had chances deflected wide before the floodgates opened a minute into stoppage time. Mills played a through-ball towards Fowkes, who won the one-on-one against Jason Alexander and passed the ball under the Kettering keeper into the net.

Mills saw yet another shot kept out of the goal seven minutes into stoppage time - this time a save from Alexander.

Fowkes was also kept out moments later by the right hand of the Poppies keeper. But the striker wasn't denied as the game ticked into the 100th minute.

He was brought down in the area by a clumsy challenge and dusted himself off take the penalty and score his second despite Alexander diving the right way.

The scoreline was not a reflection of the match, but it once again it highlighted Kettering's soft underbelly which manager McDonald agreed with in his post-match comments.

Before the match he confirmed that the current members of the squad were the players to see Kettering through to the end of the season with potentially one or two more signings at most to come.

If that is the case, then this squad needs to become more ruthless as well find belief in their own abilities.

All talk of play-off ambitions must stop.

Instead the focus must be on enjoying playing football, entertaining the home crowds and quietly going under the radar.

A good place to start is on Saturday at Latimer Park against relegation threatened Alvechurch, where the Poppies will run out in their 50th anniversary ‘Kettering Tyres’ shirts.