Boss Lavery left 'fuming' as Kettering are denied crucial win at the death
Boss Richard Lavery was left 'fuming' at the amount of stoppage time played as Kettering Town suffered last-gasp heartbreak at Stamford on Saturday.
The Poppies were leading 1-0 thanks to Aaron Powell's first-half strike, with the officials stating there would be six minutes added on at the end of 90 minutes.
But more than nine minutes was eventually played, with Stamford then scoring a dramatic equaliser in the dying seconds through Jordon Cooke as the title-chasing Poppies dropped two precious points to slide to fourth in the Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central table.
"I am fuming, the last kick of the game on 90 plus nine," said Lavery. "There was six minutes of injury-time put up, and the referee has played nine, and that is a proper sucker-punch.
"We did last week to Telford (Kettering scored a late equaliser), and it is hard because we had three points in our hand and in 10 seconds you throw it away from one corner.
"Stamford didn't really look like scoring in general play even though they had a go in the second half, and I don't think we really turned up after half-time. We played into their hands a little bit.
"We maybe had two or three chances to put the game to bed, and I didn't think 1-0 was going to be enough, because every team you play against are always going to get a chance to equalise."
The result means that, with five matches of the season remaining, the Poppies are now three points behind new leaders Bedford Town, who were 2-0 winners at Leiston, and a point behind AFC Telford United and Halesowen Town in second and third.
There is then a five point gap to Harborough Town in fifth and Stratford Town in sixth.
Kettering have a free midweek before they host second-from-bottom Hitchin Town on Saturday.
Quotes courtesy of Peter Short