Bridgwater steeling unbeaten Poppies for tough FA Cup test at Wellingborough
Joint boss David Bridgwater is targeting an FA Cup run with Kettering Town this season - but knows Saturday's trip to county rivals Wellingborough Town (ko 3pm) is going to be a tough one.
The Dog & Duck is sure to be packed for the clash that sees Step 4 host Step 3, with both sides going into the match unbeaten so far this season.
The Poppies have won three and drawn three of their Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central matches this term which is a decent start.
But it is no match for how the Doughboys have began their campaign, with Jake Stone's side having won eight out of eight in all competitions!
They are three points clear at the top of the Pitching-In Northern Premier League Midlands Division, and Bridgwater is anticipating a testing afternoon for his team.
The two teams met in a friendly in July, with the Poppies winning 2-0, and Bridgwater said: "We played Wellingborough in pre-season, and they are a good outfit.
"It is a local derby, so it will be intense, and obviously we want to make a few strides in the FA Cup this season.
"We know it's not easy, we know we have some good history in the FA Cup which the club is proud of, and we want to put on a good performance.
"We want to score some goals, but the most important thing is that we progress to the next round.
"Me and Greeny (Nick Green) will do our homework again and come up with a gameplan for the match."
The Poppies go into the game full of confidence after a 5-0 Bank Holiday Monday win over Stamford at Latimer Park, and Bridgwater believes the squad is 'in a good place'.
"On Monday we played with a slightly different shape and the lads can adapt," said Bridgwater.
"We have some good footballers right throughout the pitch who are intelligent, so we are in a good place at the moment.
"We could have had more points on the board, but that's six games with three wins and three draws and I think we have the best defensive record in the league, so it's not been a bad start.
"But we are all striving to do better."
Supporters can pay on the day at the Dog & Duck, but tickets can also be bought in advance.
See both clubs’ social media outlets for full details.