Kettering Town boss Lavery says it's all about team ethic ahead of Cobblers derby day

Gary Hooper and Nile Ranger could lead the Kettering Town attack at Sixfields (Picture: Peter Short)

Boss Richard Lavery is warning the Cobblers his Kettering Town team is about much more than former Premier League stars Nile Ranger and Gary Hooper.

The Poppies make the short trip down the A43 to take on Jon Brady's Town in a mouth-watering FA Cup first round tie on Saturday evening (ko 5.30pm).

There are four divisions and 79 places between the clubs, but Kettering will arrive at Sixfields full of confidence and sitting top of the Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central.

They have won six league matches in a row and will fancy their chances of ruffling the Cobblers' feathers in front of the BBC2 cameras.

Gary Hooper was a two-time title winner with Celtic

Much of the pre-match attention on the Poppies squad is bound to focus on the high-profile front duo of former Newcastle United forward Ranger and ex-Celtic and Norwich City sharp-shooter Hooper.

Ranger has scored six times since joining the Poppies in September, while Hooper got off the mark on his debut as a substitue in their recent 2-0 win over Stourbridge.

The pair could well lead the line at Sixfields, with Jonny Edwards cup-tied, but Lavery is stressing the secret to his team's success goes much deeper than his experienced strikers.

"I'm all about the team and squad, it is my ethos really, I create a decent changing room," said Lavery, who rebuilt the Poppies squad in the summer after saving the club from relegation last season.

Nile Ranger has been in good scoring form for Kettering Town (Picture: Peter Short)

"The lads will play for me and you get the best out of them.

"I don't mean this in a bad way, but it is not all about Nile Ranger and Gary Hooper. I brought all these lads together in the summer which was a tall order.

"They were all players that I knew of and had worked with some of them before as well, so I knew what they could do, and we couldn't have started any better."

Saturday is a huge day for the Poppies, but Lavery admitted he will try and keep things low key.

"I am going to treat the game the same as any other," said Lavery. "If you hype it up and change what you do, the lads pick up on that.

"Yes, we will have a pre-match meal and that side of it, but my team talks don't change because it is Northampton Town.

"I like doing things the same way.”

Saturday’s match will be played to a conclusion, with replays having been scrapped from the first round proper and onwards this season.

It means that if Saturday’s match ends level after 90 minutes, there will be a 30-minute extra-time, and it the teams still can’t be separated there will be a penalty shootout.