Leese proud of Poppies' effort but disappointed by performance as FA Cup trip ends in big defeat

Ollie Banks heads home Chesterfield's first goal against the Poppies (Picture: Peter Short)

But the Poppies manager also praised his players for their effort and application, and accepted the extra quality of the Vanarama National League leaders was always going to be tough to contain.

The match, which was played out in front of a crowd of more than 5,000, with 500-plus making the trip from Kettering was goalless until the 37th minute.

That was when the Spireites made the breakthrough, and it then stayed 1-0 until the hour mark.

Kettering Town boss Andy Leese saw his side well beaten in the FA Cup at Chesterfield (Picture: Peter Short)

Former Northern Ireland international Will Grigg then struck to make it 2-0, before a third followed just three minutes later to really knock the stuffing out of the Poppies players and it was game over.

Kettering kept plugging away, but Paul Cook's side scored two more late on to wrap up the 5-0 victory and book themselves a money-spinning first round clash at home against Sky Bet League One leaders Portsmouth.

Asked after the game if there were things the Poppies could have done better at Chesterfield, Leese said: "Yeah, I think there are.

"I think the times when we got the ball back, our in-possession game wasn't great, and wasn't what we had planned and worked on and asked for.

Tom Naylor lets fly to make it 5-0 to Chesterfield (Picture: Peter Short)

"So it was disapointing we didn't look after the ball well enough,.

"Yes of course they were pressing us, they were snapping around us in every area of the pitch, but we could have done better and fashioned a couple of opportunities.

"But there were very scant opportunities for us today in front of goal, because we didn't keep the ball well enough."

And he added: "That third goal did hurt us a little bit.

Action from Kettering Town's 5-0 defeat at Chesterfield (Picture: Peter Short)

"We had just have a five minute spell where we weren't quite right, and we had gone quite deep.

"Ollie Banks in particular was allowed to get on the ball and fashion those down the side balls, rather than going wide, and that has hurt us and done us.

"But you have to hand it to Chesterfield and their quality.

"It was a big ask for us, a massive ask. They have got half a dozen players there who were playing in the Football League last year, and played 30 or 40 games at that level last season alone.

"You look at Will Grigg and people like that, and Michael Jacobs, so it was always going to be a tough ask but I thought for an hour we acquitted ourselves well.

"I am not saying we deserved to get something out of it, but we certainly acquitted ourselves okay, and I am disappointed for the players.

"It's just we didn't do enough when we got the ball back, and I think we had more time than we thought and we could have done more.

"But we have panicked and hurried things along when we didn't need to."

Quotes courtesy of Peter Short