Miller and Ranger the goal heroes as Kettering Town stun Northampton in FA Cup

The Poppies will go into the hat for Sunday night’s second round draw after a superb performance in front of the BBC2 cameras, beating a side four divisions and 79 places above them in the football pyramid.

It will go down as one of the most famous victories in the Poppies’ long history.

The Cobblers looked to be on their way to victory as they had the better of the first half and led 1-0 at the break thanks to a Connor Johnson own goal.

But the Poppies levelled through a brilliant Luca Miller header on 66 minutes to force extra-time, and then Nile Ranger headed home what proved to be the winner just two minutes into the extra half-hour.

The final whistle brought ecstatic celebrations among the Poppies squad and superb travelling support, who sang their hearts out from the first minute to the last.

Kettering, who came into this game off the back of a 10-day break, made two changes from the side that beat Stourbridge in the league last time out.

Ranger replaced the suspended Jonny Edwards in attack, with Miller dropping out for the returning Bruno Andrade, available again after suspension.

The game kicked off in a crackling atmosphere, with the 1,500 Poppies supporters packed in the south end of the ground in great voice - as they had been for a full 30 minutes before kick-off.

After an even opening, it was Kettering who had the first real chance, but Ranger couldn’t get enough power on his header from six yards out and it was an easy claim for Nik Tzanev in the Cobblers goal.

The home side thought they had taken the lead on 15 minutes, but Cameron McGeehan’s close range strike as he converted a cross from the left from Nesta Guinness-Walker was deemed offside. TV replays suggested otherwise.

The Poppies were proving more than a match for their hosts and were inches away from taking the lead on 24 minutes.

Comical defending from the Cobblers saw the ball land at Ranger’s feet 10 yards out, but his low strike fizzed just the wrong side of the post with Tzanev beaten.

Four minutes later, the Poppies were behind with the strike having more than a hint of fortune about it.

Liam McCarron teed up Tariqu Fosu 15 yards out, and his shot deflected off both Lewis White and Connor Johnson before ending up in the net, the goal going down as a Johnson own goal.

The goal seemed to take the wind out of the Poppies’ sails, and the hosts almost doubled their lead on 39 minutes, but Dan Jezeph stuck out a right arm to parry Liam McCarron’s stinging left foot drive.

No more damage was done by the interval, with the Poppies down, but most definitely not out.

The Cobblers came out looking lively in the second half, with McCarron’s pace and trickery causing problems while the Poppies were struggling to make any attacking headway.

That was until the 57th-minute, when Ben Hart forced Tzanev into a smart save at his near post, the Poppies man stooping low to head Andrade’s cross goalwards.

Jezeph reacted smartly to deny McCarron at the other end as the game opened up again.

The Poppies introduced substitutes Miller and Gary Hooper, and it paid speedy dividends on 66 minutes.

Samy Chouchane gifted Kettering possession on the edge of the Cobblers box, and Hart’s teasing cross from the right wing was superbly headed home at the far post by the diminutive Miller to send the huge travelling support behind the goal wild.

It was a deserved leveller for the Poppies, who had enjoyed their best spell of the game prior ro scoring.

The Cobblers were now rattled, and as the game became more and more disjointed and messy, it was the Poppies who looked the more energetic and confident, with the red army behind the goal cheering them on.

With two minutes left on the clock Hooper fired in a volley from 20 yards, but it was straight at Tzanev, and with extra-time looming it was the visitors who looked the more likely to pinch the win.

But it was the Cobblers who very nearly snatched it four minutes into time added on, Akin Odimayo somehow failing to connect with Mitch Pinnock’s cut-back from the left with the goal gaping.

That was the last chance of normal time, with the match going into extra-time, and within minutes the Poppies were ahead thanks to Ranger.

The big striker rose highest and powerfully headed an inswinging corner from the left-wing home to make it 2-1 to the visitors.

They comfortably held on to the lead until half-time in extra-time, with the Cobblers completely out of attacking ideas.

The Poppies did have to deal with some pressure, and there a few snapshots to deal with, but Jezeph was not seriously threatened as Kettering deservedly secured a famous and deserved victory.

Match facts

Cobblers: Nik Tzanev, Jon Guthrie, Ben Fox, Mitch Pinnock, Nesta Guinness-Walker (70m, Magloire), LIam McCarron (70m, Will Hondermarck), Cameron McGeehan, Ajin Odimayo (91m, TJ Eyoma), Tarique Fosu (83m, Martyn Waghorn), Jack Baldwin, Samy Chouchane (70m, Jack Sowerby). Subs not used: Lee Burge, Kiantay Licorish-Mullin, Neo Dobson, Charlie Carroll

Kettering: Dan Jezeph, Ben Hart, Aaron Powell, Devon Kelly-Evans, Connor Johnson, Andi Thanoj (79m, Gary Stohrer), Nile Ranger (97m, Marvin Sordell), Tyree Wilson (89m Wes York), Lewis White, Isiah Noel-Williams (61m, Luca Miller, Bruno Andrade (61m, Gary Hooper). Subs not used: Dan Jarvis, Jason Alexander, Harlain Mbayo, Kai Fifield

Referee: Elliot Bell

Attendance: 7,104

Poppies fans: 1,460