Poppies and Biggleswade ready for an intriguing encounter

The two teams have been swapping places in ninth and 10th in the Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division over the past couple of weeks and both still have hopes of a late surge towards the play-off places.

Now they are preparing to meet at Latimer Park having shared a 2-2 draw at Langford Road back in October when the Poppies squandered a 2-0 lead.

Kettering head into tomorrow’s (Saturday) clash on the back of two successive wins, the latest of which was a 2-1 victory at Hayes & Yeading United last Sunday while the Waders have won four in a row in the league.

It all adds up to an intriguing encounter, according to Ramshaw.

“Last Sunday wasn’t our best performance of the season but what was pleasing was the way the lads stuck to their jobs,” he said.

“Even when we went a goal down, they stuck to the game plan and, in the end, two set-pieces won it for us.

“It’s another very difficult game for us this weekend but we just have to focus on our own job.

“They are a good side. We played them earlier in the season and it was a game in which I thought we were the better side and deserved to win but we were punished for two errors.

“It will be another interesting game and I actually think it has the makings of a good clash between two sides who are in good form so I hope a good crowd comes out to watch it.”

The win at Hayes saw the Poppies move to within six points of the play-off places, having been 11 adrift when they were beaten 3-1 by Merthyr Town nearly two weeks ago.

And Ramshaw insists the message to the Poppies players has been made clear by him and boss Marcus Law.

“I said it after the Merthyr game, there is still a lot of football to be played,” he added.

“A lot of things can happen over the next three months and all Marcus and I are saying to the players is ‘try to keep winning your matches’.

“If we keep picking up points then it means the teams above us have to do the same and if they do then fair play to them.

“All we can do is keep our own house in order and keep winning.”

There was a departure from the Poppies ahead of last weekend with goalkeeper Dean Snedker joining Cambridge City.