Poppies facing a mad March as they bid to gatecrash the play-off party

Kettering Town are facing up a mad March of in the Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central.

After a series of postponements that has seen the Poppies not play at Latimer Park since December 20 last year, the club has confirmed all the latest fixture rearrangements.

placeholder image — Kettering Town boss LIam McDonald

Liam McDonald's side still have 15 matches to play between now and the final day of the season on April 25, starting with this Saturday's trip to Stourbridge on the final day of February.

They are then looking at a hectic run-in to the campaign, and they are going to have to play EIGHT times in March, with SIX of those matches at home.

They then face an April that almost as condensed, with seven fixtures to play, six league games and the semi-final of the NFA Hillier Senior Cup against Peterborough United Under-21s.

FIVE of those seven matches are also at home, with just two away from Latimer Park, including the final day of the season at Bury Town.

Their mad March kicks off with three straight home games against Stratford, Bromsgrove Sporting and Alvechurch, before going to AFC Sudbury – who make the trip to Latimer just three days later!

Two more home matches against Quorn and Banbury United follow, before the month ends with an away day at Barwell.

They then face a busy April too, and it all means the Poppies are going to have to play 11 matches at Latimer Park in the space of just 46 days - and that is providing there is no more adverse weather to cause any more postponements.

The Poppies go into the final third of the season still in with an outside chance of claiming a place in the play-offs.

As it stands, Kettering are 12th and 10 points adrift of fifth-placed Halesowen Town, but they also have three games in hand.

The Poppies are 11 points behind fourth-placed Redditch United, with four games in hand.

McDonald's men, who are on a run of three straight league wins, have multiple games in hand on all of the sides above them in the table, including sixth-placed Quorn who are nine points better off, but have played four matches more.

KETTERING TOWN RUN-IN

FEBRUARY

Saturday, 28th: Stourbridge (A)

MARCH

Tuesday, 3rd: Stratford Town (H)

Saturday, 7th: Bromsgrove Sporting (H)

Tuesday, 10th: Alvechurch (H)

Saturday, 14th: AFC Sudbury (A)

Tuesday, 17th: AFC Sudbury (H)

Saturday, 21st: Quorn (H)

Tuesday, 24th: Banbury United (H)

Saturday, 28th: Barwell (A)