Poppies will have full respect for Ar Tarn

Coach John Ramshaw (left) and boss Marcus Law are set to make changes for Kettering Town's Hillier Cup clash with Desborough Town. Picture by Peter Short

The Poppies won the competition last season and then went on to beat Northampton Town in a penalty shoot-out to also lift the Maunsell Cup in pre-season.

Kettering head into the game in form with eight wins from their first nine matches in all competitions this season while Ar Tarn have made a steady start and ran out 6-4 winners at Wellingborough Town at the weekend.

And the Poppies’ first-team coach John Ramshaw insists they will have full respect for Chris Bradshaw’s team, although it seems likely that Marcus Law will ring the changes for the county competition.

“We won’t be complacent and we certainly won’t be treating the opposition with any disrespect,” Ramshaw said.

“The side we send out will have first-team squad players in it without a doubt.

“It may not be what we consider to be our first-choice team but it will be strong because winning the Hillier Cup is a great honour and if you do that then you have the chance, like we did this year, to go on and try to win the Maunsell Cup as well.

“So it’s definitely not a tie we will be taking lightly.”

Elsewhere in the Hillier Cup tonight, Rothwell Corinthians take on Peterborough Sports while, tomorrow evening, Wellingborough travel to Brackley Town Saints and Corby Town host Brackley Town at Steel Park.