Ramshaw praises Poppies for an 'absolutely magnificent' shift

John Ramshaw described Kettering Town’s effort with 10 men as “absolutely magnificent” as they fought out a goalless draw with Chester at Latimer Park.

A fine attendance of 1,014 - the Poppies’ highest at home since their return to the Vanarama National League North - saw the hosts have the better of things in the first half.

But the game turned four minutes after the restart when striker Kyle Perry, already on a yellow card for dissent, clashed with visiting defender Simon Grand and received his marching orders.

Kettering made an impressive fist of things despite being a man down, however, as they defended stoutly and still posed a threat on the counter-attack.

The numbers were levelled up late on when Kevin Roberts was sent-off, also for two bookable offence, and despite half-chances at both ends, both sides settled for a point.

Poppies assistant-manager Ramshaw said: “We have had to play 35 minutes or so with 10 men and I thought the shift the boys put in during the second half was absolutely magnificent.

“But that’s just testament to the team spirit that is in the dressing room at the moment.

“They are all fighting for each other, playing for each other and there is a marvellous atmosphere in there.

“In those circumstances, without a doubt we will take a point but the shift those boys put in deserves a little bit more than a point.

“The main thing that happened with the sending-off is that we lost the impetus slightly.

“At half-time, we were in the ascendency and I thought we were the better team in the first half.

“But when Kyle got sent-off it gave Chester the chance to call on the reserves and lift the game a little bit.

“But we have hung on and, at times, we had a couple of chances that we could and should have done better with but we will take a point.”

Ramshaw, meanwhile, felt the second booking Perry received was “a soft one”.

“They have jumped and Kyle’s hand has gone up as an automatic response to the jump and he has caught the boy in the face,” he added.

“I thought it was a soft one.

“I don’t think it was intentional, you could see Kyle was concerned about the boy so I don’t think it was intentional but the referee has interpreted it the way he said.

“If you are going to be cold and ruthless about it, maybe he shouldn’t have got himself booked for dissent.”

The Poppies remain in eighth place in the National League North as they now turn their attention to next weekend’s Emirates FA Cup fourth qualifying round home clash with Northern Premier League high-flyers Buxton, who remain unbeaten this season.