Relief for boss Lavery as Poppies leave it late to rescue precious point
Richard Lavery was a relieved man after Kai Fifield's last-gasp strike rescued a point for Kettering Town in their big top-of-the-table clash with AFC Telford United on Saturday.
The Poppies looked to be heading for a costly defeat in the Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central as they trailed 1-0 in the third minute of time added on at the end of the game.
But substitute Fifield poppied up with a late, late equaliser to keep Kettering very much in the title frame.
The Poppies, who started the weekend as leaders, did drop to third as they were leapfrogged by Halesowen and Bedford Town, but they are still just a point off the top spot with six matches of the season remaining.
"It's about time it went our way as it has happened to us a few times this season, letting in goals in 90 minutes-plus, and we have gone and done it to Telford," said Lavery, who had seen his team go 1-0 down just before half-time, Matt Stenson scoring from the penalty spot.
"There's the old cliche of a game of two halves, and that was a game of two halves.
"We dominated the first-half, we have hit the bar, and although we didn't create a lot of clear-cut chances we have dominated the ball and played really well.
"We have then given an awful penalty away, you can't dive in like that in the box.
"That changes my team talk from saying 'well done' to going mad at half-time. Goals change team talks and that changed mine.
"It was a big game and we had to take something from it.
"When I saw the first half I thought there was three points there for us all day, but it didn't quite happen.
"I would have taken a point in the 90th minute, and Kai has come on and scored the equaliser."
The Poppies now have a free week before they make the trip to sixth-placed Stamford on Saturday.