VERDICT: Poppies complete remarkable fightback to clinch crucial win over Boston

At half-time, they looked almost dead and buried as fellow strugglers Boston United cruised into a 2-0 lead with the Poppies struggling to make any inroads.

But, by full-time, the majority of a season-high attendance were literally dancing on the terraces as Kettering completed the most remarkable of turnarounds to clinch a 3-2 success and lift themselves out of the relegation zone in the Vanarama National League North.

The delight at the end was clear, not least from manager Lee Glover.

He’s taken his fair share of stick, some even coming soon after he was appointed, but he deserves a lot of credit for this one.

The first half wasn’t good enough, Kettering and Glover have to own that.

But he didn’t mess around. He changed formation, he threw on Decarrey Sheriff and the rest is history. This was a perfect example of a manager positively affecting the game.

To be fair, though, you couldn’t see it coming at half-time.

Boston looked the hungrier side in the opening period and they made the perfect start when Jake Wright powered home a header from Lirak Hasani’s cross after just four minutes.

Wright had a big chance to double his and the Pilgrims’ advantage when he scooped the ball over from close-range.

But, with Kettering struggling to get anything going offensively, it was 2-0 on 34 minutes.

A corner came in from the right, Boston won the first header and then, despite being on the ground, Tom Platt managed to squeeze a shot inside the far post.

There were a few boos and there was a whole lot of frustration from the home faithful at the break - and rightly so.

But Glover rolled the dice. He threw on Sheriff, switched to a 4-3-3 and, quite frankly, went for it.

Sheriff, who is still on his way back from injury, was a real livewire and he saw a shot pushed round the post by Tiernan Brooks in what was the Boston goalkeeper’s first real difficult moment.

And it was Sheriff who gave Kettering the spark they needed when, after fine work from Frankie Maguire on the left, the frontman stabbed the ball into the corner after a bit of a scramble in the box.

You could see the confidence grow in the Poppies and you could see it draining from Boston.

And, just 10 minutes later, the magnificent Maguire had them level.

He exchanged passes with Sheriff and then arrowed his shot into the top corner from a narrow angle. It was a wonderful finish from a player who surely has a big future ahead of him at Sheffield United.

With the crowd behind them, Kettering weren’t done and the comeback was completed with 11 minutes to go.

This time, Maguire’s cross was half-cleared. George Forsyth popped it back into the box and there was Lewis White who got his head to it and found the corner to spark wild scenes of celebration both on and off the pitch.

There was nothing too pretty about White’s first goal for the club but it might just turn out to be the most important one of the season.

From there, it was all about concentration and the Poppies held firm and ensured goalkeeper Harrison Foulkes had little to do.

It ended up being a sensational return to Latimer Park after nearly two months without a home game.

The job isn’t done. Far from it. But this was a big result in a big game.

There will be more to come but Kettering have shown they have it in them, even when all hope seemed lost.

Strap yourselves in. There will be a few more wild rides to come before this season is done and dusted…

Poppies: Foulkes; Myles, White, Gascoigne, Forsyth, Flanagan (sub Sheriff, h-t), Maguire, Sharpe, Stohrer; Bennett (sub Ward, 73 mins), Lewthwaite. Subs not used: Hogg, Cooper, Hill.

Boston: Brooks; Mills, Shiels, B Pollock, Sephton; Hasani, Platt, Atkinson (sub Munakandafa, 81 mins), S Pollock (sub Mitford, 83 mins), Burrow, Wright (sub Goodson, 69 mins). Subs not used: McLintock, Cummings.

Referee: Liam Corbett.

Goals: Wright (4 mins, 0-1), Platt (34 mins, 0-2), Sheriff (64 mins, 1-2), Maguire (74 mins, 2-2), White (79 mins, 3-2).

Bookings: Sephton (delaying restart), Gascoigne (foul).

Northants Telegraph man-of-the-match: Frankie Maguire - the Sheffield United youngster was the pick of the bunch. He stood out in a poor first half and was then the catalyst for the second-half comeback. He create the first goal and scored the brilliant second. A real talent.

Attendance: 985.