VERDICT: Poppies remain in trouble after another poor away-day
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The Poppies were well beaten 4-2 at mid-table Spennymoor Town as a weak defensive display got exactly what it deserved to ensure Lee Glover’s men remain at serious threat of relegation going into the final two games of the season.
Spennymoor hitman Glen Taylor scored all four of his team’s goals, taking advantage of some very generous defending.
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Hide AdAnd, despite a spirited last quarter-of-an-hour, the damage had been done before Kettering could launch any sort of fightback.
Glover was forced into one change to his starting line-up with George Cooper ruled out with a groin injury.
It meant a return for Lewis White after he came off the bench to score the second goal in Monday’s 3-0 win over Leamington.
The Poppies actually had the first sight of goal when a good bit of play ended with Keaton Ward having a low shot saved by home goalkeeper Harry Flatters.
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Hide AdBut, from there, it was a lot like the slope at the Brewery Field, downhill.
It was all down the right-hand side where the damage was done.
John Lufudu was a thorn in the side of Rhys Sharpe throughout the first half and he forced Owen Mason into a save at his near post before the floodgates opened.
It was all-too-easy for one of the best strikers in the division as Glen Taylor guided home a header from Lebrun Mbeka’s cross to open the scoring.
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Hide AdAnd it was two for Taylor nine minutes later when he stabbed home from close-range after Lufudu had skinned Sharpe and got to the by-line.
But if that was bad, worse was to follow as Taylor completed a 16-minute hat-trick in the easiest of fashions, heading home unchallenged from a corner.
It was weak and it really wasn’t good enough from a Poppies side who are supposed to be fighting for their lives.
They did, at least, react towards the end of the half and there was suspect defending from the hosts as well as Jimmy Knowles - one of the few livewires - got clear on goal and skipped past the on-rushing Flatters before scoring into the empty net.
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Hide AdBut any hopes of a remarkable comeback were extinguished six minutes into the second half.
Yet again, it was that man Taylor and the Poppies unbelievably stood off him and allowed him all the time in the world to line up a 20-yard effort, which he curled superbly into the far corner.
That finally killed the game as a contest and Taylor might have had a fifth when he volleyed over from a corner but Spennymoor took the opportunity to rest their star man up with 20 minutes to go.
Little was seen of Kettering as an attacking force but they did pull another back with 13 minutes to go as the hosts failed to clear their lines and George Forsyth hammered home a low shot from 12 yards.
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Hide AdAnd that seemed to spark the Poppies into a bit of life and they came close to adding a third as Flatters made a fine double save to deny Ward and then substitute Sam Bennett.
Brad Gascoigne headed wide unmarked from a corner and then Knowles could only shoot straight at Flatters after being played in.
The truth is, however, the Poppies simply left themselves too much to do after that 33-minute four-goal salvo from Taylor.
And now they have it all to do in their final home game against high-flying Chester next weekend…
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Hide AdSpennymoor: Flatters; Mbeka (sub Wombwell, 50 mins), Curtis, Ledger; Lufudu, Ross, Ramshaw, Shanks (sub Anderson, 77 mins), Angell; Blackett, Taylor (sub Day, 69 mins). Subs not used: Greaves, McKeown.
Poppies: Mason; Myles, White, Gascoigne, Sharpe; Sault (sub Bennett, 69 mins), Stohrer, Forsyth, Ward (sub Lewthwaite, 89 mins); Sheriff (sub Hill, 54 mins), Knowles. Subs not used: Scott, Lakin.
Referee: Paul Cooper.
Goals: Taylor (18 mins, 1-0), Taylor (27 mins, 2-0), Taylor (33 mins, 3-0), Knowles (40 mins, 3-1), Taylor (51 mins, 4-1), Forsyth (73 mins, 4-2).
Bookings: Shanks, White (both fouls).
Northants Telegraph man-of-match: Jimmy Knowles - one of the few positives as the youngster caused problems for the home defence at times.
Attendance: 1,330 (56 away fans).