With the Christmas presents opened and the turkey consumed its time to don the KTFC retro shirt for the short trip to Bowdens Park, home of Harborough Town, for our next game on Saturday kick off 15:00.

The Bees, who won away 1-3 against Needham Market last Saturday, came back from conceding an early goal in the fifth minute to eventually cruise into Christmas with only one league defeat to date this season. Whilst having their best season ever, Harborough Town narrowly lost to Carlisle in the FA Trophy and in their past five league fixtures have secured three wins (1-3 Needham Market; 2-0 at home to Redditch United and 1-2 away at Worcester City) one draw (away at Barwell 1-1) and one loss (away at Stourbridge 1-2). The Bees outstanding run of form sees them nestled in second place in the Southern Premier with forty-five points, only three points adrift of leaders Spalding United, but with three games in hand on all of the top five teams.

In terms of the form table, Harborough are in fourth place with ten points from five games. However, their home form is excellent with twenty-two points achieved from ten games leaving them second in the home form table enabled in part by their leading goal scorer O’Sullivan, with five to his name this season.

With thirteen goals scored in the last five games, the Poppies are on a four match unbeaten run in the league following last Saturday’s 3-0 home victory over Royston Town. After a rocky start to the first half, a confident and attacking KTFC side got the right result. Over the past five games the Poppies have endured one loss (2-1 at Stamford), two draws (3-3 at home to Bury Town and away at Halesowen 1-1) together with two wins (3-0 Royston Town and 5-0 at home vs. Stourbridge). With twenty two games played, KTFC are in tenth place, only three points from the play-off places with a game in hand although Real Bedford in sixth have three games in hand on the Poppies.

Form-wise, the Poppies are now in tenth place with eight points from our last five games securing seventh place in the overall form table and ninth place in the away form table with fourteen points from their last eleven away games.

When it come to promotion hopefuls, the Boxing Day fixtures provide some exciting games with league leaders Spalding United at home to relegation prospects Stamford, third placed Quorn travel to Barwell; a tantalising fixture at Bromsgrove where Sporting host fourth placed Redditch United and eight placed Leiston entertain fifth placed Needham Market.

Having already lost 0-1 at Latimer Park to Harborough Town in the corresponding fixture, and given the Bees outstanding league run, Poppies fans could be forgiven for just wanting to enjoy the day out. However, with a resurgent Poppies attacking line-up and renewed optimism in the squad, this will be a fixture to lift the season’s spirits buoyed by local rivalry, ex Poppies players and a bumper sell-out crowd. Kettering Town have nothing to lose, and with the prospect of Stratford Town at home on January 3 followed by a trip to the east coast on January 10th against Leiston, it’s all to play for as the second half of the season unfolds.

Enjoy the game.

COYP!

HARBOROUGH TOWN

Season            V         Comp              F-A     Att:     Poppies Scorers

2024-25           H         PISLPC           1-1       1596    Johnson

                        A         PISLPC           1-2       1500    Fifield

                        H         PISLPCSF       0-0*     2760

2025-26           H         PISLPC           0-1       2091

*Poppies won 4-3 on penalties, after extra-time

POPPIES WINS:      0                                              GOALS FOR:                        2

BEES  WINS:             1                                              GOALS AGAINST:                  3

DRAWS                     2*

Played for both clubs (25)

Goalkeepers

Chris Carruthers, Taras Petranyuk, Kamran Glen, Jamie McAlindon, Robbie Maddox, Solomon Akinshade, Pat Noubissie, Callum Milne, Michael Shamalo, Jordon Crawford, Paul Malone, Joel Carta, Rhys Hoenes, Ethan Johnson, Gary Mulligan, Brett Solkhon, Connor Kennedy, Silvano Obeng, Luca Miller, Sidik Atcha, Ben Stephens, Liam Dolman, Devon Kelly-Evans, Terell Pennant, Eddie Panter.

Managers (1)

Mitch Austin

League debuts (1)

Terell Pennant             01:01:25 (a)

HARBOROUGH TOWN

Manager                                Mitch Austin

Ground                                   Harborough Town Community Ground

Nickname                               The Bees

Position in League                2^nd – 45pts from 20 games

Top League scorer                5 – Riley O’Sullivan

THE BEES SO FAR