With the Poppies first win of 2025 secured against AFC Sudbury on Saturday following a ‘smash and grab’ winner in the fifth minute of injury time, KTFC swiftly return to action on Tuesday in the Southern League Premier Central with a visit to Banbury United. ‘The Puritans’, under the stewardship of Simon Hollyhead, fresh from a 2-1 home victory against Spalding United, are maintaining a robust mid table position with an unbeaten run of six games with three wins ( Spalding United 2-1; AFC Sudbury 1-2; St Ives 1-0) and three draws (Bedford 2-2; Bishop’s Stortford 0-0; Redditch 0-0). Over the past ten games, Banbury have suffered three losses (1-2 Barwell; 0-2 Lowestoft; 4-1 Harborough). Whilst their overall form over the latter part of the season has been sporadic they now lie fifth in the last six league form guide, 15th in the home and away form league ( having picked up only 8 points from a possible 18). Apart from the 4-1 loss at Harborough, Banbury have not scored or conceded more than 2 goals in a game.
In contrast, whilst nine places and eleven points separate the two teams, KTFC have returned to winning ways and have climbed to 14th in the league form guide attaining 7 points from a possible 18 ( 4th place for home form and 15th position for away matches 5 points out of 18). The Poppies avoided a fourth loss in a row and maintain their fifth place in the league albeit with three games in hand and five points adrift of the current leaders AFC Telford. Fans will be looking for a repeat of Saturday’s win from KTFC at The Spencer Stadium. COYP!




BANBURY UNITED
Season V Comp F-A Att: Poppies Scorers
1966-67 H SLD1 2-1 1918 Smith, Martin
A SLD1 4-4 1200 Smith.3, Daldy
A SLC1/1 2-1 Daldy, Smith
H SLC1/2 1-1 1793 Gully
1967-68 H SLD1 1-0 2464 Walden
A SLD1 1-1 1780 Reed
A MFC 0-0 1633
H MFC 1-3 1046 Gully
1971-72 H SLD1N 1-2 1582 Jacques
A SLD1N 2-1 536 Jacques, Pawley
1974-75 H SLC1/1 6-1 2074 Atkinson.G, Conde, Clayton.3, Buckby
A SLC1/2 1-2 312 Conde
2012-13 H ESP 1-1 526 Byerley
A ESP 0-2 147
2016-17 H ESP 2-2 480 Howe, Haran
A ESP 2-1 477 Baker, O’Connor
2017-18 H ESP 3-0 653 Solkhon, Milnes, Howe
A ESP 1-1 301 Meikle
2018-19 H ESLSPC 3-0 760 Hoenes, Stohrer, Solkhon
A ESLSPC 1-4 371 Holman
A CSSLCC1 3-2 185 Solkhon, Borg, Richens
2022-23 H VNLN 0-0 631
A VNLN 3-0 828 Bennett, Hill, Maguire
POPPIES WINS: 10 GOALS FOR: 41
PURITANS WINS: 5 GOALS AGAINST: 30
DRAWS 8
Most goals in a game for the Poppies v Banbury United (3)
Dick Smith (1966-67), Roy Clayton (1974-75)
Most goals in career Poppies v Banbury United (5)
Dick Smith.
Played for both clubs (36)
Goalkeepers
Tony Jacques, Ollie Kearns, Alan Judge, Phil Mason, Delroy Gordon, Neil Lazarus, Terry Muckleberg, Jason Lee, Andy Turner, Matt Murphy, Liam Dolman, Robbie Maddox, Nabil Shariff, Nathan Hilaire, Scott Cross, Rob Foster, Wes Emery, Deqwon Ebanks, Melanius Mullarkey, Elliot Sandy, Dean Snedker, Ben Baker, Edmund Hotter, Lewis Wilson, Ben Acquaye, Ethan Johnson, Jay Williams, Harry Reilly, Kelvin Langmead, Tom Scott, Dion Kelly-Evans, Adi Yussuf, Kobe Chong, Gedeon Okito, George Forsyth, Dan Jarvis.
Managers (2)
Billy Jeffrey, Kevin Wilson.
League debuts (1)
Dalton Harris 2012-13(h)
Club debuts (2)
Lewis Elsom 2018-19 (a) GK – League Cup
Edmund Hotter 2018-19 (a) League Cup
Kettering Town players sent off v Banbury United (2)
Lewis White 2022-23 (h)
Liam Canavan 2016-17 (h) Substitute
Banbury United players sent off v Kettering Town (1)
Edmund Hotter 2018-19 (h)
Poppies players who have scored for Banbury against Kettering Town (2)
Tony Jacques, Nabil Shariff
Puritan players who have scored against Banbury United for Kettering (2)
Tony Jacques, Ben Baker.
BANBURY UNITED
Manager – Simon Hollyhead
Ground – The Banbury Plant Hire Community Stadium
Position in League – 14th (36pts from 26 games)
Leading League scorer – (4) Adriel George & Jannai Gordon
Form last 5 WDDWW = 11pts
Form last 5 away DWDDL = 6pts
Form last 5 home WDWLD = 8pts
THE PURITANS SO FAR….
Date | Comp | Opposition | R | F-A | Att | Goalscorers | |
Aug | 10 | PISLPC | AFC Sudbury | D | 1-1 | 440 | George |
Aug | 12 | PISLPC | Barwell | W | 1-0 | George | |
Aug | 17 | PISLPC | St Ives Town | L | 1-2 | George (p) | |
Aug | 24 | PISLPC | Leiston | W | 1-0 | 550 | Henry |
Aug | 26 | PISLPC | Alvechurch | W | 1-0 | Own goal | |
Aug | 31 | FAC1Q | Dorchester Town | W | 2-0 | 458 | Ofosu, Ball |
Sep | 6 | PISLPC | Stamford AFC | W | 1-0 | 778 | Reilly |
Sep | 10 | PISLPC | Halesowen Town | L | 0-1 | 568 | |
Sep | 14 | FAC2Q | Melksham Town | D | 1-1 | George (p) | |
Sep | 17 | FAC2QR | Melksham Town | L | 2-3 | 478 | Prince, Ofosu |
Sep | 21 | PISLPC | Royston Town | L | 0-1 | ||
Sep | 24 | PISLPC | Stratford Town | D | 1-1 | Ofosu | |
Oct | 5 | FAT3Q | Plymouth Parkway | L | 2-3 | Ferguson, Gordon | |
Oct | 12 | PISLPC | Bromsgrove Sporting | D | 0-0 | 691 | |
Oct | 15 | PISLPC | Bedford Town | W | 2-0 | 518 | Gordon, George |
Oct | 19 | PISLPC | Spalding United | L | 0-2 | ||
Oct | 22 | PISLPC | Biggleswade Town | W | 2-0 | Flemming, Gordon | |
Nov | 2 | PISLPC | Hitchin Town | L | 1-2 | 709 | Bell |
Nov | 9 | PISLPC | Bishop’s Stortford | D | 1-1 | Ofosu | |
Nov | 16 | PISLPC | Stourbridge | D | 0-0 | 734 | |
Nov | 23 | PISLPC | Harborough Town | L | 1-4 | Own goal | |
Nov | 30 | PISLPC | Lowestoft Town | L | 0-2 | 441 | |
Dec | 14 | PISLPC | AFC Telford United | D | 1-1 | Ball | |
Dec | 21 | PISLPC | Barwell | L | 1-2 | 451 | Prosser |
Dec | 26 | PISLPC | Redditch United | D | 0-0 | ||
Dec | 28 | PISLPC | St Ives Town | W | 1-0 | 631 | Flemming |
Jan | 4 | PISLPC | AFC Sudbury | W | 2-1 | Ofosu, Jarvis | |
Jan | 18 | PISLPC | Bishop’s Stortford | D | 0-0 | 544 | |
Jan | 25 | PISLPC | Bedford Town | D | 2-2 | Dias, Gordon | |
Feb | 1 | PISLPC | Spalding United | W | 2-1 | 566 | Gordon, Prosser |