Following the Alamo experience of a tough second half at The Grove last Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Halesowen Town, KTFC return to Latimer Park where Bury Town are the visitors for Match Day 21 on Saturday kick off 15:00.

The Blues, who thumped Barwell 4-0 at home on Saturday with all the goals in the first half, secured their first win in six matches, having only won three games from their past ten outings. Bury’s record over the previous five matches has been turbulent having only one win (Barwell 4-0), one draw (0-0 away at Bishop’s Stortford) and three defeats (1-2 vs Stratford; 2-1 away at Spalding United and 0-1 against Real Bedford). These results see Bury Town reside in sixteenth place in the league amassing twenty-four points from twenty-one games leaving them six points off the relegation places. In terms of the form table, The Blues lie sixteenth, only one place above KTFC, with four points from five games. However, Bury’s away form reflects their league position with six points achieved from ten games leaving them eighteenth in the away form table having shipped nineteen goals but scoring eleven in part due to George Quantrell, who has seven goals this season, ably assisted by fellow striker Jamie McGrath who joined in October from Needham Market having made over 100 appearances for the Bloomfields side.

Meanwhile, Kettering Town have picked up four points in our last two unbeaten games despite having finished the Halesowen game with our back four comprising of players who were playing our of position. The resilience in defence against a free flowing attacking side was a marked contrast to the initial games that characterised the start of the McDonald reign at Kettering Town.

Over the past five games KTFC have endured three losses (2-1 at Stamford; 3-0 away at Bromsgrove; 2-0 away at Spalding United) and one win (5-0 at home vs. Stourbridge) and a single draw (at Halesowen 1-1). KTFC have maintained mid table security in eleventh place in the league achieving twenty-eight points, seven points off the play-offs places.

Form-wise, the Poppies are firmly in the lower half of the table in seventeenth place with four points from our last five games. However, in the home form table they are in fourteenth position with fourteen points from their last nine away games.

When it come to promotion hopefuls, league leaders Spalding United are at home to ninth placed Worcester City, Harborough Town do not have league game as they are in the cup following last Saturday’s league fixture postponement against Bishop’s Stortford; a great fixture at Quorn saw them beat fellow play off contenders Redditch United on Tuesday 3-2, and Banbury entertain fourth placed Needham Market.

We have three home games in December before Christmas starting with Saturday’s clash against Bury Town. We have only played The Blues three times, all in the 1971/72 season. However, despite often losing to late goals in recent matches, the newcomers have acclimatised well to life in the Southern Premier League and will pose a tangible threat to the Poppies newly acquired unbeaten form.

Enjoy the game.

COYP!

BURY TOWN

Season         V        Comp           F-A     Att:    Poppies Scorers

1971-72        H        SLD1            2-1     1057   Goodhall, Gully

                     A        SLD1            1-0     480    Jacques

                     A        SLCQ           1-2     516    Jacques

Played for both clubs (5)

Ian Benjamin, David Bridges, Roy Essandoh, Bobby Mayes, Ian Stringfellow.

POPPIES WINS:     2                                       GOALS FOR:                     4

BLUES WINS:         1                                       GOALS AGAINST:             2

DRAWS                  0

POPPIES STATS:

Highest away win:                        1-0     1971-72 (SLD1)                

Highest away defeat:                   1-2    1971-72 (SLCQ)        

Highest away attendance:            516     1971-72 (SLCQ)     

Lowest away attendance:             480     1971-72 (SLD1

Most goals in career Poppies v Bury Town (2)

Tony Jacques

BURY TOWN

Manager                           Cole Skuse

Ground                             The Getaway Cars Stadium (Ram Meadow)

Nickname                         The Blues

Position in League           16^th – 24pts from 21 games

Top League Scorer          6 – George Quantrell

FORM LAST 5
POPPIES                LLLW D        4pts

The Blues                LDLL  W       4pts

THE BLUES SO FAR…..