It’s all about the result and what a result on Saturday as the Poppies secured a 2-1 win against an in form Worcester City with a 94th minute goal which moves the club into fourth place and sets up a cracking encounter on Tuesday against promotion rivals Redditch United at Latimer Park, kick off 19:45.
Despite taking a 1-0 lead early in the second half on Saturday, ‘The Reds’ succumbed to a 1-4 defeat at home against Real Bedford. With six wins in their last ten games, Redditch have recently put a good run together, In their past five games The Reds have achieved three wins (4-1 versus Leiston; 1-2 away against Royston Town and a 2-1 victory over Needham Market), but have suffered an Easter weekend nightmare with two defeats to promotion rivals (3-1 away at Worcester City and 1-4 versus Real Bedford). This leaves Redditch United, managed by Mike Fowler, three places below KTFC in seventh place, with sixty-five points from thirty-nine games with only two points separating the teams with both teams having played the same number of games. In the form league, The Reds are in eighth place over the past five games taking nine points from a possible fifteen and in the comparative away standings, reside in eleventh place taking twenty-four points from nineteen games.
KTFC, have lost only twice in their last fifteen games and in our last five matches achieved three wins (2-1 at home against Worcester City; 2-1 versus third place Real Bedford; 2-5 away against Barwell) together with a single draw (0-0 at home to Banbury United) and a 0-2 defeat away to Stratford Town scoring seven and conceding four.
Kettering are fifth the in-form league, taking ten points from a possible fifteen in our past five matches and are eighth in the overall home table with thirty-seven points from nineteen games. The Poppies positioned themselves in the mix for the play-off places following Saturday’s win, moving them to fourth with sixty-seven points, with just three points separating five teams all vying for the fourth and fifth place finish.
Congratulations to Harborough Town who became league Champions on Saturday. They have been outstanding this season and deserve the plaudits for a pulsating league campaign and a fantastic FA Cup. Meanwhile, in the scramble for playoff places, the remaining games in hand are completed when Real Bedford entertain Leiston tomorrow and Stourbridge host Needham Market on Wednesday before round 41 of the League kicks off on Saturday.
This time last season we were only three points better off and last time out, the Poppies were on the end of a 0-4 thumping with two goals in each half at the Valley Stadium. However, with the recent two defeats, playoff options for Redditch are becoming scarce and they will throw everything into this game to achieve a win at Latimer Park.
With three games left to play, two at home, Poppies have given themselves a great chance to capitalise on a positive string of run-in results and secure a playoff place. The last home game of the season on Saturday against Halesowen is a tough ask before travelling to Bury Town. However, four points over the next two games maybe enough to add another two games onto our 25/26 campaign.
So let’s get behind Liam and the team as the exciting run in goes down to the wire.
Enjoy the game.
REDDITCH UNITED
Season V Comp F-A Att: Poppies Scorers
1975-76 H SLC3 5-2 648 Vowden, Conde.3, Harris
1976-77 H SLP 1-1 1473 Kellock
A SLP 2-0 998 Ashby, Richards
1977-78 H SLP 1-0 1051 Ashby
A SLP+ 1-0
1978-79 H SLP 2-3 1780 Kellock, Phipps
A SLP 1-1 587 Clayton
1979-80 H APL 2-1 1940 Evans, Phipps
A APL 1-0 316 Flannagan
2001-02 A FAC2Q 0-0 660
H FAC2QR 2-0 1044 Collins, Watkins
2004-05 H NCN 1-0 929 Gould
A NCN 3-2 402 Brown, Difante 2
2005-06 H NCN 4-0 911 Midgley, Elding, Own goal, Black
A NCN 1-2 752 Gould
2006-07 H NCN 3-1 1080 Marna, Howe, Boucaud
A NCN 4-4 670 Howe, Demspter, Solkhon, Boucaud
2007-08 H BSN 2-0 879 Rawle, Solkhon
A BSN 2-0 414 Westcarr, Galbraith
H FAC2Q 3-1 1072 Bridges, Burton, Westcarr
2009-10 H FAC4Q 1-1 1403 Ashikodi
A FAC4QR 1-0 1101 Marna
2012-13 H ESP* 0-1 487
A ESP 1-4 610 Griffiths
2013-14 H RIC3** 4-5 216 Gooding, Jepson, Moreman.2
2015-16 H ESP 0-0 626
A ESP 1-2 453 Carvalho (p)
2016-17 H ESP 1-2 343 Brighton
A ESP++ 3-1 212 Westwood, Weir-Daley.2
2017-18 H ESP 1-0 606 Meikle
A ESP 0-0 467
2018-19 H ESLSPC 4-4 453 O’Connor, Kelly-Evans, Holman.2
A ESLSPC 4-1 379 Meikle, Hoenes.2, Holman
2023-24 H PISLPC 1-2 704 Lewthwaite
A PISLPC 0-2 324
2024-25 H PISLPC 3-1 1846 Ranger (p), Edwards.2
A PISLPC 2-3 521 Kelly-Evans, Noel-Williams
2025-26 A PISLPC 0-4 610
+Played at Stourbridge
* Played at Corby Town
** Played at Latimer Park
++ Played at Bedworth United
POPPIES WINS: 18 GOALS FOR: 67
REDS WINS: 11 GOALS AGAINST: 51
DRAWS 8
Most goals in a game for the Poppies v Redditch United (3)
Jim Conde (1975-76)
Most goals in career Poppies v Redditch United (3)
Jim Conde
Played for both clubs (41)
Managers (3)
Denis Mortimer, Liam McDonald, Ian King.
Assistant Manager of both clubs (1)
Nick Green
League debuts (14)
Yannick Nlate 10:11:12 (h) GK
Aiden Da Rosa 10:11:12 (h)
Daniel Crowie 10:11:12 (h)
Adam Mitter 10:11:12 (h)
Anish Khinda 10:11:12 (h)
Troy Johnston 10:11:12 (h)
Nathan Hicks 10:11:12 (h) Missed a penalty on debut
Solomon Akinshade 10:11:12 (h)
Tarig Kotley 10:11:12 (h)
Dominic Langdon 11:08:15 (h)
Justin Marsden 11:08:15 (h)
Phoenix Scholtz 23:12:23 (h)
Lewis Putman 18:10:25 (a)
Romari Forde 18:10:25 (a)
Club debuts (2)
Callum Lloyd 29:09:07 (h) FA Cup
Sam Collins 29:09:07 (h) FA Cup
Kettering Town players sent off v Redditch United (3)
Mark Osborn 2006-07 (a) GK
Lewis White 2023-24 (a)
Harlain Mbayo 2024-25 (h)
Own goals v Redditch United (1)
Marcel McKie 2006-07 (h)
Own goals v Kettering Town (1)
Richard Field 2005-06 (h)
Poppies players who have scored against Kettering Town for Redditch Utd (2)
James Dance, Exodus Geohaghon
Poppies players who have made their 100th Club appearance against Redditch United (1)
Luke Graham 22:04:08
REDDITCH UNITED
Manager Mike Fowler
Ground The Valley Stadium
Nickname The Reds
Position in League 7th – 65pts from 39 games (2 behind the Poppies)
Top League scorer 12 – Alex Cameron
FORM (Last 5)
POPPIES DWWLW 9pts
Reds WWWLL 9pts
REDDITCH UNITED SO FAR…..
| Date | Comp | Opposition | R | F-A | Att | Goalscorers | |
| Aug | 9 | PISLPC | AFC Sudbury | L | 0-2 | ||
| Aug | 11 | PISLPC | Stratford Town | W | 1-0 | 641 | Cameron |
| Aug | 16 | PISLPC | Royston Town | W | 2-2 | 591 | Cameron, Bunn |
| Aug | 23 | PISLPC | Leiston | L | 0-2 | ||
| Aug | 25 | PISLPC | Bromsgrove Sporting | W | 3-0 | 1227 | Flannagan, Warburton.2 |
| Aug | 31 | FAC1Q | Skegness Town | W | 5-0 | 393 | King, Cameron.2, Flannagan, Wood |
| Sep | 6 | PISLPC | Real Bedford | W | 2-0 | Bunn, Bruck | |
| Sep | 9 | PISLPC | Stamford AFC | D | 1-1 | Warburton | |
| Sep | 13 | FAC2Q | Buxton | L | 0-3 | ||
| Sep | 20 | PISLPC | Stourbridge | W | 3-1 | 576 | Cameron, Flanagan, Bruck |
| Sep | 22 | PISLPC | Harborough Town | L | 0-3 | 521 | |
| Oct | 4 | FAT3Q | Cleethorpes Town | D | 0-0* | ||
| Oct | 11 | PISLPC | Bishop’s Stortford | L | 2-3 | Warburton, Cameron | |
| Oct | 14 | PISLPC | Halesowen Town | W | 3-2 | Reynolds, Cameron.2 | |
| Oct | 18 | PISLPC | Kettering Town | W | 4-0 | 610 | King, Flanagan.2 (1p), Reynolds |
| Oct | 20 | PISLPC | Alvechurch | W | 1-0 | 777 | Loughlan |
| Oct | 25 | FAT1 | Gainsborough Trinity | L | 1-2 | 426 | |
| Nov | 1 | PISLPC | Barwell | W | 1-0 | Bunn | |
| Nov | 8 | PISLPC | Needham Market | L | 1-2 | Bunn | |
| Nov | 15 | PISLPC | Bury Town | W | 3-2 | 564 | Loughlan, Cameron, Ward |
| Nov | 22 | PISLPC | St Ives Town | W | 2-0 | Fielding, Cameron | |
| Nov | 25 | PISLPC | Harborough Town | L | 0-2 | ||
| Nov | 29 | PISLPC | Spalding United | L | 0-7 | 457 | |
| Dec | 6 | PISLPC | Banbury United | W | 2-0 | 479 | Reynolds.2 |
| Dec | 9 | PISLPC | Quorn | L | 2-3 | Reynolds, Dudley-Toole | |
| Dec | 15 | PISLPC | Stamford AFC | W | 2-0 | 227 | Warburton (p), Loughlan |
| Dec | 20 | PISLPC | AFC Sudbury | L | 1-2 | 1481 | Cameron |
| Dec | 27 | PISLPC | Bromsgrove Sporting | D | 1-1 | Brown | |
| Jan | 3 | PISLPC | Worcester City | L | 1-4 | 1014 | Brown |
| Jan | 10 | PISLPC | Stratford Town | L | 0-1 | ||
| Jan | 17 | PISLPC | Bishop’s Stortford | D | 0-0 | 428 | |
| Jan | 24 | PISLPC | Stourbridge | W | 1-0 | Loughlan | |
| Jan | 31 | PISLPC | Halesowen Town | W | 3-1 | 1027 | Howell, Loughlan.2 |
| Feb | 13 | PISLPC | Barwell | W | 5-2 | 386 | Bishop.3, Cameron, Loughlan |
| Feb | 21 | PISLPC | Alvechurch | W | 1-0 | Loughlan | |
| Feb | 28 | PISLPC | Spalding United | L | 0-3 | ||
| Mar | 7 | PISLPC | St Ives Town | W | 2-0 | 448 | Cameron, Dudley-Toole |
| Mar | 14 | PISLPC | Bury Town | D | 1-1 | Stevens | |
| Mar | 21 | PISLPC | Needham Market | W | 2-1 | 491 | Sumnall, Bishop |
| Mar | 28 | PISLPC | Royston Town | W | 2-1 | Owen, Bunn | |
| Apr | 3 | PISLPC | Leiston | W | 4-1 | 543 | Bunn, Cameron, Ward, Dudley-Toole |
| Apr | 6 | PISLPC | Worcester City | L | 1-3 | Owen | |
| Apr | 11 | PISLPC | Real Bedford | L | 1-4 | 602 | Foreshaw |
