Injury blow for Fisk as leaders have too much quality for Trawlerboys

Shaun Bammant chases down a Kettering opponent. Picture: Shirley D Whitlow (Image: Shirley D Whitlow)

The teams were faced with a viciously cold wind sweeping across a pitch which was looking much the worse after suffering a lot of rain during the week and a game the previous evening. The effects of the wind and an erratic bounce made control difficult with the ball spending a lot of time in the air.

As would be expected the Poppies were doing much of the pressing and at times the Trawlerboys goal seemed to lead a charmed life as crosses whizzed across the face of the goal with no one able to get on the end of them.

Fate seemed against Lowestoft as they had to play with 10 men for several minutes with Jack Wilkinson having a blood injury attended to and then on 25 minutes Fisk, chasing a Shaun Bammant flick on, pulled up with a recurrence of his hamstring injury and had to be replaced by Ben Fowkes.

With half-time approaching Elvijs Putnins had not really been tested when a misunderstanding between him and Rossi Jarvis presented Aaron O'Connor with the simple task of walking the ball into an unguarded goal to put the Poppies ahead.

Lowestoft Town's Armani Schaar and Matt Brown challenge Kettering's Lathaniel Rowe-Turner. Picture: Shirley D Whitlow (Image: Shirley D Whitlow)

There was an early scare for Lowestoft at the start of the second half as O'Connor flashed a powerful header inches over the bar. The Trawlerboys started to get the ball down and come more into the game ball but without really testing Paul White in the home goal. Hopes of an equaliser were shattered though as the Poppies struck with two goals in a minute to seal the points.

Firstly a 66th-minute free kick just inside the Lowestoft half taken by the influential Marcus Kelly was headed beyond Putnins into the roof of the net by Declan Towers and straight from the restart Kelly himself was played through the middle to shoot past the Town keeper.

Lowestoft had again shown commitment throughout but it was not until the 82nd minute that they had a shot on target but even then Fowkes' effort from the edge of the area was straight at the keeper.

Kettering Town: White, Berry, Stohrer, Richens, Meikle, O'Connor (Hoenes 56), Holman, Kelly-Evans, Kelly (Solkhon 80), Towers (Toseland 77), Rowe-Turner. Subs not used: Milnes, Graham

Lowestoft Town goalkeeper Elvijs Putnins comes out to claim against Kettering. Picture: Shirley D Whitlow (Image: Shirley D Whitlow)

Lowestoft Town: Putnins, Schaar, Wilkinson, Deeks, Jarvis, Tann, Pollock (Vega 63), Fisk (Fowkes 25), Bammant, Smith (Wren 87), Brown. Subs not used: Hedge, Reynolds

Referee: Mr S Chalkley

Attendance: 586

Action from Lowestoft's defeat at Kettering - Henry Pollock and Connor Deeks pressure the hosts. Picture: Shirley D Whitlow (Image: Shirley D Whitlow)

Action from Lowestoft Town's defeat at Kettering. Picture: Shirley D Whitlow (Image: Shirley D Whitlow)