Kettering Town 1 Sporting Khalsa 0 - Report
A showing of grit and determination in Northamptonshire was not enough for Sporting Khalsa to continue their progression in this year's FA Cup, bowing out in a single-goal defeat at Kettering Town.
The Lions exit at the second qualifying round stage for the second time in three seasons, after Harry Reilly's 23rd-minute clincher saw the Southern League Premier Central hosts through at the expense of Ian Rowe's men.
It could have been an afternoon that culminated in completely different fashion, had Khalsa put to bed two key openings in the opening quarter.
First, a clutch of Poppies defenders did well to block a Sporting effort that was travelling, before the hosts' Lewis White had to be alert to hack a strike off of the goal line to the disgruntlement of the Sporting faithful and bench.
Reilly's hammer blow moments later would leave a sour taste in the mouths of the visitors, especially when considering the momentum shift that the goal provided the home side.
With nothing between the two sides, Khalsa threw all their might behind an attempt at snatching an equaliser, which would not arrive despite a lengthy finale of seven minutes of stoppage time.
