Stourbridge 1 Kettering Town 2 - Report and pictures

The Northamptonshire side are now one point above The Glassboys at the top of the table with two games in hand after completing the double over the long term leaders who were 1-0 up with 15 minutes left.

But a mistake by Brad Birch in giving the ball away in front of his own box which eventually led to a goal, and a wonderful free kick by Kettering new boy Tom Knowles meant the visitors, who have beaten Stourbridge three times this season, now have a clear advantage.

A visibly shocked Gary Hackett said after the game his team could not afford to give away goals to quality teams and expect to win and admitted the result was a real body blow.

He said: "I didn't think it was a free kick for the last goal but whether it was or not it was a wonderful strike and you can't afford to defend sloppily in those areas when you are in front.

"The first goal came because of a square ball being played and intercepted instead of the player trying to find one of our forwards and the way it came about was very disappointing.

"The lads know it, everyone was gutted in the dressing room after the game but we will dust ourselves off and go again at Lowestoft next week, at the moment though it feels like a period of mourning because we were close to winning.

The second half was a great spectacle for a bumper crowd of 1,734, though an edgy and nervy first period had it's moments as well.

Robbie Thompson Brown went close for Stourbridge with a curling shot and Dan Holman for Kettering saw his effort hit the bar after he had carved out an opening for himself on the edge of the box with some clever footwork.

Kettering probably had the better of the chances early on after the break, James Wren just keeping the ball out of the net twice and also had two good penalty shouts.

After one of them, on 76 minutes, a pinpoint pass out of the Stourbridge defence found Greg Mills on the right and his curling cross-shot almost went in to the net but was parried by goalkeeper Paul White, Leon Broadhurst eventually turning it in.

Luke Benbow came close to making it two when he shaved the top of the crossbar two minutes later. But just as Stourbridge needed cool heads, Birch played a square ball on 84 minutes into the path of Marcus Kelly, whose clever pass to Brett Solkhon saw the latter crash his shot into the net.

The game was well in to injury time when Knowles scored woith a sublime free kick from just outside the box on his first appearance after an innocuous looking challenge and there was barely time for Stourbridge to kick off again.

Stourbridge: Wren; Westlake; Brown; McCone; Pierpoint; Forde; Powell; (Anderson 58);Broadhurst; Benbow; Thompson-Brown (Birch 67); Mills (Yafai 85).

Unused subs: Christophorou; Maher.

Attendance: 1, 734