'We're the FA Cup's all-time top goalscorers - now it's time for another shock'

Seventh-tier Kettering Town person the accidental to make much FA Cup past erstwhile they question crossed region lines to look Northampton Town connected Saturday afternoon

Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal whitethorn not person to interest astir the FA Cup for different 2 months, but that doesn't mean the contention hasn't already been successful afloat plaything for immoderate time.

In August, teams arsenic debased arsenic the ninth-tier of English shot entered the fray dreaming of a money-spinning tally oregon adjacent - arsenic improbable arsenic it whitethorn good beryllium - a travel to Wembley. That includes the competition's greatest-ever goalscorers: Kettering Town.

The Southern League Premier Central broadside started their FA Cup run NINE weeks agone and are inactive successful the competition. They person already won 4 matches and person been dealt a imagination necktie against League One outfit Northampton successful the archetypal circular connected Saturday.

Speaking up of the travel to the Cobblers - unrecorded connected the BBC - vice skipper Ben Hart told Mirror Football: "I can't hold for the game, it's a bully accidental for america and determination is simply a monolithic buzz astir the team. The past mates of weeks we person been gathering towards it and I consciousness similar everyone is acceptable to springiness it their each to beryllium honest. It's thing you imagination astir and playing against the champion teams, truthful it's a bully accidental for america each to unrecorded that boyhood dream."

Midfielder Devon Kelly-Evans added: "I deliberation it has travel astatine a bully clip for us, we’re connected a bully tally astatine the minute, done to the archetypal circular of the FA Cup, it's a peculiar clip for the club. A caller squad has been enactment together, caller management, we person each worked for this accidental and we request to spell retired and bask it.

"I've been successful non-league for six years and I've ne'er made it to the archetypal round, it doesn't hap each twelvemonth and it's a large achievement. It's a peculiar feeling, you can't get that from a league fixture and for immoderate of the lads it mightiness beryllium the archetypal and past clip we play successful it, truthful it volition beryllium a large time for us."

Kettering - who were concisely managed by ex-England leader Paul Gascoigne successful 2005 - began their 2024/25 FA Cup escapade with a 2-1 triumph implicit Stafford Rangers successful the archetypal qualifying circular and followed that up by beating Cleethorpes 1-0. They past breezed past league rivals St Ives Town 3-0 earlier edging beyond Farsley Celtic of the Northern Premier League to scope the archetypal circular for the archetypal clip successful 12 years.

Reflecting connected that journey, Hart said: "We person played a fewer bully teams, but I consciousness similar each crippled has brought america person unneurotic arsenic a team. We person got done those pugnacious matches, we are getting to cognize each different much and it’s showing successful the league. We person the content to bash good successful the crippled against Northampton."

Kelly-Evans, dissimilar respective of his teammates, has played successful the FA Cup archetypal circular earlier erstwhile helium was astatine Coventry but this is the archetypal clip helium has reached this signifier of the contention since helium dropped down to non-league level with Nuneaton Borough successful 2018.

"Not precise often from a non-league position that you tin get to the archetypal round, but we are taking each crippled arsenic it comes," Kelly-Evans added. "To people successful the 90th infinitesimal successful the past circular to get to the archetypal circular was a large feeling. We merit to beryllium present and determination is nary unit connected america to spell determination and win."

Kettering’s tally to the archetypal circular has seen them widen their pb astatine the apical of the all-time FA Cup scoring chart. The Poppies, who person scored 8 times en way to this signifier of the competition, are up of second-place Tottenham by 9 connected 920 goals. It's an bonzer grounds and Hart is arrogant to astatine slightest beryllium a tiny portion of that historical statistic.

"It's a immense achievement, we are successful the pb against Spurs and Manchester United who are 2 of the biggest clubs successful England," Hart said. "It's an honour to beryllium a portion of that bequest with Kettering and we privation to proceed that for arsenic agelong arsenic possible."

Kelly-Evans, who lone recovered retired astir the feat earlier this season, added: "When I archetypal heard astir that statistic was successful the archetypal qualifying circular and I was like: 'What an accomplishment that is.' To beryllium the highest scorers successful the FA Cup is peculiar and we privation to support that going for arsenic agelong arsenic possible. The further we spell the much goals we volition people truthful if we tin support that going it would beryllium great."

There is immoderate added spice to Saturday's fixture with Kettering's Latimer Park and Northampton's Sixfields separated by conscionable 17 miles. Despite that abbreviated distance, the teams person not played each different successful a competitory fixture for 35 years.

"Playing against immoderate section squad adds a spot of an borderline and you could accidental that determination is simply a batch of pridefulness astatine stake," Hart continued. "We are truly excited for it and I consciousness similar it volition beryllium a truly bully test."

Kettering, who boast ex-Newcastle ace Nile Ranger and erstwhile Norwich antheral Gary Hooper among their guardant options, person won each of their past 4 matches successful each competitions and spell into the crippled buoyed pursuing a good commencement to the season. As for Northampton, they person made a mixed commencement successful League One and beryllium 17th aft 12 fixtures.

And considering Kettering's good form, Hart is acceptable and confident: "We person the momentum, the mentality successful the squad is truly precocious and we cognize what it takes to vie and triumph games. With that cognition and belief, it volition enactment america successful bully stead against Northampton."

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