Midweek match: Kettering Town. Venue: Rockingham Road. Date: Tuesday, December 14. WHILE Redditch started the season as Nationwide North minnows, Kettering Town carry the burden of having some of the highest expectation levels in the division.
The club were founder members of the Conference in 1979 and remained there for 22 seasons before enduring a yo-yo existence for the last three years.
This fixture was originally scheduled for Saturday, October 30, but was rearranged due to FA Cup commitments.
Therefore, Vauxhall must now make their longest journey of the season, a 290-mile round trip, on a Tuesday night.
Although Kettering have been forced to make major cutbacks in their financial budget since dropping out of the top flight of non-league football, their supporters still demand success.
Promotion is not seen as a necessity but the feeling around the club is that a play-off place should at least be achieved.
Kettering are managed by former Chelsea and Northern Ireland striker Kevin Wilson.
As a manager, Wilson led the county's traditional powerhouse, Northampton Town, to promotion from Division Three and took over the reins at Kettering midway through last season.
The 2003/04 campaign was a difficult one for 'The Poppies' as they finished 10th in the Ryman League but they have been well-placed so far in this campaign.
A big part in the success has been free-scoring Darren Lynch, who muscled his way to 14 goals in his first 19 games before suffering injury.
In the month that Lynch was out, Kettering failed to win a single league match but they still aren't exactly a one-man team and wide men Olly Burgess on the right and James Gould down the left have both been producing impressive displays.
Form guide: Dec 7 W 2-1 v Worcester City (H); Dec 4 L 2-1 v Harrogate Town (A); Nov 30 W 4-3 v Nuneaton; Nov 27 W 1-0 v Burscough (H); Nov 20 L 0-2 v Lancaster City (H).
