Cambridge United recorded a second away win in four days after Danny Crow smashed home a winner fourteen minutes from time. United have now won away twice in a row with clean sheets to match, and are five unbeaten going into Saturday's derby clash with Histon.
Martin Ling made one change to Saturday's 1-0 win at Barrow, giving striker Calum Willock his first start for the club in place of Lee Phillips. Dan Gleeson (illness) and David Partridge (thigh) both missed out, while Antonio Murray was named on the bench after completing a three game ban for his sending off against Wimbledon.
The fixture started in rain, with a downpour appearing on cue only a short time before kick-off, leaving travelling U's fans to curse their luck at the open terrace they found themselves on. They saw some action early on as Josh Coulson was called on to help Brian Saah out after his sliced attempt at a clearance nearly fell for Elliot Charles.
An entertaining start to the game saw four further chances before the game was a quarter of an hour old. Coulson cleared off the line after Simon Brown dropped the ball at the feet of Charles, before the keeper atoned moments later with a splendid save to keep our Charles' effort.
Crow then nearly inadvertently diverted Simon Russell's shot goalwards for United, before Charles went close yet again by curling wide from distance.
As the rainfall continued to increase, Danny Crow broke through and dragged wide from outside the box before Kwesi Appiah just failed to meet a pullback from the byeline for the hosts. The tempo of the game remained high as the half went on, but with less goalmouth action than in the first quarter-hour.
That was until six minutes before half time when Brown made his second outstanding save. The Poppies broke at speed, resulting in Charles cutting inside the last man and blasting a left footed effort which Brown somehow reached and turned over the bar, before catching the resulting corner.
Half time came and went with United just about managing to hold out, the interval offering Martin Ling's side the chance to regroup.
United won a corner immediately after the break but both sides failed to keep hold of possession in the immediate aftermath of the restart. United were able to hold the ball further inside the opposition half compared to before half time as the travelling fans found their voices to offer encouragement.
Goalscoring chances remained more limited as the game reached its hour mark, Scott Neilson adventurously blasting a freekick into the wall before Kettering's Marcus Kelly wastefully shot when a pass was the better alternative. The hosts nearly broke through after sixty-five minutes as a United defender made a goal-line clearance for the second time in the evening as Palmer headed John Dempster's effort away with Brown beaten.
Kettering skipper Ian Roper was perhaps lucky only to be booked after a nasty late tackle on the stretching Willock, before Danny Crow blasted the freekick over the sum up what had until that point been a poor game for the striker. But he consigned that to history moments later by breaking the deadlock fourteen minutes from time.
As Abbey made an extraordinary double save to keep out point blank headers from both Russell and Crow, the two combined from the resulting corner as Russell took the ball down before teeing up Crow, who thumped his effort home from six yards for his fifteenth goal of the season.
United almost succeeded in seeing the danger out without worry, but earned themselves a slice of luck in stoppage time as the second phase from a corner resulted in sub Jean-Paul Marna somehow firing over the top from three yards out. That was the final action as the full time whistle soon followed to signal three crucial points for United.
Man of the Match: Simon Brown. While Simon Russell, Rory McAuley and Calum Willock deserve great credit for helping United into the game after half time in what was an all-round team performance, United would have been dead and buried before half time had their custodian not made two outstanding saves to keep his side in it.
Full minute-by-minute coverage below.
Reporting by Matt Ramsay
19.00 Evening everybody and welcome to Rockingham Road for tonight's league fixture between Kettering Town and Cambridge United. Team news to follow when it arrives, but there doesn't appear to be anyone in the ground just yet...
19.15 Team News. Calum Willock replaces Lee Phillips for his first start in a United shirt and it's the only change from Saturday's crucial win at Barrow. Dan Gleeson (ill) and David Partridge (thigh) are still out so Kevin Roberts and Josh Coulson continue to deputise. Antonio Murray comes to the bench after serving a three game ban.
Kettering: Nathan Abbey; James Jennings, Greg Taylor, Ian Roper (c), John Dempster; Marcus Kelly, James Dance, Jordan Hadfield, Andre Boucaud; Elliot Charles, Kwesi Appiah.
Subs: Alton Thelwell, Darren Wrack, Jean-Paul Marna, Danny Thomas, Pascal Ebigbo.
CUFC: Simon Brown; Aiden Palmer, Kevin Roberts, Brian Saah, Josh Coulson; Paul Carden (c), Rory McAuley, Simon Russell, Scott Neilson; Danny Crow, Calum Willock.
Subs: Laurie Walker, Mark Beesley, Antonio Murray, Jai Reason, Lee Phillips.
Referee: A Naylor.
19.35 The teams have finished their warm-up and are back in the dressing room. The all-ticket restriction for the game was lifted yesterday and U's fans seem to have made the most of it, there's certainly more on the terrace behind one goal than the 115 or so who pre-bought their ticket.
19.45 The teams are out and United sport their traditional amber strip, with Kettering on red shirts and black shorts. United get us underway, Simon Brown has the U's fans to his back.
19.45 Brian Saah concedes a corner with his chest, and Simon Brown comes a long way to make a good punch to clear the danger. Marcus Kelly over hits the ball in from the opposite flank and it goes out for a goalkick.
19.50 Consecutive half chances for United, Danny Crow feeding the ball wide to Scott Neilson, ending with Rory McAuley scuffing an effort from 20 yards and Paul Carden firing well over. At the other end a scuffed Saah clearance nearly falls for a Kettering striker, but Josh Coulson gets himself in the way of the ball.
19.52 Kettering should lead. Simon Brown drops a cross at the feet of Elliot Charles, but the veteran is thankful for Josh Coulson taking up his place on the line to clear the ball.
19.53 Brown atones with an excellent save, Charles the perpetrator again as he laces a thunderous effort from outside the area until the keeper gets a strong palm to the ball to beat it away.
19.56 Chances galore early on. Simon Russell has an effort blocked, and his second effort hits Danny Crow on the chest and lands fortuitously in Nathan Abbey's arms.
19.58 Charles again goes close, turning Brian Saah and curling a splendid effort just wide of the far post with Brown helpless.
20.02 An entertaining start to the action, with Kettering having a number of openings and United struggling to clear their lines. Rain starts to tumble heavily as Scott Neilson dinks an excellent ball over the top and Danny Crow beats the offside trap. Deciding the take a shot early, he drags a left footed effort wide from outside the box.
20.04 The rain has stepped up from "moderately torrential" to "monsoon". United are playing into the wind in the first half.
20.06 United's finishing isn't very convincing just yet. Willock has an opening on the right and although the angle is very wide he can only knock it straight at Abbey. Abbey's huge kick is clearly handled by Josh Coulson but the referee gives nothing. Brian Saah fouls his man just to make sure.
20.10 An accidental but horribly late tackle by Paul Carden earns him a third booking in as many games.
20.15 Kettering still seem the more likely and are certainly seeing more of the ball. Through balls are running on a lot due to the conditions.
20.18 Aiden Palmer does well to block James Dance's corner, before Kevin Roberts makes an excellent back post header to concede a corner under pressure. Loud but pointless appeals for a handball from the corner.
20.21 It has to be said it's all Kettering, but right back Greg Taylor slices an attempted cross horribly high of the near post for a goalkick.
20.23 Brown makes his second exceptional save of the half. Kettering break from a U's freekick and Elliot Charles cuts inside the last man before lashing an effort left footed from ten yards which the keeper somehow gets a touch on to tip over the bar. He completes the job by claiming the corner.
20.25 Appiah turns to the byeline and drives a cross across the goal, only for Brown to get down to push the ball out.
20.29 Last minute of the half and Danny Crow wins a freekick for a mistimed tackle by Andre Boucaud, who is booked. The freekick falls to McAuley, whose shot on the turn spins out for a corner. McAuley's header is blocked, and the U's midfielder is incredulous that the referee fails to spot an alleged handball to block the goal-bound header. One minute of stoppage time is played and that's half time. Home fans around the press box applaud their side from the field amid murmurs that it's the best their side have played in some time.
HALF TIME Kettering Town 0-0 Cambridge United.
20.49 The sides are back out, we're underway as Kettering kick off. United are shooting towards their own fans and have the wind in favour, although the rain is less torrential than it was earlier.
20.50 A good move, instigated by Willock, ends with United winning a corner. The ball is too close to Abbey, who claims.
20.52 Crow and Willock tumble rather easily to win successive freekicks, the second only thirty yards or so out on the left wing. Simon Russell's delivery is appalling and balloons well wide and considerably high.
20.55 A Kettering freekick is nodded back to Charles just inside the box and his effort loops a long way up before coming down only just over the bar.
20.57 The home fans, who haven't taken to the referee this evening, are livid as play is stopped to allow Josh Coulson to receive attention after falling awkwardly in a challenge. United have no defensive cover on the bench, so it is a relief that the youngster is able to carry on.
21.00 United finally look like making some territorial inroads with Willock holding the ball up well and Russell a willing runner. Kettering bring the ball away before Aiden Palmer stops the move with a foul.
21.02 Rory McAuley wins a freekick thirty yards out after being wrestled down following a poor kick out by Abbey. Scott Neilson adventurously shoots but only finds the wall. Kettering again look quick on the break and Marcus Kelly selfishly goes for goal with options better placed.
21.05 Brian Saah makes a vital toe-poked clearance to prevent a flicked corner find its far post target.
21.08 Kettering's fans crank up the noise as they win a corner, and Aiden Palmer stays alert and is on to head John Dempster's powerful effort off the line with Brown beaten.
21.11 Rory McAuley makes excellent progress by riding three tackles and a blatant kick before setting up Willock, who is well closed down. Kettering launch a few long balls forward in reaction to United getting a much better grip on the midfield.
21.14 Calum Willock is caught by a nasty late tackle after stretching to release Crow, leading to an old-school bundle. Captain Ian Roper is booked for the initial indiscretion. Danny Crow sends the freekick well over from 25 yards, it's not been his night. Kettering replace Elliot Charles to a standing ovation from the home fans, to be replaced by Jean-Paul Marna.
21.18 How United don't lead is anyone's guess. An excellent Russell run ends with a ball returning to him less than six yards out only for Abbey to keep his and Crow's rebound header out with remarkable saves. But from the corner...
GOAL Kettering Town 0-1 Cambridge United. Danny Crow ends a poor game by his standards by giving United the lead with a thumping finish after Russell takes down a corner and sets up the striker to bury his finish from just outside the six yard box.
21.24 Darren Wrack comes on for Marcus Kelly for the hosts. United haven't made a change yet. Willock goes into the book for United for getting in the way of Abbey's freekick, the sixth booking of the evening after Abbey was apparently booked in the aftermath of the goal.
21.28 Lee Phillips comes on for Calum Willock, who earns himself a well deserved ovation from the travelling support following an excellent shift in his first start for the club.
21.29 Marna tries to create something for the hosts and Brown does well to get down quickly at his near post. Pascal Ebigbo comes on for Kettering's last chance, replacing Kwesi Appiah.
21.31 Kettering win a corner and Josh Coulson is forced to make a lunging block, and the same man concedes another corner with a good piece of covering play. The third delivery is cleared by Palmer.
21.33 Kettering win another corner as three minutes are added. Keeper Abbey comes up but the danger is cleared, but the ball comes back in and Jean-Paul Marna somehow blasts over from three yards. Heart-in-mouth to say the least.
21.37 Josh Coulson makes one final telling challenge and even wins the throw-in, and that's the last action as the referee blows for full time! A massive win for United, that's five unbeaten and two consecutive away wins and clean sheets.
FULL TIME: Kettering Town 0-1 Cambridge United.
