Kettering boss Mark Cooper could take charge of the Poppies for the last time at the R Costings Abbey Stadium tomorrow.
Peterborough United appear keen to make Cooper their new manager, and are today holding talks with the former Tamworth boss about the possibility of him succeeding Darren Ferguson.
Imran Ladak, Kettering chairman, confirmed to the Northants Evening Telegraph that he has given his manager permission to speak to Posh, but said Cooper will definitely be in the dug out tomorrow.
"Mark just wants to concentrate on the match at Cambridge and that's what we all must do," said Ladak.
"We gave Peterborough permission to speak to him and I understand the meetings went well. It seems, unsurprisingly, that they were very impressed with him but no final decision has been made at this time.
"He will be at Cambridge and then we will see what happens," he said.
Cooper has worked wonders at Kettering, taking them up from the Conference North in 2008, then leading them to a creditable eighth place finish last term.
This year the Poppies sit third in the table, and come into the game against United off the back of a shock 1-0 win over League One outfit Hartlepool in the FA Cup. The second round draw rewarded them with a plum home tie against League One giants Leeds United, a match which will be broadcast live on ITV.
It is the second year in a row that Kettering have attracted national media attention for their FA Cup exploits.
Last year they made it to the third round, where they host Premier League Fulham. An exciting match saw Kettering fall behind twice, but level both times through ex-U Craig Westcarr. However, two late goals swung the match in Fulham's favour, with the Premier League side triumphing 4-2.
The Poppies were founder members of the Football Alliance, (now the Conference) in 1979, and they held their status until relegation in 2001. A brief return in 2002 saw them relegated within a year, and dumped into the newly formed Conference North. This is where Ladak took over, and made headlines by appointing Paul Gascoigne as manager for a short spell in 2005/06.
Unsurprisingly this didn't end well, and eventually Ladak turned to Cooper, who had made his name keeping part-time Tamworth in the Conference National for several years against the odds.
With an experienced squad including former United players Westcarr, Tommy Jaszczun (above, marking Robbie Willmott), David Bridges and Jon Brady, they romped to the Conference North title in 2008 with five games to spare, a finish built on a run of seven straight victories at the start of the year.
The Squad
After losing key players Westcarr (to big spending Notts County), Guy Branston (Torquay), and Chris Beardsley (Stevenage) in the summer, it looked as though it might be a struggle for Kettering to improve on last year's finish. But some shrewd signings from Cooper have seen the Poppies push on.
Experienced keeper Lee Harper remains one of the most reliable in the Conference, and in front of the veteran, Cooper has drafted in Luton's Ian Roper to replace Branston. He is usually partnered by Kettering-born John Dempster. The full backs will be another experienced head, Nicky Eaden, and Greg Taylor, an ex-Northampton trainee.
The form of Roper and Dempster has seen the wonderfully named Exodus Geohaghon move into a midfield position. Geohaghon became one of the most highly rated centre backs in non-league after joining Kettering last year from Redditch United, and his Rory Delap-esque long throws provide Kettering with another dimension in attack.
Cooper (above) has favoured a 4-3-3 formation this year, and alongside Geohaghon against Hartlepool were Frenchman Patrick Noubossie, whose nomadic career has taken him to England, Scotland, and Cyprus, and Simon Heslop, an ex-Barnsley man who Cooper had on loan in his Tamworth days.
Also in contention for midfield births are experienced heads Darren Wrack and Lee Fowler, and the tricky Andre Boucard, who is now in his second spell at the Elgood's Arena.
Kettering are fielding a new look strike force this term, having lost Westcarr, Beardsley, and Gareth Seddon, who joined big spending Blue Square North side Fleetwood last month
The talented Moses Ashikodi has been a revelation, with eight goals already this term, including the winner at Hartlepool. Ashikodi has been at several clubs in recent years, and if he can put the attitude problems which have plagued his career behind him, he will undoubtedly return to a higher level.
Another player with football league quality is Anthony Elding, who joined on loan from Crewe last week and netted on his debut against Wrexham. One of the Conference's most feared marksmen in his days with Boston and Stevenage, Elding had a short spell on loan at Kettering in 2005/06.
Providing support for this dangerous front pairing will be Francis Green, formerly of Peterborough, Lincoln, and latterly Macclesfield, whom he left in the summer. Cooper has a plethora of other options, including Damion Spencer, Danny Thomas, and JP Marna.
The season so far
Cooper's men have been hard to beat this season, and their stubborn nature has seen them defeated just three times in the league this season.
An opening day win at Forest Green was followed up by a draw with Oxford and a home defeat to AFC Wimbledon. Narrow wins at Kidderminster (1-0) and Wrexham (2-1) placed them firmly among the early pace setters, although they had to rely on their rock solid defence in 0-0 draws with Luton and Mansfield.
The only real set back was successive defeats to York and Crawley, but Ashikodi's goals have provided a platform for an unbeaten run which now stretches to ten games in league and cup
Their last two league fixtures have ended all square, with a 1-1 draw at home to Stevenage, and a 2-2 stalemate with Wrexham. Elding gave the Poppies an early lead, but Dean Saunders' side hit back through a Harper own goal and Ashley Westwood. However, Kettering's resilience shone through, and a 96th minute penalty converted by Marna meant the points were shared.
Last time
The Setanta cameras were in town last time Kettering came to the Abbey Stadium, in August last year.
Both sides had started the season brightly, with United having won their opening four games of the season, and Kettering also boasting an unbeaten record after four draws. And it was the visitors who came out on top in a match they dominated throughout.
Danny Potter was forced into a goosd save from Gareth Seddon in the first half, while United's dangerous attacking trio of Lee McEvilly, Mark Beesley, and Felino Jardim were being kept under wraps by the Kettering back line.
The second period saw Westcarr, making his second debut for Kettering after re-signing from Stevenage, net a bizarre opener, when his cross-cum-shot from the right flew past Potter.
United tried to get back into the match, but their chances ended when Ben Farrell was harshly red-carded for a high tackle on Westcarr. Kettering made the points safe when subs Marna and Beardsley combined, with the latter slotting home the former's cross.
Matt Gooding
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