Kettering Town claimed a 2:1 victory over Wellingborough Town in the FA Cup 1st Round Qualifying Replays on Tuesday evening. The match, played on 2026-09-08, ended the hosts' run of fruitless meetings in this fixture — they had shared a 2:2 draw just three days prior. By then, both sides were looking to turn recent form into something more decisive.
The home side pressed forward from the opening exchanges, accumulating 70 attacks against 65 for their visitors. They won five corners to Wellingborough's six, though possession leaned slightly Kettering's way at 55 per cent. And here's the thing — you don't need to control the ball to take the points.
Wellingborough showed more discipline in the air, completing 20 throw-ins compared to 21, while Kettering had to play 15 goal kicks against just six for their opponents. The away side earned 16 free kicks to 14, yet Kettering managed to keep things tight. Three yellow cards came against two for the hosts, suggesting the visitors grew a touch ragged.
The statistics tell a straightforward story: 70 attacks yielded two goals for Kettering, while 65 attacks produced only one for Wellingborough. Expected goals weren't recorded, but the conversion rate speaks for itself. To be fair, possession alone doesn't win cup ties — execution does.
The result leaves Kettering with momentum after their earlier stalemate, while Wellingborough's recent form shows a side that can score but struggles to see games out. They had nothing to do all evening in terms of taking the lead, and when chances came, they weren't clinical enough. The final whistle brought a narrow victory, and that's often how these replays are decided.