'We're the FA Cup's all-time top goalscorers - now it's time for another shock'
Seventh-tier Kettering Town have the chance to create more FA Cup history when they travel across county lines to face Northampton Town on Saturday afternoon
by Kieran King · The MirrorManchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal may not have to worry about the FA Cup for another two months, but that doesn't mean the competition hasn't already been in full swing for some time.
In August, teams as low as the ninth-tier of English football entered the fray dreaming of a money-spinning run or even - as unlikely as it may well be - a trip to Wembley. That includes the competition's greatest-ever goalscorers: Kettering Town.
The Southern League Premier Central side started their FA Cup campaign NINE weeks ago and are still in the competition. They have already won four matches and have been dealt a dream tie against League One outfit Northampton in the first round on Saturday.
Speaking ahead of the trip to the Cobblers - live on the BBC - vice captain Ben Hart told Mirror Football: "I can't wait for the game, it's a good opportunity for us and there is a massive buzz around the team. The last couple of weeks we have been building towards it and I feel like everyone is ready to give it their all to be honest. It's something you dream about and playing against the best teams, so it's a good opportunity for us all to live that boyhood dream."
Midfielder Devon Kelly-Evans added: "I think it has come at a good time for us, we’re on a good run at the minute, through to the first round of the FA Cup, it's a special time for the club. A new team has been put together, new management, we have all worked for this opportunity and we need to go out and enjoy it.
"I've been in non-league for six years and I've never made it to the first round, it doesn't happen every year and it's a great achievement. It's a special feeling, you can't get that from a league fixture and for some of the lads it might be the first and last time we play in it, so it will be a great day for us."
Kettering - who were briefly managed by ex-England hero Paul Gascoigne in 2005 - began their 2024/25 FA Cup adventure with a 2-1 win over Stafford Rangers in the first qualifying round and followed that up by beating Cleethorpes 1-0. They then breezed past league rivals St Ives Town 3-0 before edging beyond Farsley Celtic of the Northern Premier League to reach the first round for the first time in 12 years.
Reflecting on that journey, Hart said: "We have played a few good teams, but I feel like every game has brought us closer together as a team. We have got through those tough matches, we are getting to know each other more and it’s showing in the league. We have the belief to do well in the game against Northampton."
Kelly-Evans, unlike several of his teammates, has played in the FA Cup first round before when he was at Coventry but this is the first time he has reached this stage of the competition since he dropped down to non-league level with Nuneaton Borough in 2018.
"Not very often from a non-league perspective that you can get to the first round, but we are taking every game as it comes," Kelly-Evans added. "To score in the 90th minute in the last round to get to the first round was a great feeling. We deserve to be here and there is no pressure on us to go there and win."
Kettering’s run to the first round has seen them extend their lead at the top of the all-time FA Cup scoring chart. The Poppies, who have scored eight times en route to this stage of the competition, are ahead of second-place Tottenham by nine on 920 goals. It's an extraordinary record and Hart is proud to at least be a small part of that historic statistic.
"It's a huge achievement, we are in the lead against Spurs and Manchester United who are two of the biggest clubs in England," Hart said. "It's an honour to be a part of that legacy with Kettering and we want to continue that for as long as possible."
Kelly-Evans, who only found out about the feat earlier this season, added: "When I first heard about that statistic was in the first qualifying round and I was like: 'What an achievement that is.' To be the highest scorers in the FA Cup is special and we want to keep that going for as long as possible. The further we go the more goals we will score so if we can keep that going it would be great."
There is some added spice to Saturday's fixture with Kettering's Latimer Park and Northampton's Sixfields separated by just 17 miles. Despite that short distance, the teams have not played each other in a competitive fixture for 35 years.
"Playing against any local team adds a bit of an edge and you could say that there is a lot of pride at stake," Hart continued. "We are really excited for it and I feel like it will be a really good test."
Kettering, who boast ex-Newcastle ace Nile Ranger and former Norwich man Gary Hooper among their forward options, have won each of their last four matches in all competitions and go into the game buoyed following a fine start to the season. As for Northampton, they have made a mixed start in League One and sit 17th after 12 fixtures.
And considering Kettering's fine form, Hart is ready and confident: "We have the momentum, the mentality in the squad is really high and we know what it takes to compete and win games. With that knowledge and belief, it will put us in good stead against Northampton."
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