Stevenage Borough

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Stacy Long

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Stevenage 2-0 Kettering

Stevenage recorded a 2-0 win over Kettering with goals from Stacy Long to stay at the top of the Blue Square Premier.

Both sides battled for the full ninety minutes but it was the home side who edged past their opponents to stay a point clear of Oxford while Kettering are just a point off the play-off places.

Borough went close to opening the scoring early on but James Jennings did well to clear off the line from Chris Beardsley.

Former Kettering player David Bridges also had a chance but he could only manage to fire his effort straight at Nathan Abbey.

The Poppies saw their chances few and far between with Jordan Hadfield seeing his effort blocked by Mark Roberts but it was another former player, who almost opened the scoring for Stevenage. Chris Beardsley followed up Lee Boylan's shot that was well saved by Abbey, but Jennings was perfectly placed to clear off the line.

Bridges was causing all sorts of problems for the away defence and he saw his header saved before the break before picking up where he left off, in the second period as he attempted to hit the leather off the ball with a rocket that skimmed the crossbar.

The deadlock was finally broken when substitute Tim Sills headed Bridges' cross into Long's path on 63 minutes, with the striker smashing a volley past Borough keeper Chris Day.

Kettering chased the tie for the rest of the game and were limited to half-chances but it was Stevenage, who found the target for a second time as Long cooly finished off a break by waltzing round Abbey before slotting the ball home.

Stevenage bookings: Henry.

Kettering bookings: Jennings, Hadfield.

Att: 2136.

Ref: S Creighton.