A professional performance from Harriers saw them grind out a fifth win from seven games away from Aggborough in unseasonal conditions at Nene Park.

Temperatures that were more suited to the first pre-seasoon friendly of the summer rather than a game in October spoiled the game as a spectacle and ensured that it was played at a low tempo.

There was surprise in the Harriers line-up as Dean Lyness came in in goal for his debut in place of the injured Danny Lewis while in midfield Scott Phelan came in for the suspended Kyle Storer as the only two changes from the team that had drawn with Grimsby in midweek.

In the early stages lowly Kettering, who were without a pair of suspended players themselves, tested Lyness and the rookie keeper was up to the task keeping out a long-range effort from Kiernan Hughes-Mason and shepherding away another from Steven Meecham in the opening ten minutes.  At the other end Jack Byrne won a corner with a shot that was saved by home keeper Laurie Walker while Luke Medley's weak effort was easily saved.

Thanks mostly to the weather the game was scrappy, the poorest spectacle of the season so far, and became bogged down in midfield.  Harriers threatened late in the half, Medley's beat Town left back Marcus Kelly and his cross was only cleared as far as Phelan who shot wide.  The first flash of real quality in the game, though, broke the deadlock two minutes before the break; Byrne won the ball in midfield, carried a forward a short way and then lifted a pass over the home defence for Jamille Matt to run onto before calmly stroking it over Walker to record his second goal of the season.

The second half was no better than the first, played at a quite pedestrian pace with no real quality.  Just past the hour mark Harriers went close to doubling their advantage; Lee Vaughan's cross-field pass picked out Callum Gittings on the left flank, he played it inside to substitute James Vincent who laid it off to Nick Wright, he saw his shot saved by Walker, however at the expense of a corner.

When Kettering did move forward Lyness was assured in his command of hte Harriers penalty area and in no real danger of being beaten.  At the other end Marc Williams tried a curling shot in the last minute that was comfortably held by Walker and in stoppage time, from a Kettering corner, Harriers counter-attacked with Marc Williams' pass setting up Vincent who had his 25-yard shot saved.  Despite not hitting top form Harriers were easy winners and could have found a little extra had they need to if Kettering had been a better side.  The result lifts Harriers up to fifth in tle league and sends Kettering into the relegation zone.