Your handy FA Cup guide: Kettering Town's 'Road to Sixfields...'

For Kettering Town however, it’s been a long road that started back in August, to reach this tie which has caused so much excitement across the county.

In all, the Poppies have played four qualifying rounds just to set up the clash with the Cobblers, and this is how they did it…

Journalist, photographer and Kettering Town fan Peter Short was present at all of the matches, and here gives his lowdown on how each match was won.

First Qualifying Round: Kettering Town 2 Stafford Rangers 1

Kettering’s run in the FA Cup began with a clash of old foes.

Like the Poppies, Stafford Rangers have fell on hard times, having once pushed for promotion in the Vauxhall Conference days.

They also broke Kettering hearts in 1979 by winning 2-0 in the FA Trophy final at Wembley.

Having started the league campaign well, Richard Lavery’s men were confident against their Step 4 rivals (Kettering play at Step 3) and took a deserved 2-0 lead by half time.

Wonderkid Kai Fifield, who hails from Northampton, opened the scoring after just six minutes with a calm finish and doubled the lead slotting home into the bottom corner.

A grandstand finish was set up with 18 minutes to go when Dan Cockerhine lobbed Dan Jezeph from 25 yards out, but the Poppies just about held on to seal a win.

Key Moment: Dan Jezeph’s diving save to keep out Dan Cockerhine’s header on 52 minutes. Had Stafford scored earlier, they would have fancied their chances to equalise and maybe even win the tie.

Second Qualifying Round: Kettering Town 1 Cleethorpes Town 0

Goalkeepers do and can win you games of football.

Up step Jason Alexander (nephew of former Poppies and Lincoln City boss Keith Alexander), who was brought in as an emergency loan to cover the suspended Jezeph.

He was immediately called into action (after just 32 seconds) with an outstretched hand to deny Curtis Bateson.

Time and time again the 6' 6" keeper kept Cleethorpes at bay and when he was beaten, the woodwork came to Poppies’ rescue on 57 minutes.

The midfield and attack of Kettering was brilliantly blunted by the visitors but a tired mistake in late stoppage time cost them a place in the next round.

A poor back pass was leapt on by new signing Nile Ranger (heard of him)?

Ranger was brought down inside the area and showed all of his professional class by dusting himself down and slotting the spot kick home.

Key Moment: The introduction of Isiah Noel-Williams on 82 minutes. His strength and drive in midfield dragged Kettering forward and it was his press on George Smith to make the error late on for the penalty.

Third Qualifying Round: St Ives Town 0 Kettering Town 3

Having banished the memories of a 6-0 Boxing Day drubbing at the hands of St Ives Town just weeks prior to this FA Cup tie with a win in the league, Kettering arrived in bullish mood, especially on an artificial surface which suits their style of play.

The first half was a performance that managers dream of as Kettering attacked their Cambridgeshire hosts at will.

Nile Ranger tapped in after 10 minutes whilst Bruno Andrade, who had re-signed for the Poppies that week, doubled the lead with a fierce shot just inside the area on 31 minutes.

Local boy Luca Miller would then send the large travelling support loopy with a shot into the top corner to kill the tie before the end of the first half.

The only downside to the performance was that there weren’t further additions to the Poppies FA Cup goalscoring record in the second half.

Key Moment: Luca Miller’s goal - he is Kettering through and through and the fist pump celebration to the crowd after scoring summed up how much this talented kid is enjoying his time at the club.

Fourth Qualifying Round: Farsley Celtic 1 Kettering Town 2

Up to this point, the cup draws had been kind to Kettering.

But the northern section of the draw is notoriously full of tricky away ties against higher opposition - like this one.

As the match in Yorkshire drew nearer, confidence of an upset increased with news that the game would be played at a neutral venue due to Farsley’s new artifical pitch not being ready, while wider rumours about the future of Farsley Celtic circulated.

All of that talk was ignored and Kettering put in a near complete performance against their loftier opponents.

Wes York opened the scoring with a brave header after just three minutes and the fans began dreaming of who they wanted in the first round proper.

Farsley were outplayed in the first half but to their credit regrouped after the break and equalised on 57 minutes.

But a red card for the hosts and sprinkling of cup magic seven minutes from time saw Nile Ranger head the ball into the path of Isiah Noel-Williams who lashed the ball home… and here we are today.

Key Moment: Connor Johnson avoiding a red card on 75 minutes. The Kettering captain was lucky to see out the full 90 minutes after manhandling Danny Greenfield to the floor as the last defender - but referee Ben Thomlinson decided Greenfield was heading away from goal and showed only a yellow card.