AFC Telford United took their third Blue Square Premier scalp of their Setanta Shield campaign – and drew first blood in their two-way cup duel with Kettering.

The Poppies can now be chalked up with Cambridge and Burton as teams from the top tier of non-League football who have come to the New Bucks Head and left empty-handed.

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It took extra-time to do it, and that was hardly ideal for either side – especially Kettering, who have bigger fish to fry with the visit of Barclays Premier League side Fulham in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

Mark Cooper’s side also suffered the added blow of seeing skipper Guy Branston sent off during the extra half-hour and he will now be suspended for the big clash with the Cottagers.

The Poppies will get an early chance for revenge when they play host to the Bucks in the last 16 of the FA Trophy a week on Saturday.

They may feel they have a score to settle after the controversial scenes in extra-time – which also saw Cooper sent from the dugout for his verbal abuse of referee Steve Rushton – though Telford can still take encouragement from the way they acquitted themselves.

Manager Rob Smith re-introduced skipper Stuart Whitehead to the side after two months out injured – and he certainly proved his fitness by lasting the full 120 minutes – while Martyn Naylor slotted in at right-back in a strong starting line-up.

They went ahead 14 minutes in, and as a result of some distinctly Sunday League defending.

John Dempster and Nicky Eaden got in each other’s way trying to take possession and Telford striker Terry Fearns eagerly ghosted in front of them then finished clinically for his 16th of the season.

The advantage could have been extended by the break, with Danny Carey-Bertram denied by a good save from Lee Harper, who also kept out a bullet from Jon Adams that seemed destined for the bottom corner.

Still, the horrors of Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at home to Hyde were all too vivid as the visitors equalised within 60 seconds of the re-start.

This time it was Gavin Cowan cast in the role of the villain as his radar went horribly awry with a backpass.

Keeper Young did well to race back and reach out a telescopic arm to scoop it off the line, but he was powerless to stop Alfie Potter following up and tapping into the empty net.

That might have signalled a collapse, but the Bucks instead regained their lead just six minutes later with a brilliant move capped off by a spectacular finish from Jamie Vermiglio.

Kettering came back strong and Young had to be alert to keep out a header from Potter off a corner as the Northamptonshire side chased a second equaliser.

Branston really should have levelled with 15 minutes left on the clock as he charged onto Jean-Paul Marna’s cross but got himself in all of a pickle and blasted well wide.

The pressure told just a moment later though, as Potter played Marna through on the right and he lashed a crisp finish past the helpless Young.

That took us to an extra half-hour, and Telford promptly took the lead for a third time as Vermiglio bagged his second of the game, heading in off Naylor’s free-kick.

Substitute Matty Lewis also had the ball in the net, only to see his effort chalked off thanks to an offside flag.

Kettering’s job got a lot harder when Branston picked up his second booking, a decision that clearly incensed Cooper – who let rip at the referee in the interval and was promptly sent off himself.

The 10 men still posed a threat and came close when substitute Richard Graham grazed the top of the bar, while the same player forced Young into another dramatic late save.

But the Bucks held on in a tense finale as Mr Rushton dug his yellow card out twice more to take the tally of cautions for the evening to 10.

That re-match in the Trophy at the end of the month promises to be rather tasty.

By Chris Hudson