Kettering v AFC Telford called off

AFC Telford United were this afternoon hit with a third successive bout of fixture frustration as they avoided a surreal behind closed doors clash at Kettering.

Andy Sinton's side saw tomorrow afternoon's match with their fellow Blue Square Bet Premier strugglers postponed, following on from similar fates befalling the home games with Forest Green and Kidderminster.

A pitch inspection was initially scheduled for 3pm this afternoon but, with the Nene Park frozen and overnight snow hitting Northamptonshire, a local referee was called in and reached a negative verdict more than two hours earlier.

The postponement brought to an end a dramatic 24 hours which saw the game become a behind-closed doors affair following the decision of Northamptonshire Police not to provide a presence because Kettering had fallen into arrears with payments.

The decision to call the game off provided disappointment for Sinton who was desperate for his side to take a further step towards securing their place in the top flight of non-League football.

"It's all about who can keep their nerve. The teams that stay up will be the teams that can relax and perform," said the Bucks boss.

Sinton admitted the prospect of playing without any supporters in the stadium would have been bizarre.

"It would have been a strange situation and not one I have ever had before in my career," he added.

"But if that's what we had to do then we would have got on with it. There would still have been points up for grabs."