Against a side who they had beaten 3-0 two months earlier in a keenly contested game, Kesgrave lined up with exactly the same starting eleven for the return fixture at Kirton Rec.

This meant Harris dropped to the bench to accommodate the return of Andy Cutting at right back. The resulting change to 4-5-1 paid immediate dividends as Kesgrave used their extra man in midfield to hound their opponents and power forwards.

The whirlwind start from the Penguins was capped with a goal of real quality after five minutes as captain Jason Duff arrived on the end of a knock back from Jason Ramsey to arrow a cleanly struck half-volley into the far corner from 22 yards out for his third goal in six games.

Ferryboat were stung into a response but not before James Melsa and Jason Ramsey spurned decent chances having been freed beyond a nervy-looking home defence who were being harassed into errors and split by intelligent through balls.

As Ferryboat began to use the strong wind to their advantage Gaunt made an excellent tip over from an in-swinging delivery that evaded everyone on the way through, while a series of fairly wild efforts on goal were fired off from in and around the 18 yard line.

As the half wore on Ferryboat were able to push Kesgrave further and further back, safe in the knowledge the strong headwind would make it difficult for the visitors to turn them round with a ball over the top. The Penguins still showed moments of fluency but by the end of the half, openings at either end had pretty much dried up.

After half-time Kesgrave were a bit slow to get going but weathered the storm and eventually began to play some more incisive stuff, with Duff in particular breaking into space behind James Melsa. It was he who freed the impressive Jason Ramsey down the right and his low cross found its way across the box to his elder brother, who took a touch and accurately steered a left foot shot in off the far post from 15 yards to give the visitors a crucial two goal advantage.

Ferryboat continued to enjoy decent territory, but any saves that Gaunt was forced to make were largely regulation and Kesgrave's defence and midfield battled away bravely to make crucial blocks, with Duff making one particularly telling intervention inside the Penguins penalty area.

He and James Melsa continued to combine well in attack and having been denied several times by the on-rushing home keeper, Scott Ramsey was finally able to latch onto a through ball from Melsa to dummy the keeper and calmly steer home from an angle. Much like his brother on the other flank, Ramsey senior had terrorised the full back all game and took his tally of goals against this opposition to four for the season.

Late on there were chances for 4-0 as a tremendous run from sub Joe Harris created space for Chris Melsa, only for the keeper to make another good block, while Woolnough wasted a free header from a pinpoint Scott Ramsey corner.

A first clean sheet in six games was more than welcome for the Penguins, but it was the nature of this honest, cohesive and effective display that was most pleasing with the side finally showing a return to the sort of form that saw them romp to the top of the Premier Division table last season.

Kesgrave Man of the Match: Jason Duff

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