BIG Ron Atkinson looked on and had a few moments of panic as gutsy Lancaster City pushed his Kettering Town all the way before going down to a single goal loss at Giant Axe on Saturday.

Barrie Stimpson's Dolly Blues threw everything at Conference North table-toppers Kettering - who appointed Atkinson, pictured, as director of football earlier this season - as the top versus bottom clash was a real battle in the Easter sunshine.

At times it was difficult to tell the difference between the swaggering full-timers from Northampton and City's bunch of kids and Lee Sparks sent Ryan Elderton clear with a wonderful pass only for keeper Mark Osborn to react quickly to the danger.

City were sharp in the tackle and determined to win every loose ball and Kettering had little time on the ball, although former Tottenham Hotspur man Darren Caskey speared a shot just wide of James Brindle's goal.

Then Jimmy Love sent Sparks away and he was only denied by a diving Osborn stop as Lancaster looked to tear-up the formbook and ruin a few betting coupons at the same time.

When called upon to defend, the Dolly Blues performed admirably and they reached the interval goalless. But Kettering came out of the blocks stronger after the break.

Andre Boucard saw a shot blocked, while Rene Howe was just off target before Kettering's pressure told and Howe capitalised on slack defending to score what turned out to be the only goal of the game.

But Lancaster refused to lie down and Jordan Connerton lobbed just wide but despite five minutes of added time City couldn't level.

Lancaster City: Brindle, Rigby, Henry, Brown, Marshall, Uberschar (Gierke 76), Love, Helliwell, Elderton; Sparks, Connerton. Subs: Foxcroft, Galley, Mulholland, Liddicott.