Pools were knocked out of the FA Cup at the first time of asking by Conference outfit Kettering Town in a disappointing game at The Vic.

With a result that Chris Turner was desperate for his side to avoid, Mark Cooper once again got one over on his former team - this time leading Kettering to a 1-0 win to see Pools leave the FA Cup for this season.

Pools started the game brightly, with the difference in leagues showing up as Kettering took a time for the nerves to settle.

There was even a chance for Turner's men to make the perfect start to settle the worries of a banana skin when Colin Larkin, employed on the left wing this afternoon, did brilliantly to control a long ball over the top from Sam Collins before squaring it into the box for Denis Behan.

Unfortunately the big striker's slotted effort was brilliantly turned round the post by Lee Harper in the Kettering goal.

And Pools dominated the opening exchanges, forcing three corners inside this early period and Andy Monkhouse was denied from close range by the keeper.

But the visitors slowly started to find their feet - Moses Ashikodi and Anthony Elding looking bright on the counter-attack. And Ashikodi sent a great diagonal ball across for strike partner Elding that Scott Flinders did well to block at the near post.

Kettering were awarded their first corner kick in the fifteenth minute and, while Pools had failed to capitalise on set plays, the hosts made the most of theirs.

The corner was lifted in high from the right and John Dempster rose well to head it back cross goal where Ashikodi was on hand to flick past Flinders and into the back of the net to give the visitors an early lead in the game.

This was just the start that Turner's men will have been keen to avoid and left them with some work to do against a resolute Kettering outfit.

Pools did have numerous chances to grab a leveller in what remained a one-sided first half - in fact the last twenty minutes of the period saw Turner's men virtually camped in the final third as they tried to work an opening to give a deserved equaliser.

Denis Behan tried his luck with a close range header that was held by Harper, while Larkin was a constant threat down the left wing and set up a number of chances in the box.

The lively forward fed a good ball in for Behan just before the half hour mark which saw the Irish front man hit his effort over the bar, while minutes later Larkin's ball across the face of goal for Andy Monkhouse arriving at the far post once again saw Harper come out on top.

There were chances from distance from Ritchie Humphreys, which went wide and then Peter Hartley who pulled a great save out of Harper as his drive was tipped over the bar as Pools were left frustrated.

But for all Pools dominated and worked away at that deserved equaliser, it would not come and, in the end Turner's men were perhaps a little fortunate to go in just one down. A slip in defence allowed the lively Ashikodi through on goal but a brave challenge from Scott Flinders denied the Kettering forward.

The second half, despite promising a bright start, proved equally as frustrating as the first in its opening minutes.

There was a chance for Adam Boyd who poked the ball goalwards after a period of pinball inside the area but again it was Harper who held the effort and it was back to the drawing board for Pools.

Peter Hartley, who seemed to fancy a goal this afternoon, again tested Harper with a fierce strike but was denied once more by a top save from the visiting keeper.

Chris Turner changed things round on the hour mark when he introduced Billy Greulich to the game at the expense of Denis Behan who had had something of a frustrating time this afternoon.

And once again Pools found themselves pressuring inside the final third for large periods of the game but it seemed every ball into the box found a Kettering head and was cleared from danger.

As the minutes ticked by, a way back into this game looked increasingly unlikely as a flatness descended both on and off the pitch.

There were few real chances to test Harper in this final period of the second half - a weak Humphreys effort from the edge of the box collected comfortably by the visiting stopper, while Greulich just mis-hit a teasing ball in from Monkhouse and a great opportunity passed.

Billy Greulich forced his way into the box to challenge for a chance on goal only to be denied by the physical presence of Exodus Geohaghon.

Gary Liddle came desperately close to hitting a dramatic late equaliser when he rose well in the box to head a Larkin ball at goal but the defender was denied glory by a great stop from the solid Lee Harper.

And there was no way back for Pools this afternoon as Mark Cooper led another non-league outfit to victory over his former Club in the FA Cup.

So it will be the Poppies who progress in the competition at the expense of Chris Turner's men who will play no further part in this season's FA Cup.

Att: 2645 (258 Kettering Town)

Pools: Flinders, Austin, Collins, Liddle, Hartley, Monkhouse, Sweeney, Humphreys, Larkin, Boyd (Jones 68), Behan (Greulich 59)
Subs Not Used: Cook, Clark, Fredriksen, Bjornsson

Kettering Town: Harper, Eaden, Roper (Thomas 72), Dempster, Green, Taylor, Nouboussie, Heslop, Elding (Spencer 74), Geohaghon, Ashikodi (Marna 85)
Subs Not Used: Wrack, Cooper, Boucaud