Cheltenham Town marched into the second round of the FA Cupwith a convincing win over their former non-league rivals, although the result was somewhat flattering for the Robins.
Kettering were the better side for the first 30 minutes and should have taken a 2-0 lead when former Rushden & Diamonds striker Darren Collins missed an open goal following a fifth minute opening strike by Craig Norman.
Cheltenham hit back with two goals shortly before half-time and a storming second half performance brought them four more.
A cup shock looked on the cards as early as the fifth minute when Norman headed in a Peter Fear cross at the far post following a short corner taken by Shaun Murray.
Home goalkeeper Ian Bowling blocked a Julian Alsop shot with his legs but Collins' outrageous miss came in the 19th minute when Neil Howarth's short-fall back header fell to him. Collins rounded goalkeeper Steve Book but shot wide and from that moment Cheltenham began to find their way back into the game.
Bowling made another fine save from an Alsop header but the Kettering defence was beginning to creak under increasing pressure.
It finally gave way five minutes before the break when Lee Howells headed a clearance by Book into the path of Tony Naylor and he beat Bowling with a low shot from a tight angle.
Alsop added a second goal four minutes later when Cheltenham cut Kettering open with an incisive move down the left.
Russell Milton found Jamie Victory who skirted past full-back Garry Hughes and pulled the ball back for Alsop to score with a side-foot shot from 12 yards.
Bowling dived to push a long-range shot from Mark Yates against the post and then slapped a Naylor shot clear either side of half-time, but the Robins took control of affairs after the break.
The exuberance that Kettering had shown early in the game faded away as Cheltenham's superior fitness and organisation was made to count.
Bowling blocked yet another header from Alsop with his legs but he was powerless in the 63rd minute when Naylor, who was the afternoon's standout player, beat him with a shot from the edge of the box after Howells and Milton had combined to set him up.
Naylor played a key role in the fourth goal by supplying Milton, whose right-foot cross was headed home from 10 yards by Alsop.
Kettering lost their shape and coherence at 4-1 down and they conceded two more goals in the last five minutes.
Howells was allowed to stroll through unchecked to drive in the fifth and then substitute Martin Devaney, with his first touch of the ball, rounded Bowling to add the sixth with a neat finish.
KETTERING TOWN: Bowling; Hughes (Inman 55), Perkins, Matthews, Norman, Piercewright (Lenagh 83); Butcher, Fear, Murray; Collins, Watkins. Subs: Cowling, Wilkinson, Wild.
CHELTENHAM TOWN: Book; Howarth, Duff, Banks, Victory; Williams,Yates, Howells, Milton (McAuley 90); Alsop (Grayson 87), Naylor (Devaney 88). Subs: Brough, Muggleton.
REFEREE: T.A. Parkes (West Midlands)
ATTENDANCE: 2,942
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