Keeper Heath is the Diamonds cup final hero as Poppies pay the penalty

A cagey match had ended 0-0 after 90 minutes, with chances at a premium at both ends, but Heath produced two excellent saves in the dying minutes to take it to spot-kicks.

And it was the Diamonds, who play a level below the Poppies, who kept their nerve to win it.

Heath was again the main man as he saved penalties from Adi Yussuf and Nathaniel Rowe-Turner, and although Luke Emery saw his effort saved by Dan Jezeph, Isaac Redding confidently struck his home to win and spark wild celebrations among the Diamonds fans in the south stand.

The first half was a nervy affair and one of few chances.

Diamonds will have been the happier to go in at the break all square at 0-0, and they deserved to be level.

Charlie Marzano was an early threat down the right side for the Poppies and had a great chance early on, but instead of shooting he checked back and his left foot effort was blocked by Diamonds man mountain of a defender Tarik Dallas.

It was the 34th-minute before there was a shot on target, but Cairo Taylor's low strike was very easy for Jezeph in the Poppies' goal.

Kettering boss Richard Lavery was getting more and more animated as his team toiled, but his mood should have been cheered four minutes before the break.

Harry Reilly was sent clear on goal by a defence splitting pass from Lathaniel Rowe-Turner and the Poppies midfielder simply had to shoot, but he didn't fancy taking it on his left side, delayed, and the chance was gone.

It was a frantic start to the second half, with both teams upping the intensity levels, but there was to be no immediate rise in the quality levels.

It was harum scarum stuff for the most part, but neither goalkeeper was called into any serious action as there was a lack of composure in the final third.

It took until the 75th minute for either side to carve out a genuine chance, with Poppies striker Michael Reindorf being set free on the left side of the penalty area, but just as he was about to shoot he was halted by a perfectly-timed challenge from the impressive Dallas.

By this point, Diamonds goalkeeper Heath had yet to have a save to make.

That changed on 84 minutes as he produced a superb finger-tip save to keep out a 20-yard drive from substitute Tom Scott, who had at last added some drive and spark to the Poppies' attack after replacing Reilly.

It may have been late in the day, but the Poppes sensed blood.

They at last piled on the pressure, and as the clock ticked into the final minute Heath was called into action again, diving low to his left to keep out a Yussuf strike from the edge of the box.

From having had nothing to do for most of the match, the Diamonds keeper had answered his team’s call when he was needed.

That was to be the last real chance, and it was on to penalties to be taken in front of the Diamonds fans in the south stand – and it was Heath who was to be the hero again.

Match facts

Kettering Town: Dan Jezeph, Charlie Marzano, Harry Reilly (57m, Tom Scott), Kelvin Langmead (90+4, Tyrone Lewthwaite), Lewis White, George Forsyth, Bruno Andrade (14m Adi Yussuf), Michael Reindorf, Rhys Sharpe (66m, Gedeon Okito), Dan Jarvis (81m, Huw Dawson), Lathaniel Rowe-Turner. Subs not used: Nial Shackleton

AFC Rushden & Diamonds: Ben Heath, Jacob Scott, Luis Pinto-Leite, Tejan Thomas, Tarik Dallas, Jarvis Wilson, Ethan Johnston (54m, Pierre Ngolo), Ryan Inman, Luke Emery, Joe O'Neill (71m, Isaac Redding), Cairo Taylor (70m, Fraser Corden). Substitutes not used: Louis Lawler, George Joyce, Josh Kilsby, Jack Empsom,

Bookings: Kettering: 71m - Okito;

Goals: None

Diamonds win the penalty shootout 4-2