Oxford United missed out on the chance to go back to the top of the Blue Square Premier when Kettering held them to a 1-1 draw for the second time this season.

Franny Green gave the U's a 36th-minute lead with his first league goal for the club, but it was cancelled out by a Kettering equaliser from a corner just six-minutes later.

Overall, though, Oxford were again disappointing in a rugged and hard-fought encounter, which saw the Poppies have six players booked.

The home side managed only one effort on target all afternoon, and that was the goal.

Green's goal owed much to a cushioned flick with his head by Sam Deering when Lewis Chalmers knocked the ball forward.

Green was on it quickly and then poked it over Nathan Abbey as the keeper rushed out, for a fine finish.

But having got the lead, and it's hard work to score against Kettering's mean defence, United surrendered it in disappointing fashion when they were caught naping at a corner.

Oxford old boy Marcus Kelly flighted the corner to the near post, but some way out, and striker James Dance peeled away to nod it over Ryan Clarke and into the goal, despite Simon Clist's effort to reach it on the goalline.

United were attacking towards the Oxford Mail Stand in the first half for a change and as well as Jack Midson coming back up front, Franny Green got another chance, against his old club.

Rhys Day took over as captain, with Adam Muray, James Constable and Chris Hargreaves all out.

Lewis Chalmers was given his full debut, and he soon stood out, first with his prodigiously long throws, and then with one great 50-yard crossfield pass.

It was ironically when Chalmers produced a hospital pass that United almost took the lead. Damian Batt won the crunching tackle, despite never being favourite to win the ball, and Sam Deering picked up the loose pieces, darting in from the right before firing over the bar.

A few seconds earlier, Midson was just unable to reach a fine low left-wing centre from Franny Green, which ran right across the face of the goal.

Kettering, playing with a riigid 4-4-2, were not creating a lot themselves, but they had a sighting of goal on 28 minutes when Day couldn't get the ball away on the edge of the box, and Andre Boucard shot wide.

Kwesi Appiah looked to be pushed over on one occasion by Jake Wright, 30 yards from goal, but the referee didn't give anything, and then Kettering's players stopped because of a whistle, seemingly from the crowd.

Afte the two goals in quick succession at the end of the first half, the contest was again very evenly balanced, but often scrappy.

Chris Wilder threw on Matt Green and John Grant seven minutes after the break, and Grant nearly made amends for his Tuesday night miss when he looked to have won a penalty, after a slick move involving Chalmers and Deering - but he was just offside before being brought down in the box.

United were getting bogged down on the heavy and very cut-up surface, and were unable to create chances.

The major event of the second half was a touchline confrontation between Wilder and Mickey Lewis on one side and the Kettering coacing staff on the other, after the visiting duo claimed Grant had used his elbow in an aerial challenge which left John Dempster on the ground.

A few minutes later United's players reacted angrily after an on-field confrontation between Wright and Poppies sub Jean-Paul Marna.

Ian Roper then had to hobble off after a bad late challenge from Grant, which, luckily for the Oxford sub, went unpunished.

It was all very messy. As was the game.

Oxford Utd: Clarke, Batt, Day, Wright, Tonkin, F Green, Bulman, Chalmers, Clist (M Green 52), Midson (Grant 52), Deering. Subs not used: Turley, Creighton, Chapman. Booked: Wright.

Ref: Rob Merchant (Staffs).

Att: 5,836 (244 from Kettering).