Stevenage Borough took a major step towards Nationwide Conference safety with this two-goal win over seemingly doomed Kettering.
But despite the victory, it was a poor encounter in which both sides looked every inch the relegation candidates that they are.
Defeat for the visitors now means the Poppies are almost certain for the drop but with Stevenage claiming ten points from a possible 12, it seems likely that they may move out of the bottom three by the end of the season.
It was certainly clear that both sides had their own troubles after the early exchanges in which neither team were even able to threaten a shot on target.
Stevenage's plans were altered after just three minutes when Dino Maamria pulled up with an injured hamstring and was replaced by new signing Tony Battersby while it took Kettering just 18 minutes to replace Shaun Murray with Lee Clarke.
Kettering looked the more likely to score in the first period and came closest on 35 minutes when Barry Laker cleared off the line for Stevenage before keeper Mark Westhead pushed the ball wide in the same move.
Stevenage's best effort fell to substitute Battersby who ran onto a cross on 36 minutes only to see his header cannon back of the bar.
It was much the same in the second period but Stevenage finally got the lucky break when Delroy Gordon handled in the Kettering area on the hour mark.
Battersby stepped up to drive the ball into the bottom left-hand corner and from that point on there was to be no way back for the visitors.
Wayne Duke forced one save from Westhead with a clever lob on 75 minutes but Stevenage held firm and doubled their advantage with just a minute left when substitute Anthony Elding raced onto a Sam McMahon throughball and provided a crisp finish to seal the precious three points.