Steve Ibbitson may not want the season to end but Lewes looked like a side ready for a summer break as they went down 2-1 at home to Kettering.

Ibbitson has enjoyed his stint as caretaker boss after replacing Kevin Keehan.

He has overseen back-to-back home wins but his young side looked weary as they suffered a third successive defeat following the away losses at Ebbsfleet and Northwich.

A number of players are carrying injuries following a tough season and they laboured for 70 minutes before producing a rousing finish.

It was Joe Keehan, the favourite to be named player-of-the-season at the final home game on Sunday, who rose them from their slumber.

Keehan answered the fans’ calls to take a penalty 19 minutes from time after regular taker Michael Standing had already gone off and duly slotted home.

The midfielder was also involved in two late chances Lewes had to snatch an equaliser.

It was spirited stuff in the closing stages but ultimately the Rooks look like a side who could do with a break from the rigours of slugging it out at the bottom of Blue Square premier.

They were boosted by the return of three players who missed Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Northwich as Anthony Barness, Keehan and Luke Rooney were all back in the starting line-up.

However, Sam Fisk was missing which meant Andy Wilkinson switched to his natural position of left-back and they lost Stefan Cox to injury after just 31 minutes.

Kettering, who had a number of injury problems of their own, included manager Mark Cooper on the bench for the first time this season.

Some awful defending allowed Kettering to take the lead after just six minutes.

Craig Westcarr released Ryan Charles in the inside-right channel and he had strikers lining up for his cross, with Gareth Seddon applying the final touch.

A Jean-Paul Marna shot was held by Rikki Banks on ten minutes as the visitors bossed the opening stages.

Marna was also unlucky on the half-hour mark with a 25-yard strike which Rikki Banks touched round his left-hand post for a corner.

Charles should have doubled the lead seven minutes before the break but miscued his shot horribly wide in a good position.

Lewes were sluggish in the first half in a game which had an end-of-season feel to it.

The second half continued in similar fashion to the first and Kettering had a double chance to extend their lead on 57 minutes when Seddon fired against the near post and Andre Boucard’s follow up was well held by Banks.

The second goal eventually came seven minutes later when Seddon picked up the ball 20 yards out, advanced on goal and fired low into the bottom corner.

Lewes got themselves back in the game with 19 minutes remaining when Ryan Storrie was brought down in the penalty area by Guy Branston and Keehan stepped forward to tuck away the penalty for his eighth goal of the season.

This prompted the Rooks’ best spell of the game and they almost equalised four minutes from time when substitute Louis Bell’s shot was cleared off the line by Chris Beardsley following some great work in the penalty area by Keehan.

Keehan then fired just wide of a post from 20 yards two minutes into stoppage time.

Lewes: Banks 7; Barness 6, Jirbandey 6, Cullip 6, Wilkinson 5; Storrie 6 (sub Bell 78), Standing 6 (sub Foreman 59), Keehan 7, Rooney 6, Cox 6 (sub Sutton 31); Rivers 5. Subs not used: Osborn, Timms.

Booked: None.

Kettering: Harper; Eaden, Geoghagan, Branston, L.Potter; Westcarr (sub A.Potter 69), Boucard, Beardsley, Marna (sub Wright 67); Seddon, Charles. Subs not used: Bennett, Cooper, Whatsize.

Booked: L.Potter.

Referee: Gary Jerden (Grays).

Attendance: 343.