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Match Report

IN A NUTSHELL: A goal in the final minute of added time from man of the match, Lindon Meikle, gave the Poppies all three points in a keenly contested match. Redditch defended well and created a couple of really good chances,but Kettering had the greater number of goal attempts overall and finally got their reward in the nick of time! THE KETTERING SQUAD: The starting eleven was unaltered with Nathan Hicks replacing Ben Toseland on the bench. TEAM LINE-UPS: Kettering Town: 1 Paul White 2 Durrell Berry 3 James Brighton 4 Brett Solkhon (Captain) 5 Gary Mulligan 6 Michael Richens 7 Liam Bateman (14 Rhys Hoenes,56) 8 Matty Stevens (16 Gary Stohrer,75) 9 Rene Howe 10 Ben Milnes (15 Nathan Hicks,69) 11 Lindon Meikle Substitutes unused: 12 Ben Baker 17 Munashe Sundire Yellow cards: Hicks,75; Richens,90+1 Redditch United: 1 Ethan Ross 2 Keenah Rosser 3 Nathan Fox 4 Danny Jackman (Captain) 5 Gui Mailancol 6 Orrin Pendley 7 Pauly Apostopoulos 8 McCauley Manning (18 Kaylum Mitchell,35) 9 Dior Angus (14 Danico Johnson,76) 10 Kevin Da Veiga Monteiro 11 Spencer Weir-Daley (Vinny Mukendi, 60) Subs unused: 16 Arjun Jung 17 Marcel Simpson Yellow Cards: None HOW THE GAME UNFOLDED: A healthy crowd greeted the teams on a pleasant summer evening with the pitch looking in superb condition. Strangely Kettering were wearing their away strip, and Redditch their home strip, and any newcomer to Latimer Park may have been fooled in shouting for the wrong ‘reds’. The arrangement had been agreed by all parties including the Referee and the League as new shirts had been held up en route. It was a slowish start with Kettering’s Lindon Meikle firing over from a free kick and then seeing another shot cannon of a defender’s head for an unproductive corner. At the other end Redditch saw Pauly Apostopoulos fire in a shot which hit Brett Solkhon and also went for a fruitless corner. On 17 minutes Ben Milnes fired over the bar from a free kick. The game was now largely in midfield, with Kettering looking the more threatening and Redditch struggling to get near goal. Matty Stevens got clear to shoot, but was halted by the Assistant’s flag and then Liam Bateman’s shot was blocked after he met a decent cross from James Brighton. On the half hour, excellent play by Meikle put in Rene Howe, who was also pulled up for offside. Another Stevens effort was interrupted by the Assistant’s flag as the offsides began to mount up. Kettering had the ball in the net on 37 minutes as Michael Richens hooked in a header from Gary Mulligan- but Mulligan had edged just offside as he met the cross. Former Kettering player Spencer Weir-Daley did get in a couple of low shots which were no trouble for Kettering keeper, Paul White. The half finished with something of a flourish- but no goals. White saved well from Apostopoulos; Milnes could not get direction on his header from Meikle’s excellent cross and James Brighton saw his free kick saved by the towering Ethan Ross in the visitors’ goal. A final free kick for Redditch from the left saw Gary Mulligan make a vital clearance. Half Time: Kettering Town 0 - 0 Redditch United The Poppies came out on the front foot with Richens’ run and cross from the right swept out for a corner by one of the giant Redditch centre backs and then Rene Howe won a second corner and Mulligan’s volley was deflected over the bar. Redditch had a free kick just outside the box and skipper Danny Jackman hit his left foot effort just wide of the right post. Back came Kettering and Howe’s header from Brighton’s corner was headed off the line by Keenah Rosser. The Poppies were still trying for that goal and Brett Solkhon headed wide from a Brighton free kick. Redditch were looking to get forward and managed a very quick break upfield on 62 minutes and White was very alert in saving a Dior Angus drive. With a quarter of the game to go now Redditch had a chance but Orrin Pendley headed over Jackman’s free kick when well placed. Nathan Hicks was on and had a chance in the 73rd minute as he scuffed a shot from a deflection and Ross saved. The visitors then had a spell in the Kettering half and it culminated in a good chance from a corner headed goalwards and headed away by Mulligan who was in the right place. Both sides were looking for that winner as the game went into the last 10 minutes. Howe got clear on the left and chose to cross rather than shoot and a defender scooped the ball up and over his own bar to prevent a goal. Howe had another shot blocked and the ball fell well for Redditch as an incisive breakaway saw White save from substitute Danico Johnson. Redditch had a header deflected out for a corner and Johnson shot into the side netting. Lindon Meikle then broke for the Poppies and his cross was well cleared. As the crowd began to filter towards the exit, Kettering scored a dramatic winner in the last seconds of the three minutes added. The ball was worked from the right, headed on by Rene Howe and Meikle timed his run perfectly to score with a firm header past Ross. It was tough on the efforts of the visitors, as the home players and home crowd celebrated the win. Full Time: Kettering Town 1 - 0 Redditch United Attendance: 606 12th Man Gold Draw: No: 24 Pauline Hall wins a day out for two on the players coach to an away game. Klondike: winner is still to claim £150 on winning ticket number 16211 Elgoods Brewery Poppies Man of the Match: Lindon Meikle