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Match Report

Stratford Town   v  Kettering Town

Evo-Stik League South Premier Division Central

Saturday 1st September 2018   3:00pm

      Referee: Scott Chalkley                          Assistants   Ashley Devonport and Jamie Evans

In stark contrast to last seasons game when the “Beast from the East” was in attendance today's game was played under beautiful sunny skies with a few clouds dotting the blue sky.  The pitch looked in pristine condition.  With Lindon Miekle starting his 3 match suspension he was replaced by Andrea Borg making his first start for Kettering.  Ben Toseland and Brett Solkhon returned to the bench after starting on Bank Holiday Monday with Gary Stohrer reverting to left back and the rested Durrell Berry returning to midfield. New loan signing Matty Foy replaced Mason Rhiney on the Kettering bench. Kettering were playing in white shirts, red shorts with Stratford in all blue.

Stratford made a good start and were awarded an early free kick on the edge of the box when Berry was penalised.   Will Grocott, whose capabilities Kettering are well aware of, took the kick but it was well over.   10 minutes later a foul by Stohrer out on the touchline whch led to him being booked gave Grocott another chance and a better delivery from him found Taylor in space.   He should have done better than put his header over the bar.  Lewis Wilson playing at right back for Stratford played a poor ball across the edge of his own penalty area which was pounced upon by the ever eager Hoenes who got to the ball the same time as a defender but the ball spun away from the challenge to safety.   On the quarter hour Borg collected the ball on Stratford's right and ran past two defenders before pushing the ball square to Ben Milnes in a central position some 20 yards out where he struck a powerful shot which gave Vaughan no chance in the Stratford goal.     0-1 Kettering 15 mins.  Kettering were not ahead for very long.  A long ball out from defence bounced over Declan Towers' head, who then had to turn and chase the loose ball with Taylor.  Paul White charged out of his goal and all three players arrived at the ball at the same time and all three went to ground with White making contact with the ball but it struck Towers and went towards the by line.   Taylor was first to react in getting to his feet and shot into the unguarded goal from an acute angle, 1-1 Stratford 18 mins.   A couple of minutes later another yellow card was shown as Wilson fouled Hoenes on the edge of the box.   Milnes took the kick, clearing the defensive well but was straight into the arms of the waiting Vaughan.  Stratford were pressing well and were controlling the game and asking questions of the Kettering defence. Carvalho was ranging forward from his left back position and managed to get past Dion Kelly-Evans on the inside and on finding himself in some space fired at goal but it was high and wide. Kettering were not sitting back though and on 34 minutes  a large shout for a penalty was made from the Kettering contingent behind the goal when Hoenes went to ground under pressure from a defender but was ignored by the  ref.  Kettering would have gone in front on 38 minutes if not for a brilliant point blank save.   Marcus Kelly got the ball in midfield and played a defence splitting pass to Milnes who took the ball to the by line and cut the ball back to Hoenes who hit a first time goal bound shot only to be denied by Vaughan, who appeared to hurt himself in making the save.   Shortly after there was a flash point when a poor scissor tackle on Milnes by Ahenkorah led to a bit of handbags with Michael Richens and Fry being involved.   Mr Chalkley resolved the situation without having to resort to any cautions.   As the clock was running down to half time Stohrer found himself in a forward position and advanced past two defenders and delivered a daisy cutter from the edge of the box which found the bottom far corner of the net.  Vaughan might have done better if he had not been hampered by his injury. 1-2 Kettering 45 mins. 

Half Time: Stratford Town 1 Kettering Town 2

Half time saw the first substitutions of the game with a hobbling Towers being replaced by Brett Solkhon with Berry moving into the defensive line.   Kettering were going for the killer blow now and it was one way traffic.   Firstly Borg made a run into the box and went down with penalty appeals being waved away.   A fine passing display by Kettering stringing 4 or 5 passes together across the edge of the area before Milnes tried a shot which was only a couple of feet wide.  S tohrer advanced towards goal but lost control of the ball but it broke to Borg who shimied past a defender threw a feint to the keeper who moved the wrong way but steered his shot narrowly high and wide.  The inevitabe goal arrived on 54 minutes.   Good work on the left released Hoenes who drove into the box and delivered a deep cross  to the far side of the penalty area where Solkhon headed it down to be hit sweetly on the volley by DKE who gave the keeper no chance for a great goal. 1-3 Kettering 54 mins.  A minute later after another narrow miss by Stohrer, Vaughan who was obviously struggling, being unable to take kicks, as a damage limitation exercise called it a day and was swapped for Behan. Fisher replaced Ahenkorah at the same time.  Hoenes was still rampaging forward and turned Wilson inside out to get to the by-lne where he played an inviting cross across the face of the goal but found no Poppies player to apply the touch to make it four.   On the hour mark Borg picked up a needless booking for not retreating at a free kick and shortly after with Kettering dominating the game was replaced by Matty Foy to make his debut.  Six minutes later and the game changed when DKE was shown a straight red.  Solkhon played a square pass towards him but it was short and in stretching to reach the ball which he did first was adjudged to have endangered the Stratford player and was sent to the dressing room making a challenge he didn't need to make.  Kettering re-jiged the team with Stohrer moving to right back and Kelly to left back.  Stratford were now on the front foot. Foy shot from long range but the ball went over Carvalho tries the same but misses by a bigger margin.  This season's Kettering are a tight experienced defensive unit and were working together managing the game.  Stratford's forwards were over eager and suffered from three or four offside decisions and were limited to long range efforts like Monteiro whose effort cleared the bar by at least 10 feet.  In order to stem the flow Milnes was sacrificed for Ben Toseland on 76 minutes to enable Kelly to return to midfield.  It was Milnes best performance since his bad injury sustained against Biggleswade last season.  Skendi managed to pierce the defensive shield on 79 minutes but he still had to get past White who redeemed himself for the first half  mix up and produced a fine save to preserve Kettering's 2 goal advantage.  Shariff had a chance on the back post from a cross by Fry but merely succeded in failing over.  He then had a shot which beat White but went past the post.  Stratford's last attempt came from another free kick from Grocott but beat everyone to go out for a goal kick.

Full Time: Stratford Town 1 Kettering Town 3

A even first half but a rampant second half performance which promised more goals until DKE's departure.  A resolute defensive performance snuffing out any threat from 11 man Stratford for a well deserved win.

Red Card    Kettering;  Kelly-Evans

YellowCards Kettering;  Stohrer  Foul   Borg Dissent

                      Stratford:  Wilson   Foul 

Kettering Town Man-of-the-Match - Lathaniel Rowe-Turner

Attendance 396:  (about 200 Poppies).