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Match Report

Kettering Town  v  Gateshead

Vanarama National League North

Saturday 17th August 2019   3:00pm

Referee: Ben Atkinson  Assistants: DeanSteatham and Jaime Conde 

 After the disappointment of conceding an injury time equaliser against Chester Nicky Eaden kept faith with the starting eleven that so nearly secured three points.  One change was made to the substitute’s bench was the inclusion of Alex Nimely.  Javan Vidal was again unavailable due to concussion protocols.

On a warm sunny  day Kettering kicked off, in a sparsely populated Latimer Park attacking the BM Pallets end with Gateshead attired in white shirts and black shorts.

As in all the games this season Kettering are slow out of their traps and Gateshead made the early showing and as early as the second minute a Jordan Preston cross was headed just wide by Joshua Kayode. Kettering responded in the best possible manner in the sixth minute. A thrust down Gateshead's left led to a cross by Elliott Hodge to the far post where Marcus Kelly collected the ball five yards out. His initial shot was blocked by Brad James but Kelly stabbed the rebound home. 1-0 Kettering 6 mins. 

Gatesheadalmostimmediately struck back Preston got past Joe Skarzand whipped in a cross towards the near post where JJ O'Connell flicked the ball into the side netting. On ten minutes Gateshead won their first corner but White commanded his area and collected it cleanly.  It was all Gateshead but the defence was holding firm with Luke Graham blocking a shot from the edge of the area from Preston. Kettering briefly eased the pressure with the occasional counter-attack and it was from one of these that Kettering won their first corner. A cross from the right picked out Kelly who fired in a long range shot which was going to go well wide until it struck a defender and ricocheted behind but the corner was unproductive.

On twenty minutes Gateshead once again managed to get a cross in from Kettering's left but the two players contesting Alex Nicholson's cross were both wearing white shirts and O'Donnell and Preston contrive to put the ball wide. Ten minutes later and O'Donnell has another chance when Forbes supplied him with a pass just on the edge of the area but his low fierce shot passed narrowly past the post. Shortly after Gateshead won another corner but Greg Olley failed to clear  Gary Stohrer at the near post but his clearing header was straight back to Olley but the second cross was easily caught by Paul White.

With ten minutes to go of the half good approach work by Kettering down the right wing led to Lindon Meikle being played in behind the defender. He drove to the by-line and lifted a cross back into the middle where it was met by Michael Richens who powered a downwards header goal bound. Brad James was equal to it though and produced a great save low to his left. The ball went straight up the other end though and another cross from the right was headed just over by O'Donnell.

Kettering had the best of the remainder of the half. Firstly a ball was played through for Dan Nti to run onto, his pace taking him past his marker. James was off his line quickly and close the forward down and did enough to force Nti away from goal and then whilst still a long way out of his ground dived to his left to stop Dan's shot, the ball broke to Hodge but his shot at goal was cut out by a defender who put the ball out for a corner. Five minutes later James came to Gateshead rescue again when Kelly found himself in space in a very similar position to where he'd scored from but the keeper was equal to it and kept the score unchanged. In the final minute  of the half James dealt with a dangerous Kettering corner with a firm punch to clear the ball.

Half Time: Kettering Town  1  Gateshead 0

The first incident of note of the second half was the first caution of the game with Agnew committing a needless foul in the middle of the pitch. Almost straight after Gateshead had to make their first substitution when Jordan Preston got hurt off the side of the pitch in front of the main stand.  The player looked to be in some considerable pain and went straight from the side of the pitch into the dressing room. Nicky Deverdics replaced him with Joshua Kayode moving into a more central position.  A minute later Kelly went into the book after tripping a Gateshead player from behind.  Three minutes later Kelly was involved again this time in a more positive manner. He broke down the leftwing and reached the by-line and crossed into the area where Nti rose highest but could only send his header over the bar. 

Just on the hour mark Nicholson name also entered the book after cynically taking down Nti from behind on the half-way line as Dan was racing clear with nobody between him and the goal. From the free-kick the ball is passed to Meikle who drives forward with the ball cutting through the Gateshead defence. He squares the ball to Kelly but the ball is slightly behind Marcus and the attack falters. Kelly turned the ball inside to Richens but he didn't connect cleanly with the ball and his low daisy cutter went straight into James' hands. 

With twenty minutes to go Kettering conceded a free-kick 40 yards from goal. Kenney stood over the ball to prevent the kick being taken quickly before retreating at the referee's insistence. Nti then move himself directly next to the ball and was promptly booked as Barrow took the kick immediately hitting Dan.  The retaken kick was lofted towards the far post where Toby Lees arrived unmarked able to pick his spot to power the ball past the helpless White. 1-1 Gateshead 65 mins.  

Conceding the goal appeared to knock the stuffing and confidence out of the home side and energy levels began to drop as the seemingly superior fitness of the full-time side began to tell as James in the Gateshead goal was untroubled for the remainder of the match.

Gateshead made their second substitution on 68 minutes with a straight midfield swap with the fresh legs of Connor Oliver replacing Forbes. Two minutes later Nti gave away possession cheaply in his own half and Gateshead pounced on the error and quickly moved the ball to O'Donnell whose fierce shot went into the side netting. With twenty minutes to go Kettering made their first change with Hodge being withdrawn to give Alex Nimely his debut.   Kettering won a free kick two minutes later some 30 yards out Kelly managed to pick out Kennedy but his header was a routine catch for James. 

Kettering had a let off with 13 minutes to go when Barrow took throw just level with the burger van to Olley. The forward let the ball run across his body, turn and fire in a shot from the edge of the penalty area. The shot hit the base of the post square on with White beaten. Five minutes later Kennedy picked up his fourth caution of the season. Connor clearly won the ball but his follow through carried him on into the Gateshead man and into the referee's book. 

With less than ten minutes to go Gateshead made their final substitution with Paul Blackett replacing the dangerous O'Donnell. Two minutes later Brett Solkhon replaced Meikle but too little too late.

One minute into the four additional minutes the inevitable happened. The ball was played over to Kettering's left and fed back into the middle which was followed by Skarz which meant that when the ball was sent back out to the wing the forward had time a space to send over a looping ball into the box.  The ball passed over Cartwright's head dropping in slow motion towards  Joshua Kayode with Graham right on him. White advanced to grab the ball as Kayode swung a leg at the ball. It was a touch of minimal contact but was enough to deflect the flight of the ball and send it past White who was committed moving the wrong way. 1-2 Gateshead 91 mins

In the remaining time Olley managed to get himself booked for launching the ball over the stand after it had gone out for a throw-in. Kettering got one final chance winning a corner deep into injury time which saw White go up to try and snatch an equaliser but to no avail.

Full Time: Kettering Town 1  Gateshead 2

In stark contrast to last seasons added time bonuses Kettering have dropped three points in the dying minutes of the last two games. Kettering matched Gateshead which were last season playing two levels above them for the first 45 minutes.  The second half saw the team run out of steam and idea's conceding the initiative  and territory to the visitors by retreating deeper and deeper into their own half.  Everyone knew that this was going to be hard season but it's being able to close games out to the final whistle that will determine the club's fate.  

Kettering Town yellow cards:  Kennedy, Kelly -foul,  Nti - dissent

Gateshead yellow cards:  Agnew, Nicholson - foul                 

Attendance: 701 

Elgood Brewery - Kettering Town Man-of-the-Match – Luke Graham

Klondike Ticket No: 1835 - £155 claimed by Joan Meeson.