KETTERING TOWN 2-3 BASINGSTOKE TOWN
SATURDAY AUGUST 02 2025.
FRIENDLY
Kettering Town
1 Josh Humphrey
2 Levi Andoh
3 Shane Flynn
4 George Forsyth (Captain)
22 Trialist A
5 Archie Crowther
14 Connor Stanley
17 Ismael Fatadjo
15 Eddie Oppong
10 Leon Lobjoit
11 Jamar Loza
Substitutes:
Nile Ranger
Kai Fifield
Wes York
Fin Corrigan
Trialist B
Trialist C
Trialist D
Trialist E
It was a beautifully sunny day at Latimer Park with the sun glinting off the new scoreboard at the Morrisons end of the ground as the Poppies entered the field of play. With Paul White unavailable, Callum Powell recovering well but not fit enough to play, injured, there were just two changes from the Tuesday night clash with Andi Thanoj on the bench and the arrival of our new loan signee, Archie Crowther who started the game.
The Poppies started brightly and soon applied pressures on ‘The Stokes’ defence with Fatadjo producing a slide rule pass to Lobjoit who forced an early save from the away goalkeeper with a curling effort producing a corner.
The Poppies found an opening on 19 minutes after Loza was brought down in the penalty area and he received to produce a bullet of a penalty down towards the keeper’s outstretched right hand (1-0).
Simon Hollyhead’s side continued the free flowing attacking football, which characterised the first half, with a move in the 22nd minute which resulted in Fatadjo making an incisive pass through the Basingstoke defence to Lobjoit who aimed a ferocious volley at the visitor’s goal forcing a good save.
KTFC extended their lead as Archie Crowther, on his debut, headed home at the front post from the resulting corner with the ball nestling in the keeper’s right-hand net (2-0). It was almost a carbon copy of the goal he forced last season at the same end.
Hollyhead was forced into an early change as Fatadjo had to leave the field with a suspected broken arm following a midfield tussle with a Basingstoke defender. He was replaced with Andi Thanoj after 29 minutes.
Both Loza and Stanley looked lively and a constant threat with Lobjoit having the most significant strike following some neat interplay as he dragged his effort just wide of the goal.
Basingstoke halved the deficit just before half-time after an initial shot cannoned off the Kettering post and the number 7 collected the ball on the six-yard line, cut inside and scored at close range (2-1).
Half Time: Kettering Town 2-1 Basingstoke Town
Both Flynn and Stanley were substituted at half-time, with Corrigan and York replacing them, respectively.
The Stoke began the second half with the clear intention of winning the game and they equalised on 51 minutes after confusion in the Poppies backline allowed for a low cross which reached the opposing number 10 who scored past Humphrey (2-2).
It was a physical encounter and with Basingstoke increasingly pushing for the winning goal, Hollyhead made further changes in the latter half of the game with Oppong being replaced by Fifield and Trialist A replaced by Trialist B (64 minutes), and then Loza replaced by Ranger (83 minutes).
The Poppies had a few promising, but ultimately unsuccessful attempts on goal, most notably by the effervescent Fifield who had his shot from outside the area agonisingly glance past the opposition’s right-hand post.
However, the visitors scored the winning goal in the dying minutes of the game (88th) with a slotted finish past Humphrey after a fluid counterattack.
Full Time: KETTERING TOWN 2-3 BASINGSTOKE TOWN
Attendance: 540
The Poppies start to the season begins on Saturday 9th August away at Royston Town. Kick-off is at 15:00pm. Full details will appear on all of our media channels.
