Kettering Town v Bury Town

Pitching in Southern League Premier Division Central

Saturday 13th December 2025  15:00

Referee:  Paul Collier              Assistants: David Froom and Luke Pilley

In the team’s last 12 games only three have been at Latimer Park. In both October and November, the club played four successive games away from home. Following last Saturday’s determined defensive display at Halesowen to gain a hard-earned point, today’s game is like the proverbial London bus, you wait ages for one and then three come along all at once, with 3 games in the space of 8 days. Today’s opponents Bury Town hail from Bury St Edmunds and not Greater Manchester as a previous Poppies centre back believed. This will be the Blues first ever visit to Latimer Park after winning promotion through the play-offs last season from the Isthmian North League Division. The clubs previously met in the 1971-72 season. Kettering currently sit in 11^th place with 28 points whilst Bury are in 16^th place in a cluster of four clubs all on 24 points.

Liam McDonald would have to forge a new back four after finishing the Halesowen game with just one of the back four in his recognised position. His choice was limited by the unavailability of captain George Forsyth having to go off last weekend through injury. This was balanced by the return from illness of Will Glennon and from injury Lewis Coyle, who has had his loan period extended until the end of February. The midfield would see one change with Preston Bitemo starting with no place in the match day squad  for Andi Thanoj. The sub’s bench would see one new name, Ethan Fitzhugh, an attacking midfielder on loan from Gateshead. It was announced in the week that Connor Stanley has left the club by mutual consent and joined Worcester City.

The afternoon was mild, dry and bright with the low sun once again necessitating those on the open side the need to shade their eyes from the sun.

Kettering would kick off with Bury Town in all royal blue with white trim defending the ProSaw stand. It was the visitors who started the better as in the second minute Lewis gave possession away inside his own penalty area. The Bury forward needed no second invitation to test, captain for the day, Alexander. Jason was equal to the test and produced a great single handed save to prevent Kettering falling behind early in the game at the expense of a corner. The set piece from the stand side was delivered perfectly into the middle causing a mild confusion in the Kettering defence needing Andoh facing his own goal to head the ball behind via the frame of the goal for another corner this time on the open side. Another well taken corner saw Parr have a shot at goal. With Alexander beaten Rowe positioned on the line managed to keep the ball out of the net before Fatadjo managed to clear the ball away from goal.

A minute later and Bury were sweeping forward again moving the ball with purpose with Mayhew setting up Jolland with a shooting chance from the edge of the area. Lewis managed to get into the path of the shot and the ball deflected off him and over the bar for another Bury corner. Kettering got some respite as when the ball came in from the corner Mr Collier saw some pushing from a forward and awarded a free kick which Alexander would take.

With three corners, a goal line clearance and a good save from Alexander inside five minutes it seemed like it would be a long afternoon for the Kettering fans.

Kettering had their first real excursion into Bury’s half in the seventh minute when Coyle played the ball forward towards Panter. Eddie took possession and ran at the full back O’Malley and got the better of the defender before cutting in and sending in a cross but it flicked of Parr for a Kettering corner by the turnstiles. Fatadjo lifted the ball towards the far post where Andoh got his head to the ball but he could not direct his header and it went tamely behind for a goal-kick.

Shortly after, Kettering crafted a flowing move down their right wing with Rowe, Williams and Fatadjo playing neat triangles resulting in Ismael delivering a cross into the box. O’Malley cut the ball out and cleared it but the ball fell to Clifton who tried a hopeful shot which was efficiently blocked and cleared.

The next minute Fatadjo had more success down Bury’s left when he was set free by a ball from Williams. His cross once again was cut out by O’Malley but Panter was quickly on top of him and stabbed the ball goalwards but it was smothered by Beckwith in the Bury goal.

Twelve minutes had been played when Coyle deep inside his own half played the ball back to Alexander. Under no pressure, Jason made a hash of his clearance and sent it straight to the feet of McGrath who showed composure, picked his spot and passed the ball past Alexander and into the net. 0-1 Bury 13 mins.

It was a bad mistake by Jason but his tally of great saves far outweighs his mistakes tally. Also, he has been troubled by a thigh injury for a few weeks now with every clearance at Halesowen being accompanied with a grimace of pain so the defenders should be aware of this and restrict their reliance on his kicking ability.

A quarter of an hour had been played when Williams advanced down Kettering’s right. He delivered a tantalising cross into the box which was inches too high for Clifton to get his head to the ball but its trajectory took it onto Panter who had a shot from the corner of the 6-yard box. The ball went wide of the post with Eddie insisting that the ball had clipped a defender for a corner but a goal-kick was awarded.

In the eighteenth minute, play was held up when Coyle had gone to the floor in midfield with no other player near him. Michael Hunter attended to Lewis but he could not continue and so the utilitarian Wes York was pressed into service at left back for the second successive week.

Bury looked to take advantage of the substitution and soon after they probed forward down Kettering’s left working the ball inside to Canfer but his shot did not trouble Alexander who collected it with ease.

He was tested more on the half hour mark when a Bury attack led to a shot from inside Kettering’s penalty area by McGrath. Jason produced a good save getting down quickly to his left to turn the ball around the post for a corner on the stand side. Before the corner could be taken, Wes York had to leave the pitch to remove a ring which the Assistant Referee had overlooked when the substitution was being made. Defending the corner with ten men the set piece was taken short before Jolland lifted the ball into the middle where Alexander got a double handed punch on the ball falling to Maughn but his shot from the edge of the penalty area passed narrowly over the bar.

With ten minutes left in the half the game got it’s first yellow card. Kettering were on the attack with Bitemo in possession but a poor touch from Preston saw the ball break away from him. Canfer raced towards the loose ball and Bitemo desperately stretched for the ball in an attempt to regain possession as both players arrived at the ball nearly simultaneously in what appeared to be a 50/50 challenge but Canfer was caught and squealed in pain. Mr Collier sounded his whistle for a foul and was immediately surrounded by a host of blue shirts calling for the head of Bitemo or at least a red card. The Referee after having dispersed the pack of Bury players baying for blood spoke to Bitemo and satisfied that there was no malice in the challenge saw a booking as suitable punishment for the incident. After minimum treatment Canfer returned to his feet showing no ill effects and play resumed.

Inside the last minute of normal time, Bury doubled their lead. A long throw-in from Carroll from the stand side sailed into the Kettering penalty area. It was touched on by the head of Davies and fell to McGrath who took a touch and then pirouetted and as he was falling backwards lifted the ball goalwards. The ball flew in a curving trajectory clipping the inside of the post beating Alexander comprehensively. 0-2 Bury 45 mins.

Before play restarted, it was announced that there would be an additional five minutes to be played. Bury looked like they would be happy to go in at half time with a two-goal lead and seemed to take their foot off the pedal whereas Kettering raised their game sensing the drop off in intensity by the visitors.

Kettering had a good passing move around the edge of the Bury penalty area culminating in a shot from distance by Williams but Beckwith gathered quickly at the second attempt with Panter ready to pounce on any loose ball.

The added time was further extended as Rowe went to the floor requiring treatment but was OK to continue. Before play was restarted, there was a pitch invasion by a pair of pheasants. With time running out Kettering forced a corner on the open side. Fatadjo’s corner was nodded on by Glennon towards the back post where the unmarked Bitemo swept the ball home from close range. 1-2 Kettering 45+6 mins

 This brought the first half action to a close

Half Time: Kettering Town 1  Bury Town 2

Neither side made any personnel changes at half time but Kettering had changed to a three-man back line with York moving into midfield in a 3-4-3 formation. Bury were first out but Kettering started the second half better, buoyed by their late goal in the first half looking to get back into the game.

Five minutes into the half and Carroll sent another long throw towards Kettering’s penalty area but Clifton cut the ball out and played it wide to Panter who took off down Bury’s right looking to catch the visitors with a quick break. Two defenders were closing on Eddie and O’Malley slid in to take the ball away from Panter and put the ball into touch. Eddie tried to hurdle the defender at his feet to avoid contact but caught the Bury man on his thigh on the way over. After lengthy treatment, the full back was able to continue.

Kettering were in charge now and were moving the ball around the Bury penalty area looking for the opening to unlock the solid defence with the ball being switched from one side to the other. Fifty-five minutes had passed when the ball was played to Fatadjo on the edge of the penalty area on the stand side. Ismael feinted inside to make room for a shot but it struck the outstretched arm of Jolland in an unnatural position. Fatadjo appealed for a penalty along with everyone in the Tin Hat but Mr Collier turned down the appeals.

Kettering were relentless in their pressing of the Bury defence and it was indicative of how much pressure Kettering were generating as on the hour mark Bury’s goalkeeper went to the floor midway inside the Bury half with no player having been near him. It served it’s purpose though as Kettering’s momentum was stymied as the Bury team trotted over to the away dugout for a tactical briefing.

Kettering made their second substitution after sixty-four minutes with goal scorer Preston Bitemo making way for Ethan Fitzhugh to make his debut for Kettering and become the thirty-seventh player to represent Kettering this season. Four minutes later, Bury made their first change with Harley Curtis replacing Oliver Canfer

With twenty minutes to go Kettering were awarded a free kick some10 yards outside of the penalty area in a central position following a foul on Fitzhugh by Carroll for which the defender received a yellow card. Glennon and Fitzhugh stood over the ball. Will ran over the ball leaving Ethan to take  the kick. The shot was lifted up and over the wall but Beckwith punched the ball away while falling to his right for a good save but the clearance heading for the touchline on the open side was collected by Williams who lifted the ball back into the middle. Glennon got his head to the ball and sent it goalwards where Beckwith turned the ball away. Parr, Beckwith and Panter chased the loose ball. The keeper dived for the ball but knocked Panter to the floor with his shoulder in the act of diving. Mr Collier had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and cautioning the keeper for his challenge on Eddie. The Assistant Referee had also flagged for the foul drawing the anger of Tommy Hughes who had words with the official. Once calm had been restored the Referee consulted with his assistant and booked Hughes for dissent. Glennon stepped up for the spot kick and comprehensively sent Beckwith the wrong way.                           2-2 Kettering 73 mins

Parity lasted little more than a minute as Bury were straight on the attack from the restart and won a throw-in midway inside Kettering’s half on the open side. Carroll delivered another howitzer like delivery into the Kettering box. Clifton made a clearance but possession was retained by Bury and from out wide Carroll sent a dangerous ball to the far post where Parr was standing totally unmarked 6 yards out. He took a touch and then calmly side-footed the ball past York and through the legs of Alexander at the base of his near post to regain the lead for Bury. 2-3 Bury 75 mins.

In the next two minutes the sides traded shots after good approach work from both teams. Firstly, Williams saw his effort from the edge of the area go almost straight at Beckwith for an easy save. At the other end, Jolland had a much better opening but his casual shot from 18 yards out with the whole of the goal to aim at with Alexander tight on his left-hand post saw the Bury man squander the chance sending the ball wide of the right-hand post.

Kettering made their third change after seventy-eight minutes with Kai Williams replaced by Eddie Oppong. Two minutes later, Bury made a change with Joe White coming on for Max Maughn.

After eighty-three minutes, Mr Collier had cause to go over to the Bury bench to have words with the Bury manager who had expressed his displeasure at the Referee and some of his decisions. The conversation went poorly and resulted in Cole Skuse, the Bury Manager, receiving a yellow card. The Referee had turned away to go and continue the match but Skuse had not learned his lesson and was determined to have the last word but that privilege belonged to Mr Collier who returned to the bench and showed Skuse a second yellow followed by a red ordering him from the dugout. Initially reluctant to go, the Bury manager stepped over the perimeter fence behind the dugouts and walked away. In a show of misplaced loyalty goalkeeping coach Ben Mayhew chipped in his five pennyworth and promptly received a yellow card of his own.

Two minutes later, Mr Collier was in action again this time dealing with a disturbance in the crowd. The ball had gone out for a throw-in on the open side midway inside the Bury half. Rowe looked to take the throw-in quickly but was prevented from doing so by a Bury supporter grabbing hold of Blaine’s shirt. Mr Collier witnessed it all and ordered that the offender should be escorted from the ground before play could continue.

With time running out Kettering were attacking but could not threaten the Bury goal. They were rattling the Bury players though and when Fatadjo was running at the defence a blatant pull back by Mayhew earned him a booking.

With three minutes left, a Andoh run down the right saw him square the ball inside to York who tee’ d up Fitzhugh 20 yards out but he scuffed his shot and a daisy cutter bobbled through a crowd of players and into the hands of Beckwith.

In the final minute of normal time Liam McDonald made a final roll of the dice replacing defender Blaine Rowe with Kai Fifield. Bury took the opportunity to make a switch themselves with Jamie McGrath making way for George Quantrell. As the switches were completed it was announced that there would be six additional minutes played.

Half of the additional time had been played moved the ball from Alexander methodically up field culminating in a shot from Oppong that deflected behind for a corner on the open side. Fatadjo’s corner was swung into the middle but was headed away by a defender but only in the direction of Ismael. Taking possession of the ball, his progress was halted by a late tackle by Mayhew who was nowhere near the ball but got plenty of Fatadjo. Mayhew was walking a tightrope having been booked only five minutes earlier for a bad foul on the same player. Mr Collier showed leniency letting him off with a talking to for a foul that was worthy of a card. Fatadjo would take the set piece sited just on the corner of the penalty area and lifted the ball in towards the near post. Andoh made a well-timed run towards the ball and applied a glancing header to the ball to send down and into the net for his third goal in as many games and making him equal top scorer for Kettering of the players at the club. 3-3 Kettering 90+5 mins

Kettering players raced into the net to get the ball back to the middle confident that they could snatch a dramatic winner in the remaining time, however, time expired before they could test the Bury defence once more.

Full Time: Kettering Town 3  Bury Town 3

There will be two schools of thought from this, the doom merchants and nay sayers, who will consider it as two points lost, playing at home against a team lower in the table and of questionable away form. The second group will consider this a hard-earned point well won, coming from two goals down and behind once more with a quarter of an hour to play. In truth, this a game that Kettering would have capitulated in earlier in the season. The team showed resilience and a battling never say die attitude to claim a vital goal with the last kick of the first half. The team that emerged after the half time break showed a determination to produce a result for the Latimer Park faithful. Liam must have given a motivating talk in the dressing room and showed the courage of his convictions to change the team’s formation at half time to more attacking one unlike previous managers who would persevere with a clearly failing plan A before changing it with 10 minutes to go. The Kettering players stuck at it and got their reward by equalising deep into added time. Critics will point the finger of blame at Jason Alexander citing a couple of errors leading to goals. These errors are far outweighed by the number of sensational saves he has made this season preventing certain goals one of which he produced today when it was still 0-0. If players were perfect, they would be playing further up the football pyramid and not plying their trade in the third tier of non-league football.

Kettering Town yellow cards: Bitemo – foul

Bury Town yellow cards: Carroll, Beckwith, Mayhew E – fouls  Hughes, Skuse (Manager),                                                                Mayhew B (Coach) – dissent.

 2^nd yellow card/red: Skuse (Manager)

Attendance: 800

Kettering Town M-of-the-M selected by Walker Pack – Will Glennon–  A welcome return to action for Will after illness. It was a timely return too with George Forsyth limping off in last Saturday’s game at Halesowen. Playing alongside Levi Andoh for the first time as a centre-back pairing worked well. Will was very much instrumental in Kettering winning a point. His near post flick on led to Preston Bitemo’s first half injury time goal. Also, it was his header at goal which led to the Bury keeper bringing down Panter for the penalty which was clinically dispatched by Will. Having suffered from glandular fever, a strength sapping illness, he displayed high levels of stamina to play for the full 100 minutes of his return game.