Match Report: Kettering Town v Cleethorpes Town Saturday 14 September 2024

Kettering Town v Cleethorpes Town

The Emirates FA Cup Second Round Qualifying

Saturday 14 September 2024 3:00pm

Referee: James Gallagher            Assistants: Ben Schofield and James Cliffe

4th Official: Mason Bussey

Kettering’s second match in this year’s FA Cup campaign would see them face Cleethorpes Town for the first ever meeting between the two clubs although it is hardly surprising given the fact that Cleethorpes only formed in 1998.

Richard Lavery had been busy since the narrow loss at Royston the previous Saturday. Leaving the club was Remaye Campbell moving to Matlock Town. He was replaced by Nile Ranger, who made his Kettering debut at St Ives on Monday evening. Another player who made his first appearance for Kettering on Monday was Lewis White returning to Kettering after a brief unsuccessful spell at Spalding. Due to Dan Jezeph’s harsh red card at Royston, a keeper was needed to be found to replace the suspended player. This came in the form of 33-year-old 6′ 6” Jason Alexander currently without a club, but he has previously played for Corby and Basford amongst others. With Wes York injured, Kettering would feature a 6-man bench featuring three defenders and three midfielders showing the squads lack of depth in attacking options.

Cleethorpes play at one level below Kettering in the Northern Premier League East division and currently sit in second place and remain unbeaten this season. Today, will be their fourth match in this year’s FA Cup having scored 12 goals so far including an 89^th minute winner in the last round to ease past Malvern Town 1-0.

Burton Latimer had received a fair amount of rain this week and the pitch was looking very green because of it. It was an afternoon of hazy sunshine with a stiff breeze blowing from the nursery corner of the ground.

Cleethorpes Town in white shirts with a blue sash and blue shorts kicked-off attacking the Prosaw stand causing the Poppies faithful to migrate to the Tin-Hat end. Cleethorpes attacked from the off and inside the first minute as Bateson’s run cut through the Kettering defence rather too easily and capped off with a shot which Alexander got down to well to his right pushing the ball around the post for a corner. The resulting set-piece was played short and a curving ball was played into the middle where Alexander confidently punched the ball clear. The following minute Bateson once again tested the Kettering debutant with a shot from the edge of the area, but Alexander was equal to it and pushed the shot aimed towards his left-hand post behind for Cleethorpes second corner of the game with the game only two minutes old. The corner from the open side was poor going straight behind from the kick. Shortly after, Cleethorpes won a third corner, but once again the taker mis-judged the prevailing conditions and sent the ball out of play on the full for a goal-kick.

Kettering’s first venture into the Cleethorpes half came after eight minutes as the hosts probed forward down Cleethorpes right through Wilson. Tyree attempted to round the full-back but having his path blocked fed the ball back to Thanoj. Andi shaped up for a shot but instead opted to deliver a curling cross aimed towards Ranger at the far post. However, the linesman flagged for off-side.

The game settled down after the initial Cleethorpes onslaught, no doubt caused by the Poppies not used to kicking off home matches at three o’clock, as Kettering started to enjoy some possession. Just after the quarter hour mark, a Kettering attack broke down and Cleethorpes swiftly counter-attacked with the ball fell to danger man Bateson, but his shot passed wide of the goal.

Almost thirty minutes had been played when a fine passing move by Cleethorpes scythed through Kettering’s defence. The move was only let down by the final ball to Josh Walker being thigh high and straight at the player. The forward managed to divert the ball goalwards but it lacked power and went wide of the post.

With only five minutes left of regulation time in the first half, Kettering were awarded a free-kick some ten yards outside the Cleethorpes penalty area after Mr Gallagher had tried to play advantage for Kettering but with none being accrued brought play back. Cleethorpes appeared to be more than happy to concede free kicks to break up the flow of the game. When the wall was eventually retreated the required ten yards, Thanoj sent the set piece straight into the wall. The ball came back to him, but his second attempt was high and wide of the goal.

Two minutes later Cleethorpes had the best chance of the half to open the scoring. Josh Walker managed to break the Kettering defensive line to leave him 1v1 against Alexander. With the forward odds on to opening the scoring Jason pulled off a great save managing to get an outstretched leg to the ball as the forward tried to lift the ball past him, conceding a corner which came to nothing.

Nothing of note occurred in the remaining minutes including an additional minute of added time.

Half Time: Kettering Town 0  Cleethorpes Town 0

Neither side made any personnel changes at half-time, but the wind had veered around and was once again blowing against Kettering. Kettering started the second half in a much better manner than they did the first and they had the first chance of the second half when Kelly-Evans picked out Wilson at the far post, but Tyree’s shot was well blocked by a defender at the expense of an unproductive corner. Two minutes later, Wilson latched onto a loose ball on the edge of Cleethorpes penalty area when a defender headed a ball up into the air. Tyree controlled the ball and hit a left footed shot which hit the outside of the far post with the full-length diving Richardson nowhere close.

Kettering kept up the pressure and shortly after a one two between Jarvis and Wilson saw Tyree take the ball deep into Cleethorpes half before delivering an inviting cross into the box far enough away from the keeper to keep him back in his goal. Unfortunately, there was no Kettering player on hand to take up the opportunity.

With ten minutes of the half-gone Cleethorpes hit Kettering on the break. Once again Josh Walker found himself clear with just the keeper to beat. Alexander was equal to the effort swiping the ball with his left hand up onto the underside of the bar before Johnson cleared the ball off the line. The loose ball fell to the visitors and once again the ball needed to be cleared by the head of Johnson before the danger was able to be cleared. When calm returned Mr Gallagher showed a yellow card to Jarvis for a foul after having previously lectured the player at the end of the first half. The resulting free-kick was played forward, and Ranger was penalised for contesting the ball giving Cleethorpes a free-kick right on the edge of the area inside the “D.” Haw’s free kick was deflected by the wall had already flagged for offside.

On the hour mark, the game got it is second booking when Haw cut down Hart as the Kettering’s captain was about to go by the Cleethorpes man on the edge of their penalty area. The free kick was lifted into the Cleethorpes goalmouth where a weak punch by Richardson failed to clear the danger and the first moment of panic was shown by the visitor’s defence. The ball was eventually forced clear with a defender appearing to kick Hart’s foot to reach the ball. The Prosaw stand roared for a penalty, but Mr Gallagher saw nothing wrong. Cleethorpes broke away and full-back Paul Walker raced clear of the Kettering back line but with the goal at his mercy he put his shot at least a yard wide.

With sixty-six minutes gone, Kettering made their only substitution of the game with Isiah Noel-Williams replacing the cautioned Dan Jarvis. Cleethorpes also made a change with Will Annan coming on for Alex Flett.

Jack Vann became the second Cleethorpes played to be cautioned following a foul on Isiah Noel-Williams who wrestled to the ground by the visitor. The ball worked out to Fifield on the open side who lifted the ball towards the far post. It must have been touched by a defender on the way through because Kettering were awarded a corner. Thanoj’s corner was punched away by the keeper and White and Prunty raced each other to obtain the ball but the ball won going out for a throw in near the Kettering bench. Richard Lavery tried to retrieve the ball to allow Kettering to take a quick throw to keep the pressure on the visitors but was prevented from getting to the ball by Prunty resulting in a bit of pushing and shoving between the two of them. Mr Gallagher showed Lavs a yellow card but did not say a word to the player.

With fifteen minutes left to play, Cleethorpes made their second switch with Adam Haw departing replaced by Dan Gallimore. Shortly after, Cleethorpes had another chance to take the lead. Gallimore with probably his first touch of the ball played a looping cross field ball from just inside his own half. The flight deceived White and the ball fell kindly for Bateson to run onto but with the whole of the goal to aim at put it wide of the post.

Jack Vann had the generous spirit of Mr Gallagher to thank when having been booked not ten minutes earlier for a foul on Noel-Williams committed another bad foul on Isiah. If it had been a different player, it would have been a yellow, but the referee declined to give the foul it’s just deserts and spared the Cleethorpes man a red card.

Shortly before the game entered the final five minutes of normal time, Cleethorpes made their final substitution with Brody Robertson coming on for Curtis Bateson. Almost immediately after the restart Gallimore lobbed another ball forward. Robertson with his first touch tapped the ball into the path of Josh Walker who was clear against Alexander. The forward tried to lift the ball over the tall keeper but got his accuracy wrong and the ball passed across the face of the goal with Johnson in close attendance ensuring that nothing untoward occurred.

Just before the board was raised by the fourth official indicating that there would be four additional minutes, Kelly-Evans carried the ball forward urged by the fans to take a shot. Devon obliged but his shot from 30 yards passed over the bar.

In this first minute of injury time, Kettering forced a corner when the Cleethorpes defence looked stressed with Kettering running directly at them. The ball was worked wide and fed into the box where Fifield turned the ball goalwards, but it was deflected behind for a corner. With time running out, and chances to clinch the match diminishing, the corner was taken short and completely failed ending up back inside Kettering’s half.

With thoughts of the majority of Latimer Park turning to the idea of a Tuesday night out in Lincolnshire with Cleethorpes relishing the chance to beat Kettering on their own pitch, Abbott midway inside his own half, played the ball back to Prunty just outside his own penalty area. He made to help the ball on its way back to his keeper but made little or no contact unaware that Ranger was racing towards him on his blind side. The ball did not reach Richardson and Nile intercepted the pass and pushed it past the keeper. The Cleethorpes keeper took down Ranger for a clear-cut penalty with no real attempt at playing the ball, but Mr Gallagher once again showed leniency and merely booked Richardson. Nile collected the ball and walked to the spot and collected himself. He sent the keeper the wrong way opening his Kettering goal account in memorable style. 1-0 Kettering 92 mins

In the excitement, Kettering Town’s substitutes Harlain Mbayo and Dan Emovon ran onto the pitch to join in the celebrations and were booked for their exuberance. Kettering managed to survive the remaining time with Hart receiving a caution for time wasting.

Full Time: Kettering Town 1  Cleethorpes Town 0

 In  football one statistic counts and that is goals scored. Cleethorpes had numerous opportunities to score but were thwarted by the excellence of Alexander who pulled off some great saves and the poor finishing of the Cleethorpes players missing the target completely. Kettering failed to test the visiting goalkeeper but pushed beyond the 90 minutes and were rightly awarded a penalty cooly dispatched by Ranger winning over the Poppies faithful and so it will be Kettering in the hat on Monday with Cleethorpes having a long trip home thinking about the if’s ad but’s and maybes. The game was a reverse image of last week at Royston with Kettering making all the running but Royston converting their one clear chance. The game turned in one moment and changed from thinking of a late night on a Tuesday night to waiting to see what Monday lunchtime will bring. Not Kettering’s greatest performance of the season apart from Jason Alexander but who cares we are in the next round.

Kettering Town yellow cards: Jarvis –  foul  Lavery, Mbayo, Emovon – unsporting conduct

                                                   Hart – time wasting.

Cleethorpes Town yellow cards: Haw, Vann, Richardson – fouls

Attendance: 922

Kettering Town Man-of-the-Match –  chosen by the Media Team – Jason Alexander-

An easy choice to make as without the exploits of the debutant Jason Alexander, Cleethorpes would have won this long before Kettering’s penalty. Whilst his teammates were slow starting Jason inside the first minute denied an early goal for the visitors. An even better save just before half-time ensured that Kettering went in at the interval level. His second half performance was of a similar high standard pushing a Cleethorpes effort up onto the bar.