Kettering Town v Gainsborough Trinity

The Isuzu FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round

Saturday 5th September  2024 3:00pm

Referee:  Lewis Smith     Assistants:  Ryan Jennings and Danny Meers

After last Saturday’s FA Cup win at St Ives, today’s encounter with Gainsborough Trinity in the FA Trophy would be the second of three consecutive weekends with Kettering involved in cup competitions. Kettering would be looking to improve on their recent history within this competition. Three players who started in the clinical victory at St Ives would be missing from the starting XI. Connor Johnson, with a back strain, joined the long injury list to be replaced by Sidik Atcha in the defensive back four. Isiah Noel-Williams and Nile Ranger, both carrying knocks, would start on the substitutes bench. Dan Jarvis after sitting out the St Ives game would start along with Wes York who was an unused substitute. Devon Kelly-Evans returning from injury would start on the bench with Dan Emovon and Harlain Mbayo would complete the five-man sub’s bench. Gainsborough currently sit 17^th in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, and this would be their first appearance at Latimer Park

Despite the heavy rainfall experienced at the start of the week in Burton Latimer, the pitch looked in excellent condition. The afternoon was pleasant with the sun shining brightly behind patchy cloud. There was a stiffish breeze blowing from the nursery corner of the ground. Kettering won the coin toss and elected to attack the Tin-Hat end in the first half meaning Gainsborough in all blue with white trim would kick-off attacking the Pro-saw stand.

Gainsborough attacked from the off, and inside the second minute, it took some good work from Lewis White with a perfectly timed sliding tackle inside his own penalty area to foil an early visitor’s attack.

Shortly after, the highlight of the afternoon for the Kettering fans occurred with a fly-past by a Lancaster bomber.

The game produced it is first corner after seven minutes as Gainsborough advanced up the middle of the park stringing together a series of passes culminating in a shot from just outside the penalty area by Preston which needed a full-length dive by Jezeph to push it around the base of his left-hand post. The set-piece from the open side was adequately cleared by the Kettering defence.

It was ten minutes into the game before Kettering made a promising move into Gainsborough’s half when Hart and Wilson exchanged passes down the right wing to enable Ben to deliver a tempting cross into the middle. However, it was met by a blue shirted head and defence was swiftly changed into attack resulting in another shot from Preston, but this one was directed straight at Jezeph for a routine catch.

Shortly after, Gainsborough played the ball forward to Howe midway inside Kettering’s half. He made a first touch pass to a teammate and continued his forward run. Another first touch pass lobbed the ball into his path bypassing Atcha. Howe watched the ball all the way as it bounced in front of him as Jezeph advanced out of his goal to close down the forward. Just before Dan arrived, the Gainsborough man with his first touch lifted the ball over the keeper and into the net. 0-1 Gainsborough 13 mins

The goal appeared to stir the hosts out of their slumber having sleep-walked through the first quarter hour of the match and in response won their first corner of the game when Hart pressing down the right saw his cross blocked behind. The set-piece was poor though failing to beat the first man on the edge of the six yard box.

Twenty minutes had been played when Thanoj, in the middle of the park, lifted a diagonal ball over the Gainsborough back line for Wilson to run onto. Tyree outpaced the full-back Simpson but had to check his run on reaching the penalty area after out stripping his support holding the ball up until support arrived. He laid the ball off inside where Thanoj attempted a shot from the edge of the area which passed a couple of feet over the bar. The resulting goal-kick gave keeper Wharton his first touch of the ball.

Gainsborough quickly moved the ball to the opposite end of the park when Atcha, attempted to shepherd the ball behind for a goal-kick under pressure from Howe, was adjudged to have touched the ball as a corner was awarded to the visitors. The set-piece on the open side was aimed towards the far post where it picked out the Gainsborough left back on the six-yard line. Jackson hit a first time volley but his contact was poor and sent the ball spinning far away from the goal. Almost straight after, Howe once again got the better of Atcha racing clear. Sidik got back to cover the forward but the visitor did enough to make space for himself to shot goalwards but Jezeph was well positioned for an easy catch. The very next attack from Gainsborough saw Howe breeze past Atcha leaving him 1v1 with Jezeph. Fortune favoured Kettering as the ball took a bobble causing Howe to miss the target. Jezeph stayed down on the floor with an “injury” requiring treatment enabling Lavery to have some words with his players on the touchline.

The break in play appeared to have steadied the ship for Kettering. After thirty minutes of play and good work down the right wing by Jarvis with him tormenting the full-back, there was a lack of support from his team mates which saw the Kettering forward once again have to hold up play for support to arr[ve accompanied by the defenders to flood back. Dan’s cross was headed clear but only as far as Wilson on the opposite side who returned the ball back into the middle but York could not put any power on his header causing Wharton to actually utilize his gloves.

Any improvement in Kettering’s situation took a severe knock ten minutes before half-time when Gainsborough swept up the middle of the park. Gainsborough cleared the ball forward and the linesman flagged for off-side. The referee considered that the off-side player was not interfering with play and waved play-on. The ball ran onto Jezeph but was closed cown by the originally offside player rushing Dan into a hurried clearance which flew to a Gainsborough player who  picked out Butroid  in the middle of the park. He fed the ball onto Preston who played the ball forwards towards Howe. Howe was facing away from goal but hit the ball against the legs of Atcha from where it rebounded straight into the path of Bubroid who had continued his forward run. Jezeph came off his line to challenge for the ball and got his foot to it but fortune favoured the Gainsborough man and the ball went into his legs and bouced towards the Kettering goal. Following up Butroid had the simple task of tapping the ball home from six yards into the empty net.  0-2 Gainsborough 35 mins

As the half entered its final minutes, Andrade tested Wharton with an effort from outside the penalty box. It bounced awkwardly just before reached the keeper and it was pushed past the post by Wharton. The corner from Hart on the stand side was cleared with ease. The half finished with a Gainsborough corner, but it was easily collected by Jezeph as the referee blew the half-time whistle.

Half Time: Kettering Town 0  Gainsborough Trinity 2

Kettering made a change at half-time with Atcha being withdrawn in favour of Halain Mbayo. The kick-off of the second half was delayed with the referee having words with the tunnel steward. It later transpired that there had been an incident of something being thrown at the Gainsborough goalkeeper. A coin was found, and Mr Smith reported the incident in his match report which will most probably lead to a fine for the club from the FA thanks to the actions of an idiot who professes to support the club.

Kettering started the second half positively, and after five minutes of the half, Jarvis once again got the better of the right-back this time, before delivering an inch perfect cross picking out York who had evaded his marker and open five yards out from goal. Wes made contact with the ball with a glancing header, but it was more glancing than header and it went wide of the far post missing a golden opportunity to bring Kettering back into the game. Shortly after, Kettering won a corner when Lancaster opted to put the ball behind under pressure. Hart’s kick was lifted into the middle of the goal where it was headed up into the air by a defender. It fell to Andrade close to the penalty spot, but his half-volley was sliced wide of the target. This would be the high-water mark for Kettering of the afternoon.

The game got it is first caution of the afternoon when Hart was penalised for a foul midway inside Kettering’s half. The resulting free kick came to nothing as Howe strayed offside.

Kettering made their second substitution on the hour mark when Dan Jarvis was withdrawn to enable Nile Ranger to come on. Five minutes later, Kettering’s unlikely chance of rescuing something from the match became an almost impossibility when Andrade got himself sent off. Bruno received the ball a couple of yards inside his own half. He was quickly closed down by Conway who kicked Bruno long after the ball was gone. The same player had committed a similar foul twice on Miller in the first half to which the Referee had turned a blind eye. This time he actually blew for the free kick but appeared that he was not going to take any further action. Andrade got up and went towards Conway, who had departed the scene of the crime, and confronted the player nose to nose. The Gainsborough player took full advantage of the situation and collapsed to the floor clutching his face with minimal, if any contact, being made and certainly not to the face. The visitors crowded the referee in an attempt to influence his decision who, after consulting with his assistant, showed Andrade a straight red for violent conduct and he also cautioned Conway.

Conway would be withdrawn shortly after making way for Johnson with just over twenty minutes to play. Gainsborough were content to utilise the extra man and retain possession and leave Kettering needing to chase the ball. Having dominated midfield in the first half, Gainsborough increased their control of the middle of the park. A few minutes later, Thanoj was robbed of possession midway inside his own half. Preston bore down on the Kettering goal, but was stopped in his tracks with a solid tackle by White on the edge of the penalty area, Lewis stuck with the challenge and carried the ball clear.

Gainsborough threatened to increase their lead only to be thwarted by a last gasp tackle by White stealing the ball away from Howe who was only six yards out with the goal at his mercy. After seventy-three minutes, Gainsborough made a double substitution to keep fresh legs on the field with Butroid and Preston coming off to be replaced by Joe Stacey and Josiah Dyer.

With just under fifteen minutes to go, Lewis produced another goal saving tackle on the edge of his own penalty area robbing one of the Gainsborough substitutes of the ball. Gainsborough, in their eagerness to increase their lead, were jumping the gun as Kettering played with a high line falling foul of the linesman a couple of time coming to the host’s aid with an offside flag.

Inside the final five minutes, Gainsborough made their final substitution with Sisa Tuntuiwana coming on for Clarke. Shortly before the end of normal time, Howe had the chance to get his second but scooped the ball over the bar.

 Mr Smith forced the home fans to endure a further four minutes of play, but the game meandered to the final whistle with no action of note.

  Full Time: Kettering Town 0  Gainsborough Trinity 2

Another failure in the FA Trophy by Kettering whose record in this competition in recent years has been abysmal with several different managers and squads. The game was almost a carbon copy of last Saturday’s match. The visitor’s showed ambition and intent from the kick-off pressing and harrying the hosts at every opportunity. A goal inside the first quarter hour and a second shortly before half-time decided the match. Kettering always appeared to be second to the ball with the visitors taking control of the midfield and controlling the game. The second half was scoreless suggesting an improvement in the home team, but in reality, the control of the away team was such that they could reduce their intensity ready to step up a gear if required. Kettering were hampered by their injury list affecting their small squad. With Andrade facing a three match suspension numbers will be a problem for Richard Lavery. The availability of Marvin Sordell to reinforce the match day squad for the trip to Farsley when seven substitutes will be permitted. The return to fitness of Huw Dawson and Devon Kelly-Evans would be most welcome.

A couple of positives can be drawn from this result. Firstly, the participation of the team in three competitions would be detrimental to the health of the squad with success in the league possibly being jeopardized. The financial reward of an extended FA Cup run would be preferable to that of the Trophy. Secondly, the defeat will dispel any complacency building in the squad. Also, with Mr Lavery in charge it is unlikely that a team of his would produce such a poor performance the following week.

Kettering Town yellow cards: Hart – foul  red card: Andrade – violent conduct 

Gainsborough Trinity yellow cards: Conway – foul

Attendance: 953

Kettering Town Man-of-the-Match – Lewis White: Lewis produced a fine performance providing a rock at the middle of the defence. Once in the first half, and a couple of times in the second, as Kettering pushed forward in an attempt to salvage something from the match, he performed perfectly timed tackles to thwart the Gainsborough forwards with no margin of error with failure resulting in a card and a penalty.