Kettering Town  v  AFC Telford United

Pitching in Southern League Premier Division Central

Saturday  22nd March 2025   3:00 pm

Referee:  Jason Porter        Assistants:  Danny Meers and Thomas Johnson

After securing a win on Tuesday against Alvechurch in their last game in hand Kettering climbed back to the top of the table with three teams snapping at their heels a single point behind. Today would see the visit of the third-place team AFC Telford United anxious to keep their hopes for the title alive. They would be further motivated by wishing to avenge the 3-1 defeat inflicted on them at the New Bucks Head Stadium in November. Telford are in good form at the moment with a nine-match unbeaten run, last tasting defeat in late January in a 3-1 loss at Alvechurch. On their last three away trips, they have drawn all three matches.

Kettering would play the game without the leadership of Richard Lavery and Tom Cherry on the sideline as after receiving yellow cards at Lowestoft meant that they received one match touchline bans. Frankie Fry would be the senior man in the home dugout. On the players front, Ben Hart had completed his two match suspension and would resume at right back with Lewis White reverting to the bench after a solid display at Alvechurch. The only other change to the team that started on Tuesday would be Kai Fifield starting on the bench with Tyree Wilson taking his spot. These two changes meant there was no place on the bench for Terell Pennant or the new signing forward Cyrus Babaie. Former Poppy Orrin Pendley started for the Bucks with Ellis Myles  on the bench.

Due to a post-match incident a couple of seasons ago, Northamptonshire Police deemed that segregation be enforced at this afternoon’s game and to that end the Telford supporters had to pre-purchase tickets and were allocated the Prosaw stand. 

The afternoon was overcast but mild with a forecast of potential showers. The pitch looked in good condition with plenty of grass and had benefited from the rain experienced on Friday.

 A smoke bomb was tossed onto the pitch from the Telford fans before kick-off but any inconvenience it may have caused, Dan Jezeph was quickly negated as the teams switched ends leaving Telford keeper Brandon Hall in the mist.

Kettering kicked off with Telford in an all purple strip with black sleeves defending the Prosaw stand end with Kettering having a very full Tin Hat at their backs. After a cagey opening five minutes, Kettering were the first team to probe forward with intent. A good passing move by the hosts saw the ball played forward towards Jonny Edwards but it came to nothing as the Assistant Referee raised his flag for offside. A minute later, Kettering had another opportunity when a foul on Luca Miller resulted in a free kick midway inside Telford’s half. Miller took the kick but sent it out on the full for a goal kick.

Just before the ten minute mark, another foul on Miller led to a Kettering free kick. The ball was sent long towards Edwards who had drifted out wide and looking to square the ball into the middle but the defender did his job and the play resulted in a goal kick. A couple of minutes later the game had it’s first moment of real action. Miller drove forward with the ball before playing it to his right to McLintock in a central position. Sam tried his luck from distance but fortune did not favour him as it took a deflection and bounced of the bar to go behind with the goalkeeper looking on as a spectator rooted to the spot. The resulting corner by Wilson on the open side came to nothing.

After a quarter of an hour’s play, Kettering advanced with purpose down Telford’s left but the move broke down when York’s ball into the penalty area went straight into the arms of Hall in the Telford goal.

Kettering were having the best of the game with the home team looking to get forward at every opportunity. After twenty-three minutes, another flowing move by Kettering saw the hosts move downfield with purpose but the Telford defence were doing their job leaving Hall untroubled. The ball was worked to Miller some twenty yards out and in space. Luca tried an ambitious curling left foot effort but the ball failed to curl sufficiently and drifted wide of Hall’s right-hand post. For some reason, the keeper went down with an injury and required treatment which allowed the visitor’s to go to their bench and receive coaching and adjustments from their managerial team.to change the current flow of the game

Three minutes later, and the game saw it’s first caution. McLintock was the offender guilty of catching a player late, as Brogan looked to break clear on the halfway line, and deciding to take one for the team but with no malice involved. Mr Porter was right on the spot issuing a yellow card for Sam’s first foul of the game.

Within a minute or so, McLintock was guilty of rashness and committing another foul exciting the Telford players who crowded the Referee trying to convince him that Sam should see a second card and depart the field with one player running at least 20 yards to voice his opinion. It was a foul but not deserving of a caution in the eyes of Mr Porter who contented himself with giving McLintock a stern talking to making him aware that he was walking a disciplinary tightrope.

Ten minutes after the booking, and Walker was guilty of a very similar offence on Thanoj, which earned McLintock a caution. A talking to from the Referee was all he received.

With five minutes left in the half, Kettering had another flowing move going forward resulting in them winning their second of the game, again on the open side. It was taken short by Wilson to Hart who’s cross into the middle ended up on the roof of the net.

With the half almost over, Telford were looking more dangerous that they had in the first forty minutes. Brogan broke forward down Kettering’s right but was held up by a combination of McLintock and Hart. The ball was recycled back with Brogan eventually lifting the ball over to the far side of the pitch aiming for Stenson. The forward had drifted off-side though but collided with York leaving Wes on the floor. Gudger was on the spot and took exception with the behaviour of his former teammate and harsh words were passed between the two. Mr Porter diffused the situation by booking the pair of them.

As the game entered the final minute of normal time, a partial clearance from Gudger was collected by Derby loanee Harry Hawkins who ran towards the Kettering penalty area. He pushed the ball through a narrow gap between two defenders, with no chance of retaining possession, and then attempted to follow and initiated contact with Hart by running into him before theatrically tumbling to the floor. Mr Porter brought the performance and pointed to the spot with the Kettering players furious. The look of surprise on the Telford left back said everything but the opinion of the Referee was the only one that counted. The taking of the kick was delayed by an apparent injury to Edwards. After Jonny’s departure, Stenson showed why he is the league’s top scorer by giving Jezeph no chance of repeating his Leiston performance as he was comprehensively beaten by a firmly struck penalty. 0-1 AFC Telford 45+1 mins

The Telford fans celebrated by sending another smoke bomb onto the playing area but nothing else of consequence occurred before Mr Porter brought the half to an end.

   Half Time: Kettering Town  0  AFC Telford United  1

Neither side made any substitutions at half time with both manager’s half time talks needing re-scripting thanks to the closing moments of the first half.

Despite the onus being on Kettering to salvage something from the match, it was Telford who made the brighter start to the second half. On fifty-three minutes, Telford moved forwards down Kettering’s right. Brogan swung the ball in towards the far post where Stenson was looking to double the visitor’s lead. If the forward met the ball with his head, it was a minimal contact and the ball went behind for a goal kick.

A couple of minutes later Telford had another chance when a ball was played into the Kettering penalty area with the unlikely Pendley receiving the ball. With a suspicion of handball Orrin managed to get a shot off but it went just past the angle of the bar and the post.

Kettering were the first team to make a personnel change when Finley Wilkinson replaced Luca Miller after fifty- eight minutes. Within a minute, Telford made a change withdrawing Scunthorpe loanee Max Brogan and replacing him with the experienced Jimmy Armson.

With Kettering pushing forward the chance of falling victim to a counter-attack was growing. On the hour mark, a Kettering attack broke down and the defensive clearance was picked up by Stenson just inside his own half. He carried the ball forward with it never entirely under his control but his touch was good enough to get past Gudger leaving the Kettering man sprawling on the floor. Johnson came over to cover leaving Lawal unmarked. Stenson squared the ball to his teammate and from twelve yards out with time and space did not manage to get his effort on target sending it high and wide. Stenson was guilty of missing a chance two minutes later when he put a close-range effort wide of the post.

With twenty-five minutes to go, Kettering made their second change with Nile Ranger coming on in a straight swap with Jonny Edwards. Almost immediately, Telford had another break with a 4v2 situation but Lawal managed to stray into an offside position to stop the attack.

Five minutes later, Thanoj was guilty of losing possession on the edge of his own penalty area. The ball was slipped through to Stenson, but Gudger was on hand to put himself in front of the Telford man, and block the ball behind for a corner on the open side. The set piece picked out Stenson but he sent his header wide.

With just over fifteen minutes left of the half Kettering had their first meaningful attack of the second half. From a throw-in deep in Telford’s half, the ball was played to McLintock who played the ball squared to Wilkinson ideally placed on the edge of the penalty area with time and space to pick his spot for his shot. The Barnet loanee making his home debut lent back whilst taking the shot sending it over the top of the Tin Hat wasting a golden opportunity.

Five minutes later, Telford had another chance to seal the game in their favour. Armson rolled the years back when he picked the ball up mid-way inside his own half on the stand side. He carried the ball forward being chased by Johnson but without closing the gap. The Telford man just kept going and on into the Kettering penalty area where Jezeph tried to cover his whole goal. Armson pushed the ball past Dan’s right hand and fortunately for Kettering struck the base of the post with Gudger hacking the rebound behind for a corner which came to nothing.

With just under ten minutes of normal time to play, Kettering made their final change with Kai Fifield coming on for Tyree Wilson. Telford made a change at the same time with Byron Moore replacing Remi Walker.

With the Telford fans making plenty of noise, and the Kettering fans standing in shocked silence as they saw the Championship drifting away from the, some members of their number headed towards the exits.

Inside the final minute of normal time Telford made their final substitution in order to wind the clock down with new signing from Alvechurch Dylan Allen-Hadley coming on for Olu Lawal. The Referee indicated that Kettering would have four minutes to save their season which had promised so much.

With two minutes of injury time played, Jezeph launched a goal kick long down the middle of the park. It was nodded on by Johnson towards Ranger. York stood his ground and prevented Piggott from reaching the ball and Nile ran onto the loose ball. Pendley reached out a long leg and diverted the ball away from Ranger, but crucially beyond the outstretched leg of Cranston who was inches away from cutting the ball out when ,it ran straight to Fifield. Behind him Piggott ran into Cranston taking out two defenders and Pendley was too far away to reach Kai. Kai let the ball run across his body before lashing the ball home from about 12 yards to send it into the roof of the net with Hall having no chance of stopping it. 1-1 Kettering 90+2 mins

The goal knocked the stuffing out of the visitor’s and all of a sudden all the crowd noise was coming from the opposite end of the ground as the Poppies fans celebrated with gusto.

   Full Time: Kettering Town  1   AFC Telford United  1

A definite game of two halves. Kettering were on top for the majority of the first half except for the final minutes of the half and a debatable penalty giving them the lead in added time of the first half. Telford bossed the second half but they failed to take their chances with Lawal being the prime offender. With Kettering’s goose looking like it was cooked a route one play in added time led to a chance falling to Fifield who took it impeccably and earned his team a valuable point. With both Bedford and Halesowen winning, Kettering’s fate is no longer in their own hands and they must rely on other teams taking points of their competitors. This game is a statutory lesson in watching the game until the final whistle. If you left early at half time in order to beat the queues at the bar you would have missed the penalty drama. Leaving before the final whistle to beat the queue out of the car park you would have missed the vital equaliser. The one marring incident was the throwing of missiles by the Kettering idiots at the end to ensure that future meetings between these teams will remain segregated.

Kettering Town yellow cards:  McLintock – foul,  Gudger – Unsporting conduct                                         

St Ives Town yellow cards:  Stenson  – Unsporting conduct                                          

Attendance: 1698

Kettering Town Man-of-the-Match – Andi Thanoj –  Andi had a steady performance but without the dynamo that is Devon Kelly Evans playing in support of him he has to restrain himself from playing a creative role with always having to pay attention to his defensive duties. McLintock had a good game but his game was tempered by his early yellow card and was always having to play within himself.