Match Report KTFC vs Biggleswade Town 26 12 2024

Kettering Town v Biggleswade Town

Pitching in Southern League Premier Division Central

Thursday 26^th December 2024   3:00pm

Referee: Harry Price           Assistants: Phoebee Horner and Abdul Khadir

After Saturday’s draw at Spalding which felt like a defeat, compounded by a 93^rd minute winner for Halesowen, Richard Lavery’s team’s lead at the top of the table had been cut a to a single point albeit with a game in hand. Today’s game would see the league leaders entertain the bottom club Biggleswade Town. The visitors were promoted last season as champions of the Central League Division 1. The game represented a potential banana skin for Kettering who have in recent seasons struggled to run out winners in games where on paper they should comfortably win. However, football is, even at this time of year at Latimer Park, played on grass and not paper. Biggleswade have only won a single game this season so arrive in Northamptonshire with nothing to lose. With Kettering leading the way in the division teams come to Latimer Park concentrating on avoiding defeat rather than trying to win the game.

The Kettering faithful had a Christmas present in the form of the return of Callum Powell to Latimer Park he would start the game on the substitutes bench. There was one change from the team which started at Spalding with Nile Ranger starting in favour of Tyree Wilson who he replaced with 15 minutes to go in Lincolnshire. Isiah Noel-Williams returned to the bench after missing the trip to Spalding with no place on the bench for Dan Jarvis and Bruno Andrade. A single ex-Poppy lined up for the Waders, Josh Flanagan, a recent acquisition from Bedford, who made five appearances for Kettering in the NLN.

The afternoon was mild with no wind which enabled a light mist to shroud the ground causing the floodlights to be on from kick-off. The pitch looked heavy but had passed an early pitch inspection and with no forecast of rain the game would go the distance.

Biggleswade Town in all green won the toss and chose to defend the Tin Hat end leaving Kettering to kick off. Kettering were quickly onto the attack and won a corner after only two minutes of play. The kick by Hart from the stand side was aimed short to the near post where York flicked it on into the crowded middle. It felt to Stohrer, but Gary not showing a striker’s instinct, decided to take a touch and was crowded out by the swarming defence and the ball was cleared. Three minutes later it appeared that Miller had set Hart free down the right wing but  play was called back as the assistant referee had raised her flag for offside.

Just about twelve minutes had been played when Ranger collected the ball from a partial clearance by Callum Wilson in the middle of the park just inside the Biggleswade half. Nile strode forward with the ball before squaring the ball to the better placed Edwards to his right. Jonny hit a first time shot but it ballooned high and wide under pressure from Steele.

Biggleswade’s first shot came after seventeen minutes when Babale-Gumbs and Onyeagwara linked up to provide a shooting opportunity for Izekor, but he directed a weak shot straight at Jezeph for a simple save.

Kettering were starting to assume control and beginning to monopolise possession. The hosts were showing patience though and were looking to work the defence rather than taking rash shots and giving the ball away.

Twenty-five minutes had gone when Aaron Powell went down with an injury which required lengthy treatment on the pitch before going to the bench for continued treatment. The Peterborough youngster returned shortly after sporting a bandage on his head a bright white on the murky afternoon.

The next fifteen minutes was a turgid affair with neither side threatening their opponent’s goal with the game being interrupted by a steady flow of free kicks.

With seven minutes left in the half, Biggleswade were awarded a free-kick some ten yards inside the Kettering half on the stand side. Flanagan lifted the ball into the penalty area where it was nodded back across the goal towards Jezeph’s right hand post where Wilson had ghosted in looking to force the ball home from close range. Dan parried the attempt, but the linesman on the far side had flagged for off-side anyway.

Kettering were starting to show frustration at the lack of penetration of the Biggleswade defence and Kelly-Evans resorted to shooting from distance. It showed promise but ended up passing well wide of the goal with Berman not needing to react. Shortly after, only Kettering’s second corner of the game was taken by Hart on the stand side. It was poor though, failing to beat the first man and was easily cleared by the visitors.

As the half was coming to the end of the regulation forty-five minutes, Onyeagwara managed to get past Powell and looked to do the same to Johnson but Connor pulled the forward back to concede a free-kick mid-way inside Kettering’s half on the open side. The set piece was lifted into the penalty area where it was met by the head of the unmarked Josh Steele who helped the ball on its way and into the top corner of the net. 0-1 Biggleswade Town 45 mins.

With Biggleswade already taking as long as possible over everything, Kettering fans were already fearing that the visitors would resort to taking the bus. With four additional minutes to be played, mostly due to the injury to Powell, Izekor pounced on a mistake from Johnson and was bearing down on goal before a great saving tackle from Powell saved his captain’s blushes. With less than two minutes injury time remaining, Jezeph bowled the ball out to Powell who in turn picked out Miller in the middle of the park. Luca looked up and with a long pass out to the stand side fed the ball to the feet of Hart. Ben drove forward heading for the by-line but was closed down by two defenders and so reversed his course before being caught from behind by Mirtahmasebi. Hart took the free-kick a couple of yards outside the penalty area and from the by-line and delivered a looping inch perfect ball into the penalty area where Johnson headed home from six yards out, almost a carbon copy of his goal at Spalding. 1-1 Kettering Town  45+4 mins.

Kettering managed to stage another attack before the close of the half but a ball forward out distanced Ranger and went through to Berman in the Biggleswade goal.

Half Time: Kettering Town 1  Biggleswade Town 1

In order to spark some life into the Kettering attack, for the second half Richard Lavery made two substitutions at half time withdrawing Luca Miller and Wes York in favour of Isiah Noel-Williams and Tyree Wilson.

Biggleswade Town started the second half showing more ambition than they did the first and won in the first minute an early corner which was dealt with efficiently by the Kettering defence. Kettering responded well and Ranger did well to hold off two Biggleswade players before playing the ball forward to Wilson. Tyree slightly isolated held the ball up well before squaring the ball inside to Kelly-Evans who hit a shot from the edge of the penalty area. Berman watched it all the way and while falling to his right showed good hands in catching the ball.

Just over five minutes into the half and Kettering earned a corner when Stohrer hoisted a long ball forward for Ranger to chase but Doherty reached the ball first but at the expense of a corner. Wilson took the corner short to Powell who sent a low drive into the penalty area before deflecting behind for a corner on the open side. Hart’s corner bounced in the penalty area before a defender played it up into the air in an attempt to clear it. The ball looped towards the far post where Edwards hit a first-time snapshot of the falling ball and sent the ball cannoning off the post with a resounding thump before the defence hacked the ball clear.

Five minutes later, the game witnessed it’s first booking when Noel-Williams was cautioned following a foul on Andrews in the middle of the park which the Biggleswade man took exception to and words and pushed were exchanged between him and Isiah but only the Kettering man was booked.

Just before the hour mark, Mbayo took a throw-in on the half-way line on the open side. The ball was flicked onto Stohrer who battled his way forward to the by-line before turning the ball across the face of goal but no-one was there to convert the chance. The ball was collected by Tyree Wilson who, along with Powell, looked to find a penetrating ball. Noel-Williams was also involved trying to turn his marker and Kelly-Evans tried to thread the ball through to Ranger but it struck a defender’s heel rebounding to Isiah who tapped it to Devon who tried a shot from the edge of the area but it went wide.

The next minute saw Kettering manage to unlock the Biggleswade defence. Kelly-Evans sprayed the ball out onto the left wing where Tyree Wilson showed his pace and sped past Flanagan on his way to the by-line. He squared the ball back inside to Ranger, covered in the middle of the goal, but Nile just moved the ball along the line to the unmarked Edwards where Jonny planted a low shot into the bottom corner of the far post. 2-1 Kettering Town 61 mins.

It was to be Edwards last contribution in the game as before the restart he was replaced by the return of Callum Powell. Biggleswade made a substitution at the same time with Florian coming on for Andrews.

With just under twenty-five minutes to go, a mistake by Johnson needed Jezeph to be alert to come off his line to collect the ball sliding over the turf. Babale-Gumbs attempted to reach the ball and ended up sliding into Dan due to the damp surface causing the Kettering goalkeeper to require treatment.

Five minutes later, Jezeph’s fitness would be tested when Biggleswade won a corner after Kelly-Evans put behind a ball aimed towards the front post. The corner from the open side was delivered into a crowded goalmouth with the visitors having sent all their tall defenders forward. The ball was punched clear with a solid glove from Jezeph and finished off with a header by Ranger guided to Tyree Wilson. Tyree took a touch before aiming the ball down the stand side touch line for Noel-Williams to give chase. Isiah sprinting forward managed to keep the ball in with a foot to spare. Support arrived in the form of Callum Powell who received the ball from Isiah and danced into the penalty area before squaring the ball to Kelly-Evans on the six-yard line. Devon teed the ball up for Ranger who had started the move back in his own penalty area and Nile calmly side footed the ball into the back  of the net.3-1 Kettering Town 70 mins.

Biggleswade were now a beaten team and Kettering with a view to a busy schedule made a substitution after seventy-three minutes with the heavily strapped Mbayo making way for White.

Kettering were still looking for more goals. Breaking out of defence Stohrer threaded a ball forward for Callum Powell to run onto. The ball bobbled on the surface forcing Powell wide but he cut back along the edge of the penalty area looking for an opening to shoot. He tries a shot but it comes back off a defender, but such is Callum’s energy, that he latches onto the loose ball and feeds it out to Ranger. Nile opts not to shoot but plays the ball into the feet of the advancing Powell, who with the ball coming in from his right tries to flick the ball into the goal but the trick fails to come off leaving Callum on the floor and the defence to clear the ball for a Kettering throw-in. The ball is tossed to Powell but the attack breaks down, but Stohrer latches onto the loose ball and tries an ambitious shot from distance but sends the ball high over the bar.

Not long after, Hart probed forward down the right wing driving into the penalty box. Looking to link up with Ranger a defender gets a foot in but the ball out from the defender saw Kelly-Evans rob the ball from a Biggleswade player and try a long shot of his own but his dipping shot flew over the bar.

With the game gone, Biggleswade make their second substitution with Yamfam coming on for Flanagan with fifteen minutes to go. Some of the shine of Kettering’s good afternoon was tarnished slightly by a couple of needless yellow cards. The first to Hart, and quickly after for Stohrer, both for fouls whereas no Biggleswade player committed in the referee’s opinion any foul worthy of a talking to let alone a caution.

Five minutes before the end of regulation time, Biggleswade made their final substitution with Simpson replacing Babaie-Gumbs. Kettering also made a change with Fifield coming on for Hart. Kai made the most of his cameo appearance showing ambition and ability.

Five additional minutes would be played and, in that time, Callum had the chance to mark his return to Latimer Park with a goal. Namesake Aaron drove to the by-line before squaring the ball low into the middle. The ball clipped a defender and looped up into the air towards the far post. Callum controlled the ball on his chest but rushed his shot and instead of letting the ball drop a little more struck it early and lifted it over the bar.

Full Time: Kettering Town 3  Biggleswade Town 1

After a first half where the Kettering players looked to have over done the Turkey, a goal conceded on 45 minutes sparked the team into life scoring an important equaliser in added time to go into the break on level terms. No doubts words of encouragement from Mr Lavery assisted the players in their second half improvement. The half time substitutions also had the effect of galvanising the team into greater efforts and it shows how the squad has greater strength in depth this season for the first time in a long time that everyone on the bench coming on can impact the game rather than just making up the numbers.

Kettering Town yellow cards: Noel-Williams – unsporting conduct, Hart, Stohrer – fouls                                             

Biggleswade Town yellow cards:  None                                                

Attendance: 1274

Kettering Town Man-of-the-Match picked by MC Technical Services– Devon Kelly-Evans

Devon once again demonstrated how important he is to the team with his industry and energy with his non-stop effort providing the beating heart of the team. Special mention must also be made for the performance of Aaron Powell who apart from being substituted in the first two games of the season has played every minute of every game and the only player at the club to start every game. He was unfortunate not to get the MotM award today but it cannot be too long he is selected for that honour. Peterborough must be delighted at the progress he has made this season. It would also be nice for both Devon and Aaron to open their goal scoring account for the club.