Kettering Town  v  Royston Town

Pitching in Southern League Premier Division Central

Saturday  19 April 2025   3:00 pm

Referee:  OliverPotter       Assistants:  Jack Baddock and James Cantwell

For a brief period, last Saturday at Bishop’s Stortford Kettering briefly topped the table as Bedford trailed lowly Lowestoft. However, 3 late goals saw Bedford claim a win and restore their 3-point lead at the top and remain on course for back-to-back promotions. All Kettering can do is win their own matches and hope that Bedford slip up. With one eye on the team in front the Poppies have to aware of the chasing pack with Telford and Halesowen snapping at their heels looking for home field advantage in the play-offs meaning that any slip by Kettering would be pounced on by the teams from the West Midlands.

Today’s visitors Royston Town sit in mid table untroubled by relegation fears and out of reach of the play-offs. Kettering would be looking at gaining revenge for a 1-0 defeat in September at Garden Walk in a tight game and today’s game could be equally as tight.

Extra pressure was on Kettering as Telford playing on Good Friday had thrashed Lowestoft 7-1 and leap frogged Kettering to move into second place. Unavailable for Kettering would be Connor Johnson, injured at Stortford his place would be taken by Lewis White who scored a “get out of jail” goal late against Hitchin. Another change to the usual back four was Ben Hart starting on the bench as another player who took a knock last Saturday. His place at right-back would be taken by the versatile Wes York. Sam McLintock was selected for a starting spot with Luca Miller reverting to the bench. The front three was unchanged from the previous Saturday consisting of Wilson, Ranger and Loza with Pennant and Edwards on the bench with no place in the squad for Fifield or Wilkinson. One previous Poppy lined up for Royston being made captain for the day the popular James Brighton.

Being a Bank Holiday weekend Saturday, it was inevitable that despite a dry weather forecast there were spots of rain falling as the players came out onto the pitch with umbrellas up around the ground. There was a breeze blowing across the pitch but not of sufficient strength to mar the game. The pitch had been watered during the week but was still on the hard side of firm. For this stage of the season there was plenty of grass on the pitch with only the goal mouth’s showing any signs of wear.

Royston, in an all white, kicked off attacking the Prosaw stand. Kettering looked intent on forcing the early pace. Awarded a free kick following a late hit on Powell just inside the Royston half inside the first minute. Kettering lifted the ball into the Royston penalty area but the play was halted with the Referee awarding a free kick to the visitors after a coming together between Nile Ranger and Adam Murray a theme that would continue throughout the game.

A couple of minutes later Tyree Wilson broke down the left wing before squaring the ball inside to Devon Kelly-Evans on the edge of the penalty area but the ball got caught under his feet and the attack broke down. The very next minute Wilson once again probed down the wing this time winning a corner. Storer’s corner from the open side was delivered into a crowded penalty area where a Kettering player was adjudged to have committed a foul. The free kick taken by the keeper Dixon-Hodge was returned by Kettering and deflected behind for another corner which came to nothing.

Royston having survived the initial Kettering pressure started stringing passes together and settled into the game. Ten minutes had been played when Royston advanced down their right. The ball was worked across the width of the pitch and was filtered out to Anyadike who from an advanced position lifted a ball towards the far post where Harness was waiting. The ball was slightly high for the forward who was at his limit to reach the ball as he headed the ball into the ground but it lacked power. However, Jezeph had to be alert and produced a good save pushing the ball away before it was put wide by a Royston player.

The game settled into a period when both sides were passing the ball well but without creating any penetration to trouble either goalkeeper.

On twenty- four minutes, the game produced its first yellow card. Kelly-Evans was carrying the ball out of defence down the middle of the park and as he played the ball out to Wilson on his left he was caught late. Mr Potter waved play on to see if Kettering would garner an advantage but the move broke through Kettering’s poor play. At the first break in play the Referee called Dawodu over and booked him for the foul on Kelly-Evans.

Shortly after, a Royston long throw was propelled into Kettering’s penalty area where Gudger headed it behind for Royston’s first corner of the game on the stand side which came to nothing. Royston were starting to have the majority of possession as Kettering could not generate any forward pressure of their own.

With ten minutes of the half remaining Royston probed down their right and won a corner when Storer headed the ball behind cutting out a dangerous cross. The corner was taken short and played in towards the near post where a Royston player had escaped his marker, however, Mr Potter had seen a foul on the opposite side of the goal and blew for a Kettering free kick.

Just over five minutes of the half was left to play when Lewis White sent a hopeful long ball down Kettering’s right. The ball went over the head of Brighton and looked to be running through to the keeper. Loza, from fifteen or more yards away, gave chase and as the ball bounced on the line of the penalty area broke away from the box. Dixon-Hodge whether by design or not let the ball pass through his legs hoping to shepherd the ball behind for a goal kick but Jamar was on him and stole the ball away from the keeper and from a spot from outside the penalty area and tight on the byline passed the ball towards the goalmouth. Ranger and Adams chased towards the ball but the trickling ball beat them both and trundled into the goal from an impossibly acute angle. 1-0 Kettering 40 mins

The goal lifted the home side and looked more positive going forward for the rest of the half including an additional minute of added time.

    Half Time: Kettering Town 1  Royston Town  0

 Neither side made any substitutions at half time.

Kettering started the second half brightly in line with the weather as the sun was now shining warmly. As Kettering looked to pressure the Royston defence mowing the ball around deep inside the visitor’s half a misplaced pass saw Royston take possession and swiftly launch a counterattack through Warner-Eley. Having travelled over half the pitch, the Royston man was caught between two options, move the ball sideways or take the ball on his own. He decided to take the responsibility himself but ran into a blind alley and then attempted to flick the ball outside to his right, towards Anyadike but it was inaccurate and went behind for a goal kick.

After nearly fifty minutes, Royston won a corner on the open side. It was a great delivery by Warner-Eley into a crowded goalmouth but a fine defensive header by Ranger put the ball behind for another corner. Once again Ranger headed the ball clear but only to a white shirt who fed the ball back to Warner-Eley to try again. This time Jezeph got a fist to the ball but it resulted in a third successive corner which before it could be taken the Referee had to try and resolve the pushing and shoving inside the penalty area talking to players of both teams. When the kick was taken it sailed behind untouched for a goal kick.

Five minutes later, Kettering probed down Royston’s right through Wilson who linked up well with Loza as Kettering maintained possession down by the corner flag passing the ball amongst four players the ball ended up with McLintock inside the penalty area who saw his shot deflected behind for a corner on the stand side. The set piece was headed clear but only to McLintock who fed Kelly-Evans but his ball back into the middle was collected by the keeper.

The very next minute, Royston forced a corner of their own when a break down Kettering’s left by Anyadike saw his cross headed behind by Gudger. The kick was over hit with the wind behind it and went out for a throw in on the open side.

It was end-to-end action as York broke forward and his cross into the penalty area was headed away by Weyman for a throw-in. The resulting play led to a corner but the set piece was sent straight into the arms of Dixon-Hodge.

After sixty-six minutes, Kettering were once again going forward. During the build up Storer went up to head the ball just in front of the Royston bench. Kyle landed awkwardly but play continued but the Royston bench were aware that the Kettering man was hurt and wanted the action stopped but, assured that it was not a head injury, Mr Potter allowed the play to continue. As the move petered out the Referee stopped the game with Kyle receiving treatment from both sports therapists. After lengthy treatment Kettering were forced  to make a substitution with Storer replaced by Thanoj. Royston took the opportunity to make a double change at the same time with James Brighton making way for Edward Asafu-Adjaye and Aaron Greene coming on for Luke Johnson.

With a little over of fifteen minutes of normal time left, Royston made a double substitution with Warner-Eley and Anyadike making way for Josh Coldicott-Stevens and Archie Locke with Kettering swapping Tyree Wilson and Terell Pennant at the same time.

With seven minutes of normal time remaining Kettering made their third substitution with Jonny Edwards replacing Nile Ranger and five minutes later their final switch with Ben Hart replacing Aaron Powell at the same time Royston switched their goalkeeper with Dixon-Hodge making way for Reuben Rabstein.

The multiple changes did little for the continuity of the game with neither side settling into any degree of fluidity. With the wind picking up the quality of play on the pitch declined.

Due to the lengthy injury to Kyle Storer, and stoppages for treatment to Gudger and Powell, there was an additional eleven minutes injury time to be played.

Kettering having experienced plenty of goals in added time in the last few weeks did their best to keep their lead intact by playing inside the Royston half. Kettering generated a chance early in the added time when Loza moved forward with purpose playing a diagonal board forward for Edwards. Jonny rather than attacking the ball allowed the ball to run across his body but that took him too wide and his shot went high and wide.

Four added minutes had been played when Kettering won a corner on the stand side and tried to keep the ball in the corner to run down the clock but the Royston defenders suddenly stopped the delaying action and the ball went out for a goal kick. Three minutes later it was another corner for Kettering when Pennant went towards the corner but then cut into the box causing a defender to put the ball out for a corner. The dilly dallying in the corner was halted when Loza was penalised and conceded a free kick.

Royston sent the ball long down the stand side where Locke and Coldicott-Stevens combined trying to engineer a cross into the box but before the later player could deliver the ball into the penalty area, he was tripped by York giving the visitor’s a free kick in a dangerous area. With time running out, Royston’s gigantic keeper Rabstein came up into Kettering’s penalty area along with Murray who had spent the last ten minutes playing in a forward road. With all the tall players waiting on the far side of the penalty area the ball was curled in low towards the near post. Kettering failed to deal with the ball cleanly but bundled it behind for a corner on the stand side. Coldicott-Stevens lifted the ball into the box but his kick was poor failing to get any depth on his delivery forcing the nearest Royston player to throw himself at the ball and try to turn it goalwards  but his header was sent high over the Tin Hat at which Mr Potter blew the final whistle. 

   Full Time: Kettering Town  1   Royston Town  0

A win which helps keep the pressure on Bedford and also secures the club a play-off place. With Telford and Halesowen chasing hard the team has to keep winning to ensure home advantage throughout the play-offs and if Bedford should stumble on their way to the finishing line Kettering need to be on their shoulder to take advantage. Today’s performance was not a memorable one but at this stage of the season it is all about three points as there are no additional rewards given for artistic merit.

Kettering Town yellow cards:  none                                      

Royston Town yellow cards:  Dawodu  – foul                                      

Attendance: 1326

Kettering Town Man-of-the-Match selected by Alumasc – Jamar Loza – Since arriving from Leiston Jamar has provided the attacking spark which has been missing since the defection of Noel-Williams. Today’s goal was created from nothing generated from a never say die attitude chasing a seemingly hopeless cause and capped off with an incredible goal. His performance throughout all his appearances for the Poppies never allow the defenders a chance to sit back on their heels and take it easy, always posing a threat.