Long Eaton United  v  Kettering Town

Emirates FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round

Saturday 30th August 2025  3:00pm

Referee: Martin Beard                           Assistants: Aiden Murphy and Corey Green

After the disappointing home defeat on Bank Holiday Monday, Kettering would be looking to get back to their winning ways. On paper an FA Cup match against a lower league side would appear to be an ideal way of rebuilding confidence. Long Eaton United play in the Northern Premier League Division One Midland alongside Corby Town, Wellingborough Town and AFC R&D one tier below Kettering. The hosts currently sit in seventh place are not to be underestimated as this sort of tie can be a banana skin for a side that underestimates their opponents. Kettering have never played Long Eaton in the FA Cup but in doing so they become Kettering’s 193^rd different opponent in the competition, another record that the club holds. Kettering’s record against Long Eaton is poor needing a very late equaliser to save a point at Grange Park in September 2023 before suffering an embarrassing 3-1 home defeat five months later.

Apart from the long-term injuries to Paul White, Josh Humphrey, Callum Powell and Ismael Fatadjo, Simon Hollyhead had a full squad to select from with no reported injury concerns. Four changes were made to the starting line-up. In defence Levi Andoh would start on the right of a back three with Archie Crowther moving to the opposite side with Will Glennon dropping to the bench. In midfield, Kai Fifield and Brandon Barker would start on the bench with Connor Stanley and Eddie Oppong replacing them. Up front Leon Lobjoit would partner Nile Ranger in preference of Jamar Loza. Finlay Corrigan would get a spot on the bench by way of the extra substitutes afforded by the competition rules.

Jahvan Davidson-Miller a former Poppy would be in the home dressing room who played a couple of games for the club at the start of the 2018-19 promotion winning season.

The weather conditions for the game were overcast but mild with a gusty breeze blowing across the pitch. The pitch looked in great condition apart from two bald spots in either goalmouth which had not been dealt with in the close season. A good installed irrigation system was utilised before kick-off to ensure a good surface.

The teams swapped ends before Long Eaton in navy blue shirts with black zig-zag stripes, black shorts and blue socks kicked off with Kettering in their pale blue and white hooped shirts and blue shorts.

Long Eaton’s goalkeeper and captain Lewis King got an early touch of the ball when Eddie Oppong advanced down Long Eaton’s left before slipping the ball outside to York but Wes’ low cross was an easy collect for the keeper.

The hosts won the first corner of the game after three minutes when a shot from just outside the box deflected off a defender to go behind. The ball delivered towards the near post where it took a slight touch but straight into the safe hands of Alexander.

The first chance of the game went to Long Eaton after seven minutes when Taylor picked out Davidson-Miller to his right in space between two defenders. The forward steadied himself before aiming a shot across goal towards the far post. Alexander diving to his right pushed the ball away at full stretch saving a certain goal with the ball going out for a throw-in.

Ten minutes had been played when the ball was collected by Oppong on the right wing just outside his own penalty area. Eddie carried the ball forward with pace, with little support inside, he had little option but to continue his forward run testing the pace of Finnerty. Eddie won the race getting to the by-line to attempt a cross into the penalty area by the defender had stuck to his task and managed to force the ball behind for Kettering’s first corner. Lobjoit took an in-swinging corner which was punched away by the keeper resulting in a throw-in on the opposite side adjacent to the corner flag. Crowther hurled a long throw into the box which was flicked on with a back header by Ranger towards York who tried a dinky lob with his head but sent the ball just over onto the roof of the net.

Long Eaton responded with a good attack of their own as Shaw played a nicely weighted ball through for Davidson-Miller to run onto outpacing Forsyth and getting in front of the defender before firing in a good shot from 10 yards slightly to the left hand side of the area but Alexander stood tall at his right hand post letting the ball strike him on the chest and go behind for a corner. This was taken short with Kettering not prepared and lifted towards the far post where it was headed behind by Thanoj. The subsequent kick was headed clear by Ranger but possession was retained by Long Eaton who continued to apply pressure with a cross from top scorer Walters swinging a cross into the goalmouth where a glancing header by Davidson-Miller was more glancing than header sending the ball a couple of yards wide of the goal.

More than fifteen minutes had been played when with Long Eaton were once again pressurising the Kettering defence the visitors won the ball back with Thanoj midway inside his own half who with a measured diagonal long ball over the top saw York outpace the right-back to square up to the goal but could only find the side netting with his shot.

Two minutes later and Kettering should have taken the lead a great diagonal ball along the ground by Oppong saw the ball threaded through to Lobjoit leaving him 1v1 against King. Instead of shooting Leon decided to round the keeper. Feinting a shot the goalie dives allowing Lobjoit to pass by him. Betts had got back to cover.  Leon bypassed him and side footed the ball towards the goal but Bucci was perfectly positioned to be able to clear the ball off the line and away.

By now the weather had changed, with a few spots of rain, as had the game with Kettering moving on top and turning the screw. York probing on the edge of the penalty area fed the ball wide to Stanley who advanced towards goal twisting and turning Duncan at will before firing in a shot aimed at the near post. Betts got a touch on the ball which took a lot of sting out of the shot allowing King to put the ball behind for a corner. Kettering players and fans behind the goal appealed for a penalty but corner it was. The corner taken by Lobjoit picked out Ranger who nodded the ball down to a spot in a central position and about 6 yards out but no Kettering player was near to it to take advantage.

Just before the half hour mark York played the ball out to Oppong. Eddie took on the left-back and beat him to the by-line from where he lifted the ball to far post where Lobjoit timed his jump better than the defender but directed his header straight at King who reacted well to pull off a great save to push the ball onto the bar before clearing the ball away. Moments later Lewis passed the ball through to Lobjoit open in the penalty area but Leon blazed his shot over the bar. With all these chances being squandered the thought of Kettering being made to pay for it was growing. Within the next three minutes, Kettering created a couple of chances but the efforts of York and Ranger were straight into the arms of King.

After a period of dominance by Kettering, the pendulum swung into Long Eaton’s favour and a good passing movement between Taylor and Thompson-Matthews saw Taylor set up for a shot which was deflected behind. The corner by Thompson-Matthews was sent into a crowded penalty area but Alexander managed to get a fist on the ball to punch it away to Lewis who in attempting to hook the ball away sent it straight to Thompson-Matthews still out wide, who with time and space was able to send in a perfect cross for Bucci to turn the ball home with his head. However, the linesman had raised his flag for offside with Shaw being in an offside position. The referee ran over to the linesman but overruled his decision and awarded the goal.1-0 Long Eaton 39 mins

With the chickens coming home to roost, Kettering would have to start converting their chances if they were to repeat last season’s cup exploits. Inside the last five minutes, another probe down the Long Eaton left by Oppong led to a corner but Lobjoit’s set piece went straight into touch.

As the game entered it is final minute of normal time, Oppong looked dangerous once again advancing down the right wing. Having seen all his previous crosses come to nothing Eddie decided to cut inside and make a crossing run on the edge of the penalty area. He ran past two defenders before sending in a low curling shot beating the keeper but hitting the post and bouncing back into play. Lobjoit chased the loose ball getting in front of Duncan, who in trying to hack the ball clear, merely felled Leon from behind. Stonewall penalty given by Mr Beard. Leon picked himself off the deck and also the ball and marched to the penalty spot. He strode confidently up to the ball and hit it to the keeper’s right. King had dived the right way but expected the ball to be in the corner and watched the ball go behind him and into the net.

 1-1 Kettering 45+1 mins

 In the two additional minutes played nothing of note occurred.

  Half Time: Long Eaton United 1   Kettering Town 1

Neither side made any changes at half time. The first time this season that Simon Hollyhead has done so.

Kettering had the best of the early exchanges of the second half. After forty-eight minutes, Stanley broke down the left wing before squaring the ball to Ranger. Nile, in a position to shoot himself, decided to play the ball onto Lobjoit 5 yards to his right. Leon took a shot but with the whole goal to aim at sent it straight at the keeper. Two minutes later, another Lobjoit chance was an easy save for King. In between Oppong had made a good move down the left and his low cross into the middle was deflected into the path of Ranger who could only direct the ball wide of the post.

Long Eaton were still in the game winning a corner on fifty-three minutes after Oppong cut out a cross sending the ball behind. The corner was sent behind for another corner which came to nothing due to a foul on Lewis.

On the hour mark, Kettering made their first change in a double swap with Ranger and Stanley being withdrawn in favour of Jamar Loza and Shane Flynn. Within six minutes of coming on, Loza changed the course of the game. Long Eaton were looking to play the ball out of defence and Betts passed the ball forward where it was flicked out to the left and Walters but Crowther cut out the pass and headed the ball away back in the direction of Betts. The defender had to turn towards facing his own goal and was quickly closed down by Lobjoit. Betts, concentrating on the approaching Lobjoit, did not register the approach of Loza who stole the ball away from him and raced down the left wing. Betts, fearful of Lobjoit open to his left, could not commit to closing down Jamar and the Kettering man took full advantage taking the ball to the by-line before cutting the ball back to the feet of the unmarked Lobjoit who side footed the ball home from inside the six-yard box. 1-2 Kettering 66 mins

Before the restart, Kettering made another change with Will Glennon replacing Levi Andoh as a precautionary measure with Crowther moving to the right. Long Eaton looked to pull level and when a ball was played into Kettering’s penalty area Thompson-Matthews went for the ball and, on contact with a defender, threw himself to the floor in an attempt to win a penalty but Mr Beard was having none of it with a case being possible for the issue of a yellow card for simulation.

After seventy-two minutes, an angled pass picked out Davidson-Miller on the edge of the area. As Forsyth closed him down the forward’s shot clipped George on the way across the face of the goal before going out for a corner on the opposite side. Taken by Thompson-Matthews it was headed away by Flynn but straight back to the taker who attempted a shot but sent it into the board behind the goal.

Before the restart Long Eaton made their first substitution with George Atwal replacing James Shaw.

As the game entered it’s final fifteen minutes, Loza once again got past Duncan to the by-line before cutting the ball back into the middle but there were no Kettering players there and the ball cleared but only as far as Lewis just inside the Long Eaton half. Alfie swung the ball out wide to Oppong who drove forward to the by-line before cutting infield and sending in a low cross which struck the back of Pace and looked to be heading out of play. The defender thinking the ball was going out failed to react but Eddie chased the ball and retrieved it within the field of play. With time and space, he put a measured cross into the box. Wes York darted into a gap between two defenders and the keeper to tap the ball goalwards only to see it hit the inside of the post and bounce into the path of Lobjoit who from 3 yards outside footed the ball home for his hat-trick.  1-3 Kettering 75 mins

With twelve minutes to go, Lobjoit’s afternoon’s effort was done being replaced by Kai Fifield.

Almost straight after the game, which had been played in a sporting manner, two yellow cards were flourished in as many minutes. Firstly, after Long Eaton had given away a free kick deep inside Kettering’s half Forsyth had adjudged to have kicked the ball away his second caution for such an offence in as many matches. A minute later, Taylor was rightfully booked for raking down the back of Loza’s leg in an act of pure frustration of Jamar’s superior ability halfway inside Kettering’s half.  

Kettering had the chance of making it four with five minutes to go when Fifield played a lovely, weighted ball between two defenders for Loza to run onto leaving him 1v1 against King. Jamar looked to pass the ball by him into the net. The keeper who had been taking some stick from the Kettering fans behind the goal advanced and made himself even bigger on the edge of the penalty area and pulled off another good save.

Almost straight after a foul on Lewis by Davidson-Miller, who caught the Kettering man late, giving Kettering a free kick and the Long Eaton man a yellow card. Kettering made their final substitution with Brandon Barker replacing Eddie Oppong. The spate of bookings continued when Long Eaton sent the ball long forward towards Taylor who was pulled back by Glennon earning the defender a caution.

The resulting free kick was about 20 or so yards out on the corner of the penalty area. It was taken by Finnerty the left-back. He curled the ball towards the far post for Alexander, diving full length to his right, to push behind with a strong right hand, another good save. The corner was taken short before being lifted into the middle where it was plucked out of the air by the towering Alexander.

The Kettering keeper was called into action shortly after when Long Eaton through Walters and Finnerty set Pace up for a pile driving shot from distance. Alexander watched the shot close in before nonchalantly swatting the ball over the bar for corner which was easily dealt with by the defence.

As the game entered the final minute, York broke down Kettering’s left wing before playing in a diagonal ball for Fifield to run onto and calmly slotted the ball through the advancing keeper’s legs. 1-4 Kettering 89 mins

Kettering looked to play out the remaining time passing the ball amongst themselves mid way inside Long Eaton’s half until Fifield, eager to press his claims, took on Duncan on a forward run winning a corner for his team. The corner was taken short to Loza who lifted the ball into the middle where King took the ball over his head as the game wound down to it is end of four additional minutes.

 Full Time: Long Eaton United  1  Kettering Town  4

After a good opening period by Kettering, Long Eaton got into their stride with self belief in their ability to get a result bolstered by Kettering squandering a handful of chances. Alexander, like he did last season against Cleethorpes, made some crucial saves to keep Kettering in the tie. The equaliser before half-time prevented Long Eaton from parking the bus and the personnel changes made by the manager allowed Kettering to dominate the second half with Long Eaton only fighting back when the game was already gone. The second half attacking performance showed what this side is capable of. However, this was against a lower division team and should be expected and judgement should be reserved until such performances can be replicated in the league against teams of equal standing.

 Long Eaton United  yellow cards: Taylor, Davidson-Miller – fouls

 Kettering Town yellow cards:  Forsyth – kicking the ball away, Glennon – foul

Attendance: 432

Kettering Town Man-of-the-Match – Leon Lobjoit  – A forward scoring a hat-trick is a nailed-on certainty for man of the match but if Leon had converted half of his other chances he could have got six. He won the penalty by reacting quickest and his other two goals were close range tap-ins but he was in the right place at the right time a knack that cannot be trained but is in the instinct of a natural goal scorer. Jason Alexander was also instrumental in the team’s success as two good saves in the first half when the score was still 0-0 meant that Long Eaton were not inspired into thinking that Saturday was their day.