MATCH SUMMARY:
This will be a day that will stay in the memory of those 1360 Kettering fans at the game and countless more who watched on national TV. The Cobblers stood 79 places above the Poppies at kick off, and although considerably understrength due to injuries, they held the lead at half time through a 28th minute deflected shot from Tariqe Fosu. What was to come will be replayed many times, as once again, just a few minutes after coming on as a substitute, Luca Miller equalised on 66 minutes with a tremendous header.
At full time the score remained at 1-1 prompting extra time. Within two minutes of the restart, Miller was again involved as his corner from the left was headed in by Nile Ranger via a defender’s shoulder to put the Poppies ahead. Despite clear fatigue showing in the legs of our part timers, they clung on with, in the end, some ease, to achieve a stunning victory which had never been achieved against the Cobblers in the FA Cup.
THE KETTERING SQUAD:
Nile Ranger returned to the starting line up, with Jonny Edwards cup tied. Bruno Andrade also started. The substitutes bench of 9 players included Kai Fifield and Dan Jarvis both back from injury.
THE TEAMS:
Northampton Town:
13 Nik Tzanev
5 Jon Guthrie (Captain)
8 Ben Fox
10 Mitch Pinnock
12 Nesta Guinness-Walker (2 Tyler Magloire,70)
17 Liam McCarron (23 Will Hondermarck,70)
18 Cameron McGeehan
22 Akin Odimayo
24 Tariqe Fosu (29 Martin Waghorn,82)
26 Jack Baldwin (28 TJ Eyoma in added time)
30 Sammy Chouchane (4 Jack Sowerby,70)
Unused Substitutes:
38 Kiantay Licorish-Mullin
40 Neo Dobson
43 Charlie Carroll
Yellow Cards:
Hondermarck,104;Magloire,116
KETTERING TOWN
1 Dan Jezeph
2 Ben Hart
3 Aaron Powell
4 Devon Kelly-Evans
5 Connor Johnson (Captain)
8 Andi Thanoj (6 Gary Stohrer,79)
9 Nile Ranger (25 Marvin Sordell (in extra time)
11 Tyree Wilson (7 Wes York,90)
12 Lewis White
16 Isiah Noel-Williams (17 Luca Miller,61)
21 Bruno Andrade (18 Gary Hooper,61)
Unused Substitutes:
10 Dan Jarvis
13 Jason Alexander
14 Harlain Mbayo
19 Kai Fifield
Yellow Cards:
Johnson,73;Powell,90
HOW THE GAME UNFOLDED:
It was a pleasant evening at Sixfields and the playing surface was excellent, as expected.
The Cobblers started very much on the front foot and an early break saw Cameron McGeehan, looking to pierce the Poppies defence, but a great intervention from Lewis White, snuffed out the danger.
The hosts first corner, after 6 minutes, saw Liam McCarron eventually work an opening but his low left foot strike was well wide.
Kettering’s first attempt of any note came after 9 minutes when Nile Ranger rose to head a Ben Hart cross goalwards, but home keeper, Nik Tzanev had a straightforward catch.
Northampton were next to threaten as McCarron looked to get in on goal. However, he was halted by the Referees Assistant’s flag for an offside. The ball was in the Kettering net on16 minutes, but again the Referees Assistant intervened with an offside flag. There was considerable debate as to whether this was a correct ‘offside’ as countless TV replays post match seemed inconclusive to this writer.
The Poppies were well in the game though, and the hard-working Isiah Noel-Williams had a run on goal from the right which created a chance, but he was penalised for a foul. As Kettering really got into their stride, Tyree Wilson came in from the right, pounced on a cross from the left, and as the ball broke free, Ranger’s low shot from a few yards out just went wide into the side netting. This was followed up with Bruno Andrade’s right foot curling shot, coming in from the left, which was just too high and wide.
Northampton took the lead on 28 minutes. An attack saw Fosu just inside the penalty area, and his low shot hit both White and Connor Johnson before crossing the line. Whether the shot was going in before it hit both defenders was not clear, but it was 1-0 to the hosts.
The goal seemed to spur the Cobblers who took control and saw them pushing four men up at times against the Kettering defence. A mistake by Andi Thanoj gave McGeehan a shooting chance which saw him fire over the bar. The same player then saw his header from a cross come off Johnson for an unproductive corner.
Kettering keeper, Dan Jezeph, had to punch away a vicious McCarron shot as the hosts looked to extend their lead and Fosu saw a shot blocked and cleared by a now overworked Kettering defence.
As the game approached half time, the impressive Devon Kelly-Evans created a three on two situation as he burst out of the Kettering half, but he lost control at the vital moment and the chance was gone.
Half Time:
Northampton Town 1 – 0 Kettering Town
With no player changes at half time, it was again the Cobblers who began well, continuing their push for a second goal. McCarron’s run and lob towards goal was an easy catch for Jezeph, and then Fosu looked to benefit from Thanoj’s error, but he was caught offside.
Still only on 54 minutes, McCarron saw his shot deflected over as he looked to run clear.
The Poppies weathered the storm and began to get their game together. Thanoj had a shot blocked, and Hart saw his header saved by Tzanev at the expense of a corner. At the other end, Jezeph made a routine save from McCarron.
On 61 minutes, Noel-Williams and Andrade were replaced by Luca Miller and Gary Hooper and once again the substitutions were to change a game.
Just five minutes after coming on, Miller grabbed the equaliser with a fantastic goal.
Ben Hart had been largely reduced to defensive duties but got away on the right and crossed. How Luca managed to control the header, only he will know, but he rose and headed the ball into the top right-hand corner of the net. It was, quite frankly, a stunning strike.
The Cobblers made three substitutions almost straight away to try to salvage the win. Nevertheless, the Poppies were now largely controlling the game and a neutral may have had difficulty in deciding which was the higher ranked team.
The game was end-to-end now, but neither team threatened a goal. White scythed a cross which found its way to Jezeph and Johnson got in an important block before Gary Hooper got in a shot which Tzanev held.
As the ninety minutes and five minutes of added time passed, neither side could break the deadlock and 30 minutes of extra time was to follow.
Full Time:
Northampton Town 1 – 1 Kettering Town
As the game restarted, misty rain set in.
With the Poppies starting in an attacking mode, an easy corner was won on the left in just the second minute. Luca Miller, given the corner taking duty floated a lovely cross into the six-yard box and Ranger rose above everyone to see his header beat Tzanev with the help of a defender’s back and put the Poppies in front. Cue wild scenes in the visitors stands where the vocal support had been loud and constant.
The scene was now set with the hosts seemingly having almost total possession, the part timers of Kettering wilting visibly under the pressure , but with the strongest determination to hold the lead, driven on by their team management and fervent fans.
Try as they had to , the Cobblers ran out of ideas as the Poppies became so solid under pressure. The half time in added time came and went. Further home substitutions were an effort to break down the Kettering ‘back 11’. However, in that second period only substitute Martin Waghorn caused any danger as he pounced on a tired Kettering pass, but Jezeph was up to the task. Ben Fox did get a shot in at the death, but it was well wide.
With Marvin Sordell on for the cramp ridden Ranger, he looked lively ,and just before the 120 minutes elapsed, he got the better of home substitute, Tyler Magloire- only to be fouled as he got away on goal. Magloire seemed fortunate to only receive a caution being the last man, as Sordell looked to go in on goal.
After a minute of added time, Sixfields erupted at the visitors end as the final whistle sounded on a fantastic night for everyone associated with the Poppies.
Score at 120 minutes:
Northampton Town 1 – 2 Kettering Town
Attendance: 7104 (Kettering fans 1360)
Referee: Elliot Bell ;Assistant Referees: Alan Cresswell and Ryan Williams. 4th Official :Benjamin Speedie
Poppies Media Kettering Town Man of the Match: The whole squad!
FORTHCOMING HOME GAMES:
Saturday 9th November: Redditch United at 3pm
Saturday 16th November: Bedford Town at 3pm
Saturday 23rd November: Leiston at 3pm
Forthcoming Away games:
Tuesday 12th November at AFC Telford Utd at 7.45pm
(Saturday 30th November at Bedford Town will now be replaced by the FA Cup round 2).
