Vanarama National League North
Latimer Park
Saturday 5th February 2022

Brakes made the relatively short hop into Northamptonshire to take on Kettering Town for the fourth time this season, and despite the hosts being reduced to ten men in the second half were a little fortunate to escape with a point. The in form Poppies had undergone changes since the last meeting with the sudden departure of Paul Cox to divisional rivals Boston United and leading marksman Callum Powell to Southend United. Former King’s Lynn boss Ian Culverhouse

Paul Holleran sprung a surprise pre match by moving away from his tried and trusted formation to a 3-5-2; with Kelsey Mooney and Callum Gittings restored to the starting line up in place of Dylan Barkers and Joe Parker.

Brakes stunned the majority of Latimer Park by taking the lead in their first foray forward with four minutes played. Kettering had already gone close through Jordan Crawford’s drive just over Jake Weaver’s crossbar, but great work by birthday boy Kelsey Mooney on the left saw him lay the ball square for Gittings to strike first time. The shot was going wide but a fortuitous deflection took it neatly into the path of Dan Turner, who stabbed home to the delight of the travelling support behind the goal.

Brakes almost helped Kettering to an equaliser as they failed to clear their lines on the right, and breathed a sigh of relief when Crawford air kicked at Gary Stohrer’s flick on right in front of goal. The striker went close again from close range but was unable to force the ball home.

Games between these two sides rarely pass without incident and it was difficult to see what caused the first flashpoint of the afternoon in front of the home support at the far end, but Referee Andy Sykes was happy to allow the game to continue after a brief chat with James Mace and a Kettering player.

Inevitably Kettering pressed for a leveller but Leamington were relatively untroubled during a scrapy period of the game, with Kyle Morrison in particular a colossus in central defence. Jack Edwards stung the palms of Jackson Smith with a half volley as the offside flag went up, while Jack Lane stabbed a decent low effort just wide of the left hand post.

The home support had been noisy since before kick off, but the atmosphere at that end of Latimer Park was decidedly quieter after a stern announcement from the PA announcer as the Referee handed something to a steward which had been thrown towards Weaver from the terrace behind the goal.

Morrison was putting in a tremendous shift, and came to his side’s rescue minutes before half time as Crawford slammed the ball towards goal after Weaver bravely punched clear ahead of Decarrey Sheriff. The ball was headed for the bottom corner before Morrison’s timely intervention to clear off the line.

Gittings gave away a free kick on the right edge of the penalty area, Rhys Sharpe’s well struck effort being deflected just over the crossbar, but the Poppies went even closer just seconds before the half time whistle through Sharpe, who stumbled to the turf with his head in his hands as he laced a first time effort inches over the bar when he really should have at least got it on target.

Turner sent a shot over the angle of post and bar on the right as Brakes stormed upfield seconds after the resumption. Kettering came storming back however, and levelled things up four minutes in when a right wing corner was headed back towards goal and diverted past Weaver by a blue shirt.

Any regular viewers of these fixtures will be aware that they rarely pass without a red card, and Kennedy made it 1-1 on that score from the four encounters this term when his late challenge on Gittings saw him shown a second yellow, followed by a red card.

This did not deter the hosts however, and they came close to a second goal when two shots were blocked in a chaotic passage of play just inside the Leamington box.

Brakes finally made some inroads into the Kettering half winning two free kicks down the left, and forced a scramble inside the penalty area; substitute Junior English’s shot appearing to be blocked by Mooney.

Kettering debutant Callum Stead was inches from a glorious goal as Crawford helped the ball on to him on the left. He struck a fabulous volley just over the crossbar.

Substitute Joe Parker looked to be clear on goal before Sharpe got back to rob him of possession as Leamington struggled to make the extra man count with the game into the final stages.

Poppies sub Riccardo Calder sent a tame volley into the arms of Weaver through a crowded 18 yard box as Kettering continued to push for a winner. A neutral observer could be forgiven for thinking the visitors were the side with ten men as they continued to gift possession back to their hosts in added time. The final whistle arrived with a collective sigh of relief from the visiting contingent.

Attendance: 860

Kettering Town: 1 Jackson Smith, 2 Connor Barrett, 3 Alex Brown 4 Chris Smith (12 Riccardo Calder, 76), 5 Connor Johnson, 6 George Cooper, 17 Decarrey Sheriff (7 Callum Stead, 68), 8 Connor Kennedy ©, 9 Gary Stohrer, 10 Jordan Crawford, 11 Rhys Sharpe.

Subs not used: 14 Saul Milovanovic, 15 Lauric Diakiesse, 16 Kevin Joshua.

Leamington: Jake Weaver, James Mace, Stephan Morley, Adam Walker, Kyle Morrison, Jack Lane, Dan Meredith, Callum Gittings, Kelsey Mooney (15 Sam Wilding, 86), Jack Edwards © (17 Junior English, 46), Dan Turner (14 Joe Parker, 81).

Subs not used: 12 Devon Kelly-Evans, 16 Dylan Barkers.

Referee: Mr Andy Sykes

Assistant Referees: Mr Harry Tarrant & NMr Richard Cutts

Brakes Man of the Match: Kyle Morrison.

Photo © Peter Short, Kettering Town