Kettering Town 2-0 Kingstonian
DEATH OF K'S ON POPPIES FIELD

K's travelled to Kettering attempting to avoid their third defeat in a row. Simon Brown, currently on loan from Tottenham, and who would have been on the bench for their match yesterday, started in goal for the out of form Jerome John, and Gavin Holligan was awarded a place in the starting line-up for the first time this season. Kevin Rattray replaced the suspended Gary Patterson, whilst Danny Smith was preferred to Wayne Brown to deputise for Simon Stewart.

Kettering started the brighter of the teams. Indeed, 'keeper Simon Brown was tested early on from a corner but proved able to deal with the pressure. Holligan looked keen to impress, and a neat piece of play involving Tarkan Mustafa, a Danny Smith cross and an attempted shot by Pitcher was the best that K's could create early on, but again it was Kettering who looked the more likely to score, notably when Brett McNamara went on a speedy run delivering the ball well but the attack broke down.

Kevin Rattray really was deputising for Patterson and soon saw his name put in the book as a result. Although he had gone in hard previously, the foul he was cautioned for seemed relatively gentle, and the K's bench greatly objected to the decision, but this was not to be Mr. P. J. Joslin's only strange decision of the day.

Again Eddie Akuamoah was tireless on the left and continued to be the main supply line of any K's chances. It is encouraging to see his progression in recent times, as we all knew he had the skill in him, but it is good to see that coupled with consistency nowadays. Geoff Pitcher was also performing heroics in mid-field winning the ball on countless occasions, though sometimes his delivery wasn't as good as it could have been.

K's were awarded a free-kick in a central position just outside the area. Pitcher took the free-kick quickly while the Poppies were still lining up the wall, but the ball sailed over the bar and this chance was rather wasted. K's began to mount some meaningful pressure at last. A cross from David Leworthy caused panic in the home team's box and eventually it was put off for a corner. In the process of this, McNamara went down injured in the area and had to be stretchered off with what looked a very painful leg injury. The ref sympathetically, 'un-gave' the corner and play resumed with Kettering in posession, and the arrival of substitute Tim Wilkes.

Perhaps the bast chance of a K's goal came after good work on the left by Eddie who crossed to Gavin Holligan at the near post whose right foot flick forced the Kettering 'keeper to get down well to his right. Holligan then turned provider as he linked with Eddie and Mustafa, eventually breaking down but being picked up by Pitcher who sprayed the ball to Leworthy who failed to deliver a quality ball despite having a lot of time.

Goalkeeping worries for the K's had been lessened with Simon Brown in goal, but soon returned when he fumbled the simplest of collections, and did very well to stop a certain goal diving at the feet of an attcker. Colin Luckett eventually put the ball out for a throw. This seemed to spur on the midlanders who threw the ball into the box on every possible occasion from then on. Tim Wilkes had a great chance when he received the ball unmarked in the penalty area from a Phil Brown cross, but he wasted his header. So it was no real surprise when on 44 minutes, Martin Matthews' cross to Tim Wilkes saw the substitute out-jump Danny Smith and power the ball home. This was the last real piece of play in the first half and saw Kettering go in 1-0 up at half-time.

The second half eventually got underway after a lengthy delay to ensure that the netting behind the goal K's were attacking was securely fastened, not that it was needed in the end. K's did not come out a different team and just continued as they had played in the first half. Kettering seized upon this and attacked on their right on a number of occasions meaning Eddie was often back defending at left back! Simon Brown made a good stop when a shot had been deflected off Colin Luckett and K's were looking nervy. Tarkan Mustafa, playing against his old club did better in the second half on the right. His surging runs on the flanks were often promising but his inability to use his left foot meant that once he had been turned inside he just ran around in circles and didn't really do as much as damage as he might have. His potential to help a come-back was further reduced after a diabolical, and late, challenge on him, right in front of the referee, but not even a verbal warning was given as the ref failed to see any malice in that challenge.

As K's tried to break through, the predictable gaps at the back soon showed. Tim Wilkes, was causing problems, not least to Danny Smith, and had it not been for Crossley's covering at times the substitute could have had a hat-trick. But K's did have their chances. An Eddie Akuamoah run and cross went to Tarkan Mustafa at the far post. He powered a fierce strike goal bound but it hit an unfortunate defender in the face. The referee had no choice other than to stop the game with a head injury on the goal-line, but this frustrated K's fans as Kingston had a real chance at that time, and when the game resumed, the ball was hoofed up the other end rather than a more amicable solution, such as a throw on to K's next to where the drop ball was.

Where the K's lacked in skill today, they tried to make up for in determination. Geoff Pitcher and Kevin Rattray are shining examples of this. With the tiring Leworthy and shrinking Smith substituted, K's looked stronger and had their next chance soon after. A goal-mouth scramble saw Rattray head the ball against the bar, and it was eventually cleard and from that moment it felt that it really wasn't going to be our day. Rattray then had to briefly leave the pitch with an injury and although K's were putting on many attacks, the bombardment of balls to head rather than to feet never really looked likely to get an equaliser.

With K's heads dropping, Phil Brown had possession just outside of the K's penalty area, and going only to the by-line, decided that to dive over Mark Harris' outstretched leg was the best thing he could do in the given situation. Whether or not it was in the penalty area (the diver ended up in it, but the challenge looked to most to be outside) is unclear, but the fact remains that Brown was looking for the penalty, and there was nothing Harris, Crossley or the remonstrating K's fans could do about it. Some referees would have booked Brown for diving, but most would have awarded the penalty and it was left to Craig Norman to seal K's fate. His penalty was taken well but as he shimmied he was ordered to take it again, which he did so hitting in central as Brown dived away. That goal on 89 minutes was the final nail in the coffin for today, and saw K's lose their third league game in a row.