Poppies stalemate at home to Tamworth

December 26, 2009—

Kettering Town 0

Tamworth 0

Kettering host Tamworth in what is considered a Boxing Day derby by the Blue Square Premier with manager Lee Harper looking for his first league win at home since he took over the Poppies who have managed of just one win in the previous four league matches, including three home defeats in-a-row.

Harper has recovered from a back injury to start in goal and Dempster is back from suspension as Kettering make a bright start to the match and press in the early stages with Tamworth taking a while to settle but soon get stuck into the midfield battle.

Chances just aren't being created and efforts from outside the area are either well wide or dealt with comfortably by both keeper as neither side is able to produce a quality enough ball into the box. The visitors starting to get the upperhand at the 30 minute mark but still reduced to long range efforts as Dempster and the Poppies defence work diligently to deny a clear-cut opening.

With half-time rapidly approaching it's the home side under pressure still and a challenge on Jake Sheridan leads to Anthony Elding going into the referee's book. The first 45 minutes comes to a close and still no goals to separate the two teams following a lacklustre display so far from Kettering who are struggling to create any good chances up to this point in the contest.

Half-time:   Kettering Town 0 Tamworth 0

Anthony Elding is replaced at the start of the second period by Marcus Kelly as Kettering try to improve their share of possession after their visitors had slightly the better of the first 45 minutes.

Kettering have fought their way back into the match as the hour mark approaches but still no goals as Andre Boucaud gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Jake Sheridan and the referee adds his name to the earlier booking of Elding.

Into the final third of the match and there's certainly no lack of effort on the part of the two sides as the shots start to rain in from all angles, however the finishing touch is lacking and both goalkeepers have not really had to produce the quatity or quality of saves that the amount of effort applied deserves.

Into the last twenty minutes as Kettering start to gain the slight edge as Simon Brown goes off and is replaced by Michael Blackwood for Tamworth. Still no goals so far and at this late stage a single strike could easily settle the match and produce a win for either side in what has been a fairly even contest at the Elgoods Brewery Arena this afternoon.

Less than ten minutes remaining as James Dance and Alex Rodman try to produce a winner but both are denied by the respective opposing keepers who although they have been fairly busy haven't had the quality of saves to make during the first 80 minutes of the match.

Into the final five minutes of normal time and looking around the grounds this match appears to be the only one that is goaless with at least 2 goals being scored in each of the other BSP fixtures. The final whistle brings an end to a contest that needed a creative spark or quality finish to separate the two sides and it ended goaless and honours even in the first festive encounter.

Att: 1,250

Kettering Town: Harper, Dance, Dempster, Taylor, Davis, Partridge, Boucaud, Noubissie, Thomas, Heslop, Elding. Subs: Cooper, Jennings, Wrack, Kelly(Elding 46), Cherry.

Tamworth: Alcock, Briscoe, Wylde, Smith, Tait, Brown, MacKenzie, Shaw, Sheridan, Christie, Rodman. Subs: Blackwood, Lyttle, Langdon, Lake-Gaskin, Ulker.