Poppies slump 1-0 at home to Cambridge Utd

March 9, 2010—

Kettering Town 0

Cambridge Utd 1
Crow 75

Kettering Town host Blue Square Premier League Cambridge Utd who despite a decent start to the season have struggled for consistency and slipped down the table to sit just above the relegation zone. However their recent draw with Oxford Utd and Saturday's 1-0 victory at Barrow suggest they are beginning to recover some of their earlier form. Lee Harper starts Elliott Charles and the other recent signing Ebigbo starts on the bench for the Poppies.

A lively start for both teams and Kettering having a little more of the possession and looking dangerous on the break in the early stages but neither team yet able to produce the final quality ball to unlock the opposing defence. Simon Brown has been the busier of the two keepers in the first 10 minutes with Appiah and Boucaud coming closest to breaking the deadlock.

A break by Utd and Rory McAuley tests Nathan Abbey who saves comfortably. A Neilson ball over the top saw Danny Crow beat the offside trap but his strike was off-target and flashed across the face of the Poppies goal. The rain is lashing down at the Elgoods Brewery Arena making conditions a little more difficult for both teams but the football is flowing quite well during the first 20 minutes.

A good spell of pressure coming in from Kettering as a John Dempster header is blocked for a corner and Marcus Kelly fires just wide as he connects with the ball played into the box. A foul by Paul Carden on Jordan Hadfield and the Utd player goes into the referee's notebook. With 30 minutes gone Kettering have a slight edge in terms of possession but still unable to find a way to break the deadlock.

More pressure from Kettering and they win a corner which is drilled into the box but eventually cleared by the hard-working visiting defence. Perhaps Kettering's best chance so far as Kwesi Appiah breaks clear and as Jordan Hadfield connects very cleanly with the pass a superb save by Simon Brown denies what should have been the vital breakthrough. A late chance for Utd before the first 45 minutes ended as a corner was met by Rory McAuley but his header was cleared upfield and Kettering won a corner themselves but again the ball into the box wasn't of the necessary quality.

Half-time:   Kettering Town 0 Cambridge Utd 0

The second-half gets underway with a more balanced tempo as both teams set out their plans for the second 45 minute period in what has been a lively encounter but not yet setting the purists dancing with delight. Marcus Kelly swings one into the box and a timely intervention just denies a stab at goal from the lurking Ian Roper. Another last minute block from Palmer saves the ball crossing the line as Kettering continue to press their visitor's goal.

A good spell for Cambridge as the home side are forced to defend for awhile and McAuley comes closest for the U's but again Nathan Abbey is on hand to collect the cross into the area and end the danger for Kettering. Just over midway through the second 45 minute period and a bad challenge leads to a melee, once the referee sorts out the mischief it's Ian Roper that goes into the referee's notebook.

Elliott Charles is replaced by Jean-Paul Marna on 73 minutes for Kettering. The visitors ina purple patch now and a double escape for Kettering with a clearance off the line followed by a combination of Nathan Abbey and Greg Taylor again saving the ball from crossing over the goal line as the hoem side are under the cosh.

GOAL:   Kettering have had more of the possession but it's the visitors who have got the goal as another break finds the lively Danny Crow in a good position in the area and he makes no mistake this time by blasting the ball past the despairing Nathan Abbey and into the net. 1-0 to Cambridge and Kettering could have nothing to show for all their efforts unless they can salvage somethign within the final 10 minute or so.

The rain continues to teem down and Danny Crow almost increases his sides lead but fires narrowly over the crossbar after breaking into the box. Lee Phillips replaces Calum Willock for Utd. Substitute Marna plays the ball across the area but Simon Brown collects and cuts out the danger. Pascal Ebigbo makes an entrance into the match for the remaining five minutes or so as Kettering try to salvage something but all to do trailing 1-0.

A corner for Kettering is met by a Poppies head but is smuggled behind for another corner and this time a poor ball in is cleared by Palmer at the near post. Heading into the final seconds of the match and as Nathan Abbey goes upfield for yet another last-ditch corner for Kettering the ball into the box is eventually scrambled clear and the referee blows his whistle to signal a win for Utd and a blow to Kettering's play-off chances with yet another home defeat.

Att: 1,248

Kettering Town: Abbey, Taylor, Dempster, Roper, Jennings, Dance, Boucaud, Hadfield, Kelly, Charles, Appiah. Subs: Thelwell, Wrack, Marna, Thomas, Ebigbo.

Cambridge Utd: Brown, Roberts, Saah, Coulson, Palmer, Neilson, McAuley, Carden, Russell, Crow, Willock. Subs: Walker, Beesley, Murray, Reason, Phillips.