So on Saturday the two biggest football clubs in Northamptonshire meet at Sixfields, as Northampton Town face Kettering Town in the first round of the FA Cup. It will be the first time the two sides have faced each other in a competitive fixture since November 1989. Here we take a look back at that match at Rockingham Road almost 35 years ago......
Saturday November 18th 1989, Lisa Stansfield was top of the music charts with All Around The World, Margaret Thatcher was prime minister and Back To The Future Part II was the must see film of the time. Oh and at Rockingham Road in Kettering there was a Northamptonshire Derby as Kettering Town faced County neighbours Northampton Town in the First Round of the FA Cup.
Kettering sat in the top four places of The GM Vauxhall Conference whilst Northampton were struggling at the bottom end of the Football League's third division. Many had The Poppies down as favourites to claim victory and the game was a feature match on BBC1's Match of the Day. The week before Kettering had beaten Yeovil Town at home in the league with over 3600 fans in attendance, many wanting to claim a voucher that would have seen them entitled to a ticket for the big game the following week.
Kettering manager Peter Morris sprang a surprise in his team selection when veteran striker Ernie Moss was dropped to the substitute bench and Neil Horwood, a central defender signed from Spalding United in the summer took the number nine shirt and partnered Robbie Cooke up front. For The Cobblers they included seven players in their side that would all go on to play in the red of Kettering (Gleasure, Chard, Gernon, Sanderman, Collins, Barnes, Quow), A future Kettering player/manager (Steve Berry) and a future Kettering manager (Dean Thomas) and their manager Graham Carr would go on to manage the Poppies just three years later.
On to The match itself and in truth it was far from a classic. To use an old cliche it was a typical local derby. Lots of scrappy football and not much good football on show. Kettering had a great chance to go in front early on when Horwood raced away but with just Gleasure in the Cobblers goal to beat he showed the composure of, well a defender playing up front and he completely missed his kick and the ball rolled wide of the goal.
Paul Richardson then sent a looping shot towards the Northampton goal that Gleasure tipped over well before The Cobblers had the ball in the net but Dean Thomas saw his goal ruled out for offside. The final chance of the half saw Steve Berry unmarked from 12 yards send his header wide of Kevin Shoemake's goal. The teams went in level at 0-0 at the break.
On the hour mark Kettering came so close to breaking the deadlock. Mark Nightingale swung over a cross that found Horwood 8 yards out from goal and his powerful downward header was heading into the bottom corner until Gleasure dived to his left and somehow pushed the header around the post.
Nine minutes later the goal that settled the game was scored. Dean Thomas picked the ball up on the left and from 35 yards out he looked up and hit a low daisy cutter of a shot that deceived Kevin Shoemake in the Poppies goal and rolled into the net. Barry Davies for Match Of The Day uttered the line "Dean Thomas from way, way out" as the ball crossed the line. It was a hit and hope from Thomas and some poor goalkeeping from Shoemake but the outcome saw The Cobblers ahead.
From then on Kettering created nothing as they looked to get back in the game. In fact Northampton should have added to their lead. Trevor Quow sent an effort over the bar and out of the ground from six yards out before Bobby Barnes wasted two chances. Firstly he rounded Shoemake but from a tight angle only found the side netting them from almost the same spot that Quow missed from earlier he cleared the crossbar.
So it was The Cobblers that progressed to The second Round of the Cup and took the local bragging rights. It was thought it wouldn't be too long until the two clubs faced each other in league fixtures. Unfortunately from a Kettering perspective that never happened and 35 years later the two teams will finally meet.
KETTERING TEAM
1.Kevin Shoemake
2.Mark Nightingale
3.Steve Collins
4.Paul Richardson
5.Trevor Slack
6.Richard Brown
7.Dougie Keast
8.Andy Wright
9.Neil Horwood
10.Robbie Cooke
11.Dominic Genoves
12.Ernie Moss (On for Brown)
14.Neil Edwards (On for Genovese)
NORTHAMPTON TEAM
1.Peter Glesure
2.Phil Chard
3.Irvin Gernon
4.Dean Thomas
5.Russell Wilcox
6.Keith McPherson
7.Steve Berry
8.Bradley Sanderman
9.Darren Collins
10.Bobby Barnes
11.Trevor Quow
12.Steve Brown
14.Paul Wilson
Att: 6100
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The two men involved in the goal that afternoon, Shomake and Thomas |
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Neil Horwood looks on after his 1st half miss |
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