Poppies hit by late sucker Punch

 

Isiah Noel-Williams Celebrates his goal that made it 1-1

KETTERING TOWN 2 BEDFORD TOWN 2

Kettering Town returned to Latimer Park on Saturday following Tuesday night's excellent 3-1 victory away at AFC Telford United. Bedford Town were the visitors and despite being only 25 miles up the A6 they travelled in small numbers with only around 100 coming to support their team in this big game. Despite the lack of away support the crowd was still over 2000, with 2093 coming through the turnstiles for the biggest attendance at Latimer Park in over four and a half years.

Poppies boss Richard Lavery switched back to a 3-5-2 formation with Nile Ranger coming back to partner Jonny Edwards up front. Isiah Noel-Williams replaced Luca Miller and left-back Aaron Powell switched to be the left-sided centre back alongside Lewis White and Connor Johnson. On the bench there was a return for Kai Fifield who had been out injured since September. Gary Hooper missed out after picking up a neck muscle injury playing for Celtic in the Scottish Masters in midweek.

Kettering kicked off attacking the Morrisons end and after only three minutes had a very good appeal for a penalty waved away when Isiah Noel-Williams rolled a pass to Andi Thanoj and as he tried to control the ball he was caught from behind by Leon Lobjoit who made no contact with the ball just Thanoj's leg but the referee said no penalty. The Poppies have certainly been awarded penalties this season for much lesser offenses. 

From early on it was clear that Bedford had come with a game plan of sitting deep with plenty of men behind the ball looking to frustrate Kettering and hit them on the counter-attack. The opening nineteen minutes had seen Kettering have most of the possession and territorial advantage but very much against the run of play it was Bedford that took the lead. Jonny Edwards lost possession and Bedford's Elliot Simmons played a ball through to RYAN BLAKE who raced away with just Dan Jezeph to beat and his effort went through the Poppies keeper's legs to give the Eagles a lead they certainly didn't deserve.

But Kettering didn't have to wait too long to draw level. Just seven minutes later Ben Hart's throw found Nile Ranger who smartly flicked the ball into the path of NOEL-WILLIAMS and he hit a powerful half-volley that beat Bedford keeper Adam Harrison at his near post. It was a good strike from Noel-Williams but Harrison will have been disappointed to be beaten the way he was.

Kettering were finding it hard to break down the packed Bedford defence and the closest they came to scoring again in the first half was when Ben Hart whipped over a cross to the near post that Jonny Edwards just failed to make contact with. Soon after the referee blew for half-time and the two sides went in level.

Half-Time - Kettering Town 1 Bedford Town 1

At the break Bedford replaced their  injured leading scorer Leon Lobjoit with new signing Edward Panter. If Bedford's plan in the first half was to frustrate The Poppies, the second half that doubled as they did their best to slow the game down at every opportunity and their clear time wasting antics should really have been acted on by the referee. From the moment the second half kicked off it was clear that Kettering were the only side that were looking to win the game. Bedford began to sit deeper and deeper and the gamesmanship from them grew stronger and stronger.

The first chance of the second half came for Kettering, Tyree Wilson was sent away down the left but his crossed couldn't quiet find Jonny Edwards. The ball did find Noel-Williams though and he hit the ball goalward where Edwards got a slight touch but his effort was cleared off the line by giant defender Carl Mensah. The next real chance of the half came when sub Luca Miller sent a 25 yard effort straight into the hands of Adam Harrison.

The Poppies players and supporters were increasingly becoming more and more frustrated by Bedford's defensive and time wasting tactics. But on 78 minutes Kettering finally made the breakthrough when sub Kai Fifield had his effort blocked and the ball fell to ANDI THANOJ who from 20 yards hit a screamer past Harrison who didn't move a muscle as the ball flew past him. The packed Tin hat end went mental and Kettering had scored when it looked for so long like they wouldn't.

As the match entered the final ten minutes and for the first time in the whole match Bedford began to show some attacking play as they peppered the Poppies penalty area with long balls and long throws. But Kettering had chances to extend their lead, first Bruno Andrade shot straight at Harrison when well placed and Jonny Edwards should have done better when he was in space but he fired his effort over the bar and over the Tin hat end.

For Bedford Ryan Blake sent an effort way past Dan Jezeph's post before six minutes of injury time was announced mainly added on due to Bedford's time wasting. In the second minutes of those six added another Bedford long throw was headed out by Connor Johnson but only to the throw taker Sam Brown and the former AFC Rushden & Diamonds man sent over a cross that eventually found the head of Carl Mensah and his effort smacked off the crossbar via a deflection off  Devon Kelly-Evans.  

As the match entered it's 97th minute Bruno Andrade gave away the most needless of free-kicks on the left hand side of the Poppies penalty area. Bedford made a sub bringing on Robert Hall to take the kick and he swung the ball over and Dan Jezeph punched the ball clear. The ball was headed back goal wards and after an almighty scramble Kettering failed to clear their lines and MENSAH was there to scramble the ball over the line to give the visitors the most undeserved of equalizers.

The Bedford players and fans celebrated like they had won the World Cup not claimed a point and Latimer Park was in a state of shock. The action wasn't finished there though, as the game restarted Bedford's Panter clearly kicked Devon Kelly-Evans off the ball. As the referee blew for full-time Kelly-Evans and Panter squared up to each other before players and management from both sides piled in. After this died down Kelly-Evans was shown a red card whilst Panter who started the whole affair kicking out off the ball escaped unpunished. The sending off and three match ban that comes with it will see Kelly-Evans, one of the Poppies star performers of the season miss the FA Cup clash with Doncaster Rovers in two weeks time.

This was very much two points dropped by The Poppies against opponents who from the first minute showed no intention to win the game. It was like a defeat for Kettering and with their after match celebrations you would have thought Bedford had won the division. Kettering are going to have to get used quickly to teams coming to Latimer Park, raising their games and looking to frustrate the Poppies with packed defences. Being top of the league and with the attendances being seen at Latimer Park Kettering are there to be shot at. The draw did extend the Poppies lead over second placed Halesowen Town to four points.

Full-Time - Kettering Town 2 Bedford Town 2

Kettering Town team: Jezeph, Hart, Powell, Kelly-Evans, Johnson, White, Noel-Williams (Sub Miller), Thanoj, Ranger (Sub Fifield), Edwards, Wilson (Sub Andrade)

Subs (Not used) - Jarvis, Stohrer

Bookings: Noel-Williams, Andrade, Johnson

Sent-Off: Kelly-Evans (Violent Conduct after final whistle)

Bedford Town team: Harrison, Mullins, Brown, Wilson-Braithwaite (Sub Hall), Mensah, Green, Thomas (Sub Soyemi-Olalade), Simmons, Gyamfi (Sub Cotter), Lobjoit (Sub Panter), Blake

Sub (not used) - Dudley

Bookings: Gyamfi, Blake, Wilson-Braithwaite, Green

Att: 2093

MOTM - Tyree Wilson

Kai Fifield made his return as a second half sub after a spell out injured (left). Whilst Bedford celebrate their late goal that won them that on the balance of the game was an undeserved point (below)