Monday, 2 December 2024

Sharp cuts short Poppies cup run

 

Isiah Noel-Williams gave Kettering a 30th minute lead

Kettering Town 1 Doncaster Rovers 2
 
Billy Sharp has made a career out of scoring goals and on Sunday at Latimer Park the 38 year old former Sheffield United striker's two goals ended Kettering Town's FA Cup adventure. But The Poppies gave their League Two opponents a real fright deservedly leading at half-time thanks to a fine goal from Isiah Noel-Williams. But three half-time subs and a change in system turned the game Rovers way and after extra-time they gained the victory that over the 120 minutes they probably deserved.

The Poppies were forced into a change in goal after first choice keeper Dan Jezeph suffered a groin injury in training on Thursday. Big Jason Alexander came in for only his second appearance of the season with Jezeph taking a place on the bench. The Poppies were missing key men Devon Kelly-Evans (suspended) and Jonny Edwards (cup-tied).

Kettering started well, they were pressing Doncaster all over the pitch and were winning a lot of free kicks in the Rovers half. The first real half chance went the visitors way when a hopeful long ball over the Poppies defence found Jordan Gibson and he tried to take the ball around Alexander but the big Kettering keeper got a good hand on the ball.

The match saw Latimer Parks highest ever attendance of 2803

Doncaster then had a spell of five minutes where they kept the ball well and put Kettering under some pressure. Luke Molyneux had a goal bound effort well blocked by Lewis White and from the resulting corner Rovers defender Tom Anderson saw his header clip the top of the crossbar although Alexander had the effort covered. Alexander was then called into action to superbly push a Molyneux shot that looked bound for the bottom corner wide of the post.

On the 30th minute The Poppies took the lead, Tyree Wilson and than Isiah Noel-Williams put Rovers Patrick Kelly under pressure and it was Noel-Williams that took the ball, advance ten yards and from 20 yards sent a low right footed strike low into the corner past Teddy Sharman-Lowe in the Doncaster goal. Latimer Park erupted as the players celebrated.

Minutes later Kettering could have doubled their lead when neat play from Wilson saw him find Noel-Williams ten yards out from goal but he scuffed his shot although the effort found Lewis White who poked the ball goalwards only to see it blocked by a Rovers defender. Doncaster were really struggling to deal with Noel-Williams who was now running not just the Poppies midfield but the match itself.
 
Half-Time: Kettering Town 1 Doncaster Rovers 0

At the half-time break Doncaster manager Grant McCann made a triple substitution and changed his formation in a bid to get his side back into the game. And the league side came out all guns blazing and had an early chance when Lewis White missed a clearance and the ball fell to Billy Sharp but his goalbound effort was superbly blocked by Ben Hart.
 
The Poppies seemed keen to sit back and soak up the Doncaster pressure and attack on the break but at times were struggling to get out of their half. Sharp fired over a Tom Anderson knock down from close range before Alexander again made a superb save, tipping Rovers sub Kyle Hurst's effort around the post.
 
But on 75 minutes Doncaster did draw level and it was that man Sharp that found the net. From a corner Kettering again allowed the giant Anderson a header and his head found Sharp in the six yard box and he did what he has done so well for years and turned the ball past Alexander. Six minutes later Hurst was then booked for an embarrassing dive when he went down when challenged by Lewis White and the referee was rightfully not fooled. 

With two minutes to go Kettering had their first real effort of the second half but came so close to a winner when Gary Stohrer turned to ball forwards and he found Lewis White who from the edge of the area hit a half volley that Sharman-Lowe did well to push around the post. It was an even better save given the ball bounced up right in front of the young Chelsea loanee. 

Full-Time: Kettering Town 1 Doncaster Rovers 1
 
So the match went into extra-time and in truth the fitness of the league side was starting to show. Kettering was really beginning to tire on the heavy pitch. Doncaster game close to going in front when a Sharp cross found Luke Molyneux who saw his effort superbly cleared off the line by Lewis White. But in the 105th minute Doncaster did take the lead and again it came from a corner. Wes York sliced his near post clearance and the ball fell to Sharp who saw his first effort blocked before the ball fell to him again and this time he fired low past an unsighted Alexander in the Poppies goal.

Billy Sharp fires home the winning goal

The second half of Extra-Time was a pretty quiet one, Kettering had a half-chance when sub Marvin Sordell challenged keeper Sharman-Lowe and the ball fell to the first round hero Luca Miller but his lob only went straight into the hands of the Doncaster keeper. The final chance of the game came when Bruno Andrade crossed and Gary Hooper was unable to make contact and the ball was cleared and the full-time whistle was blown.

So it was Doncaster Rovers that took their place in Monday's third round draw. But Kettering really made them work for the victory. Full-time fitness and a goalscoring machine in Billy Sharp were the real two differences between the two teams. But Kettering made some fantastic memories from this FA Cup run, the last minute winner away at Farsley Celtic and the victory at Northampton Town will remain in Poppies fans minds for years to come. The cup run will also help off the field to with the club having made over 200,000 pounds from the run

Kettering must now turn their attention to the main focus of this season and a return to the National League North with promotion from the Southern League Premier Division Central. That's the bread and butter and that promotion push resumes on Saturday with a trip to Banbury United.

Full-Time (After Extra-Time) - Kettering Town 1 Doncaster Rovers 2
 
Kettering Team: Alexander, Hart, Powell, Stohrer, Johnson, White, York (Sub Fifield), Thanoj (Sub Miller), Ranger (Sub Sordell), Noel-Williams (Sub Andrade), Wilson (Sub Hooper)

Subs (not used) - Jezeph, Atcha, Mbayo, Jarvis

Booking: Sordell

Doncaster Team: Sharman-Lowe, Sterry (Sub Emmanuel), Anderson, Olowu, Senior, Bailey, Kelly (Sub Broadbent), Sbarra (Sub Hurst), Molyneux (Sub Clifton), Sharp, Gibson (Sub Ironside)

Subs (not used) - Maxwell, Lawlor, Close, Westbrooke

Bookings: Hurst, Broadbent

Kettering Man of the match - Isiah Noel-Williams

Att: 2803
 
 



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