COALVILLE TOWN 1-2 KETTERING TOWN: MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

Poppies Strike Back To Ground Ravens

Coalville Town 1-2 Kettering Town

This hard fought encounter between teams from similar levels was probably useful for Coalville where fitness was concerned but it was certainly more useful for Kettering where recovery from a recent defeat to Barwell was concerned. Some keen offensive play by the Poppies was evident on occasions, using the pace of Aaron O’Connor and also the threatening left-side runs of Lindon Meikle. The Ravens struggled during the first period for the flitting Nathan Watson and the forceful Massiah McDonald in attack were usually forced to address their own advances, for left-sided offenseman Blair Anderson and the right-flank attacker number 7, a triallist, found providing service against an efficient Kettering defence a tough ask. Marshalled by skipper Brett Solkhon who opened the scoring and a triallist, number 21, Brownley, the Poppies gave little away and ‘keeper Paul White with his Geordie accent wasn’t really demanded of throughout the evening, getting decent support too from full-backs Durrell Berry and James Brighton.

THE LINESMEN REALISE HOW HARD IT WILL BE TO READ THE NUMBERS ON THE KETTERING SHIRTS...

The Ravens looked fairly competent in defence as well for sure, with Dean Freeman largely unhurried and Ruben Desrosiers a real powerhouse. Full-backs Joe Pegg and Kyle Bryant did fine too but the back-line was caught out a few times, although in truth not many goalmouth thrills were created by either outfit beneath a fine Coalville rainbow. Lee Cox and Steve Towers battled hard for the Ravens in midfield however and Cox was often the provider of the passes which stretched Kettering but Michael Richens, the scorer of the second Kettering goal and Gary Stohrer, proved to be formidable opponents in the trenches. A better start to the second-half by the Ravens brought an equaliser to Solkhon’s early headed strike for the visitors but suddenly a free-kick heralded Richens’ low winner and subsequently the Poppies ran out the remaining time with little real trouble and might have scored a couple of times more, despite the number of replacements used. 

A deflection in the opening moments brought the first of two Poppy corners which was headed behind by a Raven but the second delivery, I believe by Liam Bateman, saw the experienced Solkhon jump between McDonald in front of him and Bryant behind him and the ball bounced off the side of his skull past ‘keeper Matt Coton for a simple goal.

0-1 TO KETTERING...

SOLKHON CELEBRATES WITH THE RITUAL OF THE TOUCHING OF THE LEFT KNEEE...

O’Connor looked dangerous a couple of times during this period for the guests and Bryant was forced to hack away a low centre from the left which had been played past Coton, before both Bateman and Meikle drove high off target. All that Coalville had managed was a curled shot from Watson which the lean, tall Brownley blocked but as the half wore on McDonald fed the number 7 who chose to try to clip an outside of right boot shot from 20 yards, centrally placed and White caught the ball as if plucking a stranded cat from the branch of a garden tree. 

BATEMAN: LIVELY ON THE RIGHT FOR THE POPPIES...

Anderson did feed an offside McDonald for a run on goal and then a fine Towers pass sent the striker away at inside-right but in both cases the advancing White saved smartly, although only the second save would have counted. And really, that was the sum of a hurried first period during which the ball was lashed high into the breeze on many occasions and several bouts of head-tennis were endured, so that it really did appear that too little time on the ball for the combatants was allowed by their opponents. 

MEIKLE: ON THE RUN AGAIN...

Danny Jenno appeared in the Coalville defence after the interval amongst other Raven substitutes and in fairness, Tom McGlinchey, Alex Dean and Jermain Hollis seemed to gee up the hosts. An angled free-kick by Watson on the left-flank was hacked clear of McDonald at the near post by Solkhon, Jenno drove a 27 yard free-kick too high and after Jenno had blocked a Nathan Hicks shot, neat approach play by Watson saw a decent chance fall to McGlinchey but his poked effort in a crowded 18 yard box rolled to White. The Ravens sensed carrion though and a right-wing corner was headed onto the crossbar by Watson, one of the smaller players inside the penalty-area, before an astute Watson pass sent the dreadlocked Hollis to the right byeline and his low centre was converted from a yard out by McDonald; a reward for his undoubted hard work on the night.

PARITY EARNED BY McDONALD...

Maybe Coalville would press home their territorial advantage, the disappointing number of attendees might have thought, but after Meikle for Kettering and then McGlinchey for Coalville had had low shots blocked, a rough foul by Poppy 6 on Hollis caused Jenno some verbal anger and Hollis some physical pain. Soon though, Hollis committed the foul which brought the winning goal for the guests. A neat free-kick from inside-left by replacement Ben Milnes, who looked calm and inventive in possession, deflected off Cox to Richens and he simply shoved a low 15 yard left-footer, not hard at all, which rolled through the crowded penalty-area like a pensioner’s bowling ball slowly missing every obstacle in a pub’s skittle alley towards the right side of goal and although Coton tried to scramble across his goal-line as if he were trying to prevent his pet rabbit from escaping through a hole in the garden fence, the ball trickled agonisingly inside the upright. 

"NO WAY REF, WE'RE JUST PRACTISING FOR THE WHEELBARROW RACE AT BUTLIN'S, HONEST..."

JENNO SCOWLS AT THE WHEELBARROW RACE COMMENT...

ONE BLUE BOOT, ONE WHITE BUT RICHENS HAS WON THE GAME FOR KETTERING...

White saved a low angled Coalville shot at his near post but it was Kettering who finished the stronger outfit with O’Connor the feature in attack. He drove a powerful effort too high, then took a fine pass from Milnes which was measured inside the full-back but after cutting inside from the left, O’Connor’s splendid curling shot only just missed the far stick. The final goal chance would fall either to Milnes or Richens, for a 20 yard free-kick from a central position was awarded to the visitors. Richens took the responsibility but his low right-booter flew a couple of yards wide of the left upright.

Much of the game was played in a quiet atmosphere, as if the spectators were awestruck by the cloud formations in the sky or the rainbow but when Poppy Ben Baker appeared at left-back, his fan club near me suddenly became vociferous. That was good… 

I wondered whether Pegg was on a line at losing, or if Jai Minus of Kettering was a plus for his team and whether Lindon Meikle would ever name a son Michael. Not as daft as it sounds, I once met a teacher called Gaynor, who married a Mr Gaynor and kept that name: Gaynor Gaynor… You couldn’t invent a story like that.

I had been assured that I could gain access back onto the A42 at junction 13 by a few Coalville locals but, er, it was closed and I was forced to detour through Moira (who is she, anyway?) and Overseal, finally finding the A444 towards the M42 and finally an easier drive to Solihull.

Frustration… 

But it’s what I do…

SQUADS:

COALVILLE TOWN:

MATT COTON, JOE PEGG, KYLE BRYANT, RUBEN DESROSIERS, DEAN FREEMAN, LEE COX, 7 THE TRIALLIST, STEVE TOWERS, MASSIAH McDONALD, NAT WATSON, BLAIR ANDERSON.

TOM McGLINCHEY, JERMAIN HOLLIS, ALEX DEAN, DYLAN GARNET, BEN STOKES, MALAKI LUMSDEN, DANNY JENNO.

KETTERING TOWN:

PAUL WHITE, DURRELL BERRY, LIAM BATEMAN, BROWNLEY, BRETT SOLKHON (CAPT), JAMES BRIGHTON, NATHAN HICKS, MICHAEL RICHENS, GARY STOHRER, LINDON MEIKLE, AARON O’CONNOR.

BEN MILNES, MUNASHE SUNDIRE, BEN BAKER, MICHAEL MORROW, JAI MINUS, JUSTIN GREATOREX (GK), BEN TOSELAND.