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It is not often there is a media scrum at the Abbey to see a manager, especially as the person is about to become the manager of peterboring! It meant a visit from Barry Fry and his Chairman, so at least in theory they had a chance to see a decent game!

Starting line-up:

Potter,

McAuley, Hatswell, Saah, Tonkin,

Willmott, Carden, Reason, Pitt,

Holroyd, Crow.

The high wind meant U's chose to play with the wind and attack the NRE in the first half, presumably with a shoot on sight policy, but within 90 seconds we were a goal down. A long throw hit the head of Hatswell at the near post and looped over everyone into the back of the net at the far post. 0-1. Maybe we should have defended as if it was a corner and put a player on the post?

A series of corners for U's, Saah volleying wide from the third.

Pitt had a long shot go a yard wide, and from another corner Crow lobbed over the bar and onto the roof of the net.

A U's free kick resulted in a chance that their keeper tipped over, the referee however gave a goal kick, which may have been for offside.

More U's corners that were scrambled away, Hatswell then had a long shot go wide.

First booking came on 22 minutes following a late challenge by Crow.

Kettering had a long shot pawed away by Potter, followed up by a Kettering player putting the ball across the face of our goal and it returned the same way before being put out for a corner.

Pitt had a long shot on target that was saved.

A poor U's free kick allowed a Kettering break which ended with the ball in the side netting.

Reason got to the ball in their penalty area and was being held back by a defender but no whistle from the referee, Reason was able to cross and Pitt put a weak shot straight to the keeper.

Dance became the 2nd Kettering booking when he stopped Tonkin taking a quick throw in.

Pitt had wandered into the middle and got the ball but slipped over to allow a Kettering break which ended with an offside flag.

Elding was booked for a late challenge after 41 minutes.

Pitt headed a corner over, then Willmott shot over when the ball was headed out following another corner.

In added time Heslop was booked for kicking the ball away following a foul, Hatswell got his head to the free kick but only found the arms of the keeper.

Half time: 0-1

U's started the second half at a high tempo, passing the ball around to Willmott whose shot was pushed out for a corner in the first minute of the half, soon followed by Holroyd shooting over when well placed.

Playing with the wind Kettering won a few corners but didn't really trouble our defence, although it was difficult to get much distance with clearances in the air.

From a Kettering long throw and a foul by a Kettering player Roper wouldn't give the ball back which caused a bit of a melee, Roper getting booked.

McAuley got forward for a shot that was deflected.

On 70 minutes a double substitution with Pitt and Willmott being replaced by Phillips and Challinor, Challinor soon getting the chance to have a shot that was blocked.

A Kettering break looked well offside and they won a couple of corners that came to nothing.

Reason was replaced by Ives on 80 minutes.

In added time Holroyd got behind their defence, cut the ball back for Crow to shoot from close in at the near post, the ball deflecting off the keepers leg and out for a corner. The corner came across, possession was lost which allowed a Kettering 2 on 1 break, the ball played square for Eliding to score. 0-2.

Final score: 0-2.

Goals conceded in the first and last minutes. The 88 minutes in between were not too bad, with U's having most of the possession in the first half, with it being more even in the second half.

The difference was that we didn't get the bit of luck to get the ball in the net.

But then they say you earn your luck, and Kettering certainly earnt theirs with a hard working display. Their players were quick to close down, had a game plan and stuck to it.

By contrast any game plan we had worked intermittently, and it wasn't helped by Carden having an off day when it came to distribution. Reason though had a good game.

Our wide players kept coming in to the middle and getting lost, so that when we wanted to use them wide they were not available. And again having wingers is good if there is someone in the middle to get on the end of crosses, Holroyd was never going to beat their giant defenders in the air, and Crow rarely seemed to be in the right place despite a lot of running around.

As so often our best passages of play was when we passed the ball quickly to feet, but when we didn't score we seemed to give up.

Defensively we were OK, Potter had little to do aside from picking the ball out of the net twice.

Overall I think we were unfortunate not to get a point, but it shows that however much skill there is in a team it has to be matched by hard work.

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