BRADFORD (PARK AVENUE) 2 v 1 Kettering Town
IN BRIEF:
Trailing 1-0 at half time to Simon Richman’s goal for the hosts, the Poppies clawed their way back into the game and equalised in the 87th minute through substitute, Decarrey Sheriff. Richman had been sent off in the 74th minute reducing the home side to 10 men, but they won the game in the 5th minute of added time with a last gasp goal from substitute, Luke Rawson.
THE KETTERING SQUAD:
The team were managed by Head of Academy, Luke Graham and Technical Director, Alan Doyle following yesterday’s abrupt departure of Paul Cox and his management team. Absent from the squad were the two Smiths, Jackson (Covid) and Chris (injured), along with the injured Luke Ward. Rhys Davies and Riccardo Calder started.
The teams lined up:
BRADFORD PARK AVENUE
1 George Sykes-Kenworthy
2 Mark Ross
3 Akeem Hinds
4 Mitchell Lund
5 Luca Havern (Captain)
6 Sam Fielding
7 Dylan Mottley-Henry
8 Simon Richman
9 Brad Dockerty (15 Luke Rawson,86)
10 Oli Johnson (14 Nicky Clee,82)
11 Harrison Hopper
Unused substitutes:
12 Frankie Maguire
16 Rob Guilfoyle
17 Adam Nowakowski
Yellow Cards:Fielding,32; Richman,70 and 74;Ross,82.
Red Cards: Richman,74; Member of Management team 78.
KETTERING TOWN:
1 Rhys Davies
2 Connor Barrett
3 Alex Brown
4 Kevin Joshua (16 Rhys Sharpe,46)
5 Connor Johnson
6 Geaoge Cooper
7 Callum Powell
8 Connor Kennedy (Captain)
9 Gary Stohrer
10 Jordan Crawford (15 Decarrey Sheriff,67)
11 Riccardo Calder (14 Mikey Conlon,75)
Unused Substitutes:
12 Isaac Stones
17 Saul Milovanovic
Yellow card: Cooper,29.
THE GAME:
It was to be a languid first half on the new artificial surface at the Horsfall Stadium. Bradford included two new signings in Sam Fielding and Harrison Hopper as Kettering kicked off under overcast skies.
Play was brisk initially though as both sides showed more effort than skill. Rhys Davies, the Kettering keeper held a 5th minute cross from the left by Akeem Hinds and a home free kick into the six-yard box was halted by an offside flag.
Avenue were on the offensive, and good play by Dylan Mottley-Henry on the right was spoiled by the cross which was far too deep.
Kettering eventually posed some threat as Alex Brown fed Callum Powell on 17 minutes – but the cross from the left was cleared. The ball was in the home net on 19 minutes as a defender inadvertently headed a Brown long throw into his own net - but the Assistant flagged for a foul throw with Brown’s feet over the sideline.
It had been a very messy first 20 minutes. Connor Barrett lost the ball on the halfway line on 23 minutes but George Cooper cleaned up to save any blushes. In the next minute Connor Kennedy hooked a shot well over the bar as a free kick was headed on to him and then Sam Fielding fired a shot wide for the hosts.
Home skipper Luca Havern met a long free kick only to poke the ball high and wide and then good play by Oli Johnson came to naught as his cross was well defended and cleared by the Kettering defence. Soon after, Brad Dockerty created space for himself but the shot was wild.
The game was not reaching any decent standard as Mottley-Henry’s theatrical fall in the Kettering penalty area failed to enlist the Referee’s support for a penalty, and on 42 minutes, Riccardo Calder’s cross was easy for home keeper, George Sykes- Kenworthy.
Right on half time, the one piece of quality play of the half, created the opening goal from Bradford. Some neat passing and interplay involving Oli Johnson on the left set up Simon Richman for a left foot shot which he swept past Davies from around 15 yards and in at the right post.
Half Time:
BRADFORD PARK AVENUE 1 - 0 KETTERING TOWN
Kettering made an immediate substitution at the start of the half with Rhys Sharpe replacing Kevin Joshua and the formation was changed. The Poppies now had three left (wing) backs on the field!
The move seemed to work as Kettering changed their style of play, also, and a passing game came to light. A swift move down the left saw Alex Brown win what was to be a fruitless corner and in the next attack, Brown’s cross saw Jordon Crawford’s bicycle kick fly over the bar.
On 53 minutes Kettering created panic in the home defence with Calder’s cross, and Crawford headed across the face of the goal- but the home defence scrambled clear. Kettering forced a couple more corners and Connor Barrett saw a shot blocked- and there was hope for the travelling fans as the Poppies had dominated the opening quarter of an hour of the half.
Avenue finally got into the Kettering half – but Dockerty’s shot was poor and drifted wide and he had another effort which was over the bar. Kettering’s Crawford was coming into the game and his dangerous cross from the right found no takers. Crawford had to leave the field, injured, on 67 minutes and was replaced by Decarrey Sheriff.
Gary Stohrer, as ever, was doing sterling work in midfield and won a 72nd minute corner which came to nothing. Bradford did threaten on 70 minutes as Dockerty’s left foot shot went narrowly wide of the right post.
The home team suffered two red cards in the 74th and 78th minutes, with, firstly, Richman receiving yellow cards in the 70th and 74th minutes and on 78 minutes a member of the home team management was sent off for seemingly causing a fracas as he held on to the ball off the pitch.
Kettering piled on the pressure, throwing men forward in searching for an equaliser. A shot from either Connor Kennedy or Mikey Conlon (the floodlights weren’t brilliant….) was hacked off the line with Sykes-Kenworthy beaten and Brown’s in-swinging corner on the right nearly caught out the keeper as it hit the outside of the post.
Kettering finally got their reward with an 87th minute equaliser, Barrett’s run on the right fed Callum Powell, whose low cross was converted by Decarrey Sheriff.
With the Poppies in the ascendancy, and virtually all 10 men back for the home side, the men in red went forward, looking for the winner. It was intense pressure and the best chance saw Kennedy head a chance wide.
As Bradford finally got the ball up field, Kettering conceded a sloppy corner on the right. Veteran substitute, Nicky Clee took an in swinging corner and it is believed that the unmarked Luke Rawson got the ball past Davies for an unlikely winner.
With only a few seconds to play out, following the restart, the final whistle sounded as the Kettering players sank to their knees in disbelief.
Full Time:
BRADFORD PARK AVENUE 2 - 1 KETTERING TOWN
Match Officials: Referee: Ed Duckworth; Assistants: Benjamin Tomlinson;Luke Lazenby
Attendance: 445 (Poppies fans estimated at 75)
Poppies Media Man of the Match: Gary Stohrer
Forthcoming HOME games:
Tuesday January 25th: Kidderminster Harriers at 7.45pm
Tuesday February 1st: Southport at 7.45pm
Saturday February 5th: Leamington at 3pm
Forthcoming away games:
Saturday January 29th at Darlington at 3pm
Tuesday February 8th at Alfreton at 7.45pm
Saturday February 12th at Blyth Spartans at 3pm
Match report posted by Sadman KTFC.