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Match Report

TODAY�S MATCH SPONSOR: STANDARD ENGINEERING LTD IN BRIEF: Last week a point was dropped by the Poppies in the final minute of added time at the end of the game, and this week two points went the same way as Kings Langley equalised in the 92nd minute. Kettering had taken the lead in just 7 minutes through Aaron O�Connor and the visitors� equaliser was attributed to Callum Adebiyi but it was an own goal from Rene Howe. Kings stuck to their task, rode their luck and in the end deserved the point. THE KETTERING SQUAD: With Gary Stohrer ill with flu, Ben Baker back at St Ives, Ben Bradshaw reporting ill, Michael Richens suspended, James Brighton still injured and Callum Snow selected for Northamptonshire under 18�s only four substitutes could be named. New signing Orrin Pendley started as did Gary Mulligan and Mathtew Stevens, with Brett Solkhon and Rhys Hoenes on the bench. THE TEAMS: Kettering Town: 1 Paul White 2 Liam Bateman 3 Ben Toseland 16 Tom Marshall 5 Gary Mulligan (Captain) 6 Orrin Pendley 7 Lindon Meikle 8 Aaron O�Connor 9 Rene Howe 10 Ben Milnes (4 Brett Solkhon, 69) 15 Matthew Stevens (11 Rhys Hoenes,84) Unused Substitutes: 12 Ibby Akandi 14 Kalern Thomas Yellow cards: Pendley,29;Mulligan,84 KINGS LANGLEY: 1 Martin Bennett 2 Emmanuel Folarin 3 Callum Adebiyi 4 Gary Connolly 5 Jorell Johnson (Captain) 6 Elliott Godfrey 7 Steven Ward 8 Joshua Coldicott-Stevens 9 Mitchell Weiss 10 Michael King 11 Matthew Ball (12 Arjun Jung, 86) Unused Substitutes: 14 Aidan Collins 15 Sam Tring 16 Christopher Gosling Yellow Cards: Folarin,88. HOW THE GAME UNFOLDED: A decent crowd greeted the teams on a bitterly cold afternoon as Kettering started attacking the Morrisons end. An early Poppies corner was cleared away and Kettering�s first chance, set up by Ben Milnes, saw Aaron O�Connor�s shot blocked. O�Connor was to score a minute later on 7 minutes though as Ben Toseland's cross was helped on by Rene Howe and O�Connor turned and lashed the ball in. It was mainly Kettering at this stage and Howe had a shot blocked out and Milnes put a 16th minute free kick over the bar. A couple of minutes later O�Connor again found a way through and beat keeper, Martin Bennett, only for Jorell Johnson to hook the shot off the goal line with a great saving clearance. Kings� first real sight of goal fell to Matthew Ball on the left in the 22nd minute,but he mishit the shot which skewed wide. Straight away, at the other end, O�Connor had a good chance running in on goal but Bennett made a good stop. Kettering threatened again and a Howe/ Liam Bateman interchange on the right saw Bateman�s cross hurredly cleared. The visitors, playing a packed midfield, which included prolific scorer, Mitchell Weiss, were by no means out of the game and featured more in attack in the final 10 minutes of the half. Home keeper, Paul White, took a corner at the second attempt and not long after Weiss saw a shot blocked, Josh Coldicott-Steven fired high over the bar and in added time White was in the right place to block a Callum Adebiyi header from a corner. Half Time: Kettering Town 1 - 0 Kings Langley The second period started with Kettering looking to increase their lead and Howe�s low cross from the right was gathered by the diving Bennett. Two corners were won and, from the second, Howe headed wide. White made a routine 52nd minute shot from Coldicott-Steven and Kings were certainly competing- if not threatening a goal. A flowing Kettering move down the right saw Matty Stevens cross for Milnes- but the shot was high over the bar. The game was entering the final quarter now and Emmanuel Folarin surged forward on the right for the visitors but his cross was wild. Kings forced a corner on the right- cleared by Tom Marshall. The Poppies came forward again on 72 minutes with Meikle�s through ball just evading Stevens as a grateful Bennett held the ball. Brett Solkhon replaced Milnes and within minutes slipped the ball through to Howe and the shot beat Bennett- but hit the left post. Meikle and O�Connor combined to set up Howe but the striker could not control the shot, which looped over. That second goal would just not come as Marshall headed wide a corner from Ben Toseland, Bateman had a shot blocked and Orrin Pendley �scored� but was correctly ruled offside from the free kick. The sucker punch came in the second and last minute of added time. Kings forced two late corners and from the second,on the left, Adebiyi was credited for getting the final touch but it was Rene Howe's header over the line. It was harsh for Kettering, but it�s goals that count and Kings never gave up and showed considerable skill in midfield without really threatening a goal until it happened�. The Poppies now go to revitalised Merthyr Town next Saturday before entertaining Biggleswade at home on Saturday 27th. Full Time: Kettering Town 1 - 1 Kings Langley Attendance: 612 Klondike: Pete Simcoe wins �180 with ticket number: 22410 Elgoods Brewery Poppies Man of the Match selected by Sponsor, Standard Engineering Limited: Aaron O�Connor