St Ives star struck by Lee Curtis

St Ives 5ths 1 - 5 Kettering 4ths

With worries that the 4ths would be rudderless without the influential ‘le capitaine’ but all fears were allayed by our stand in Skipper and vice captain, the effervescent Nigel Parkes, gave a rousing speach while at the clubhouse rounding up the troops. Arriving at St Ives a mere 2 hours before push back on the advice of our absent captian.

A delayed start built tension because of what we were told was an umpire malfunction... What ever that means. Push back followed after not too long of a delay. The opening exchanges swayed to the home team but no meaningful entries into the D but then Kettering started to press higher up and St Ives struggled to manoeuvre a safe exit from their 16 hit outs. Kettering also using pace out wide to stretch the defence fashioning out an opening for Lee Paris who's shot was going wide and high only for Shaun Curtis playing in a more advanced position in what some have described as the Sheringham/Bergkamp role playing off the front man to sneak in at the far post and on the volley knocking the ball past the despairing goalkeeper assist going to his strike partner Lee Paris which is developing into an almost telepathic partnership, cleverly disguising the pass as a miss hit shot. The rest of the half followed in a similar vain with Kettering on the press and playing in the home team’s half and creating several half chances to no avail, the half closed out 1-0 to the visitors and quite deservedly. Some great performances from the midfield using the ball wisely, the defence not letting the home team to venture in the D with some stout and experienced shepherding.

The Kettering team were in boyant mood and came back out for the 2nd half looking confident and with a swagger not seen for a while, however the half couldn't have started in a worst fashion as a miss hit pass across the goal from the home player rebounded off several items of goalkeeping gear to trickle over the line 1-1, and a realisation that the first half’s good work has been cancelled out. Kettering however didn't let this get them down and responded in quick fashion. From the push back Lee Paris drove to the heart of the midfield and played a lovely ball out to the wide channel for the pacey Finn Smith to latch onto after taking on the full back and beating him his pass straight to Shaun Curtis just inside who drive to the line along the line passed the ball to the centre dissecting defence and goalkeeper returning his strike partners favour from earlier for Lee Paris to sweep the ball in almost nonchalantly. With Finn Smith terrifying the defence down the right the home were trying to double up on him but his speed and skill was just too much for the home team. Another similar move to the last goal with Smith this time finding Paris in the D who held the ball up wonderfully all game, danced round a defender with the goalkeeper advancing on him he slipped the ball to his left for Shaun Curtis once again to be in just the place you needed him to be to sweep the ball in the empty net from 5 yards. Kettering now fully confident and playing lovely hockey restricting the home team to sideways balls and when they did try to go wide and take our fullbacks on some fantastic blocking and tackling preventing any advance. Another mention should go to Don Coleman playing in an advance centre half position and man marking St Ives dangerman out if the game with no ball and no way out when they had it kettering pressed and got a short corner an accurate injection a great pass to his left from Tony Heath (who continues to look like a man half his age) to his midfield buddy Ludwig Roder to slam home from the edge obviously joyed by this he let out a very gutteral roar of delight. The last 5 minutes the home team pressed and spent some decent time around Ketterings D but with the while team attacking and leaving just one defender back when kettering got the ball and hit the ball strong and long for Lee Paris to charge after and slam home.

Man of the match - Shaun Curtis for some telling interventions to the match being directly involved in the first three goals and causing trouble at every opportunity.

Great performances from all who played. Alistair pulling of an amazing reflex save when Tim MacDowell decided to shoot at his own goal quite strangely.