A early morning struggle.

An early 10am push back this week and still without influential Captain Justin Smith but with Nigel Parkes stepping in as a more than able replacement. The game started with Kettering playing some good hockey, passing the ball around at a better speed that the previous week. They pressed the opposition well and won a short corner early on. The reliable Brooker / Heath combination again proving to be a potent weapon, Brooker pushed out, Heath trapped and played the ball back to Brooker on the post, whose close control and skill wrong footed a defender and calmly and casually lifted the ball into the back of the net. Not even 5 minutes gone and 1-0 to the Home team.

Kettering, as is the normality these days, after the goal got even more confident and began to speed the game up applying further pressure on the Cambride defence. 6 and a half minutes in and the ball playing pin ball in and around the D, finally fell to TANSER who had time to get a shot away however he topped the ball causing it to bounce up and smash into the mouth of the away teams defender splitting his lip quite badly. A break in play of about 7 minutes followed while the defender was patched up with the help of the umpire and a sub. The defender couldn't make a return to the pitch for the rest of the game and with no subs they were down to 10.

The break in play and the numerical advantage didn't do anything for Kettering's fluidity. As has been many times in the past facing 10 men it is very detrimental to their passing. It became pedestrian at best, the movement diminished and the stretching of the play evaporated. Kettering sensing that things needed to be jazzed up and made all 3 subs at the 15 minute mark. Curtis, McDowell and Mayes replacing TANSER, Carter and Brooker. The frustration was growing for Kettering as although the effort was there they couldn't stir themselves out of the slumber caused by an early push back and a long break in play. Kettering were however still creating chances but Cambridge Souths Keeper made some great saves when called upon. He actually minimised the actual shooting opportunities by rushing out very quickly every time the ball reached the D smothering the ball and closing down the home attack. Kettering needed to move the ball when in the D to the free, and open square players for the easy finish. However the combination of taking the keeper on and him being very good meant that Kettering couldn't find a way through.

Cambridge South were limited to very few attacking opportunities with the home defense being well organised and snuffing out most danger s. But they did win a short corner from which the away team leveled, an experienced center back for Cambridge - another candidate for Man of the Match struck a sweet shot which took the edge of someones stick and went past the keeper. Kettering confused and dazed like a boxer on the ropes tried to get back in it but the half ran out without any more incidents.

The message at half time was stretch the play, pass the ball quicker, look to use it wide, push the full backs further forward to create extra man in attack. But this didn't come to pass with the second half was very similar to the first. Cambridge still a man short did an excellent job in slowing the ball down at every opportunity, taking time to get the ball, and also slow to play the free hits and sideline balls. Kettering obliged very politely by reciprocating in this making for a very cagey and slow game.

Despite this, the home side was still creating chances and the collective radar for passing was improving if still a little off. Kettering then broke the deadlock when Tim McDowell was on hand to slide the ball under the Keeper and in to the net after Kettering had moved the ball quicker while in and around the D which pulled the away keeper out of his desired position.

I feel the need to put a disclaimer in for the next part as the memory is fading this either happened at 1-1 or 2-1 but the events are as follows: Another rare attack into the D from Cambridge South, resulted in a bit of a melee with Kettering twice clearing the ball to a Cambridge South player at the top of the D instead of clearing it to the vacant wider areas. During the melee a Cambridge South player trapped the ball with his left foot before transferring it to his open stick side to smash the ball home. Luckily for Kettering, one of the umpires saw the offence in a very crowded box to disallow the goal, not after the other umpire gave the goal and led to some confusion, frustration, disappointment and finally relief. The rest of the half passed by without much interest at a very slow pace.

The general consensus of the crowd and both the teams is that 10am is too early a push back, Cambridge deserved more from the game. They played very well without really creating much goal threat and Kettering got away with that on a day the defenses ruled the roost. On a positive note - the 3 points, this is definitely a game we would of lost last year and earlier in the season would of drawn, it also showed a real resilience and togetherness. This Kettering 4th's team will not go quietly into the night having already completed several of our pre-season objectives. They won't rest on their laurels while also building and improving for next seasons challenge for the title. A crediatble fourth place in a competitive league is a very real opportunity.

Next week see's a trip to Cambridge Nomads for another tough encounter.

Match report provided by Shaun Curtis.