Bright Half, Followed By Flood

Kettering started their last home game of the season with a young midfield bolstered by some experience. Jack Bridges played in the middle alongside Simon Chambers with George York opposite Paul Brooker. The game started with Derby only having 9 players as two had managed to lock themselves out of their car at a service station on-route. However it was the 9 men of Derby who applied the early pressure with Kettering struggling to get the gears moving. Having weathered the early storm, Kettering did then take control of the game, moving the ball around, across the back and down the right side with regularity.
This led to a first club goal for young George York, soon followed by a goal by Don Coleman playing up-front with Tim Coleby. Both goals coming off the back of good interplay from the whole Kettering team.
Not long after this Derby last two players finally arrived to bring them up to a full compliment. This brought them a quick reward as Kettering were slow to adjust to the extra players. At 2-1 Kettering could have crumbled but they regathered themselves and pushed forward once again, earning a short corner. This was pushed out by Paul Brooker, to Simon Chambers at the top of the D. His hit was heading wide but was then half stopped by a Derby defender falling invitingly to Paul Brooker to slot into the open goal. A 3-1 lead at half time just reward for some determined play.
Kettering started the second half brightly too, knowing that they had lost too many matches this season in the first 15 minutes of the second half. Unfortunately this was to be short-lived as about 10 minutes in Tim Coleby picked the ball up around the half way line, rounded a couple of Derby defenders and as he tried to run on, his hamstring popped forcing him to leave the field of play. This left Kettering as the team with a player short. Numerical advantage was now with Derby and as the Kettering youngsters ran out of steam they flooded forward filling all the vacant holes in the midfield. Kettering were now unable to play the ball around with the same freedom and fluidity, and found themselves under increasing and relentless pressure. It wasn't long before this told and the goals starting flying in for Derby.
The final score of 7-3 to Derby reflected the collapse and capitulation of a Kettering team that flattered to deceive in the first half.