Men's 3rd XI comprehensively beat Wisbech Town 4th XI

Kettering entertained league strugglers Wisbech Town 4ths and knew they had to win convincingly to keep pace with their promotion rivals. The primary aim was to keep possession and move the ball around quickly. Additionally, the hosts wanted to get to the bye-line and put in crosses. The scoring was opened after one such move. Captain Neil Manley went down the right and cut the ball back to the top of the circle where Gary Thorpe arrived to hit a rocket of a shot into the goal. A defender on the line tried to stop it with his hand but to no avail.
Harry Tanser got his first of the match after great interplay from Hal Robinson and Andy Bull set him up in front of the goal. As had been predicted before the match, it was very much attack versus defence and skipper Manley added a third with a shot on the turn from the top of the circle. Fellow midfielder Geoff Elliott got in on the act with a "Barnes Wallis" of a shot that evaded the young Wisbech goalie. Inevitably, the visitors conceded several short corners and Nick Cusk tried a range of permutations but Bull, Manley and Paul Brooker couldn't capitalise. Tanser got his second from open play with a calm reverse-stick finish and there was time for a sixth before the interval. A short corner was mis-controlled by Bull but Robinson showed great vision and picked out Tanser at the top of the circle and he completed a first-half hat-trick with a powerful, low shot.

Into the second-half and Frazer Cairns added to the goal tally when he surged into the left hand side of the circle and shot between the keeper's legs. To their credit, Wisbech kept their spirits up throughout the match and a couple of their energetic youngsters left the Kettering defenders with red faces and earned two short corners in quick succession. However, the home defence was able to keep them out and Sam Berridge wasn't troubled in the Kettering goal.
In a slight change of formation, Brooker slotted into his familiar right wing position and helped to give the hosts more width. The veteran linked up very well with Robinson in midfield who delivered a man-of-the-match performance with his outstanding vision. They set up many opportunities and Tanser was the main beneficiary as he bagged a second half hat-trick to go alongside his first one.
Not to be outdone, Cusk decided to be more direct from short corners and he scored two flicked shots, a dribble and low shot and also converted after a one-two with Tanser.
Andy Bull also found his scoring touch in the second half and he also got three. One was a close-range finish, the second was a rebound from a short corner and the third came at the end of the match via the penalty spot. Robinson was in the thick of it again and his shot was deliberately kept out with a foot. Bull made no mistake and his goal completed an impressive 13 goal tally in the second period.

Next week Kettering travel to Cambridge to play the Nomads in a top of the table clash.