Date: Saturday 14th November, 2009
Competition: Blue Square Premier
Weather at kick-off: windy
Goals
Kettering: Hatswell o.g. 3', Elding 90'

A goal in the first 90 seconds set Kettering on the way to a hard fought victory over United in gusty conditions at the Abbey Stadium.

Martin Ling named an unchanged starting line up as United sought a fourth successive win. Andy Parkinson returned to the subs bench following an injury. Mark Cooper, in what looked set to be his last game as Kettering boss, made one change, with James Dance replacing player-assistant Nicky Eaden.

United, attacking the Newmarket Road end, won an early free kick when Chris Holroyd was upended, but Anthony Tonkin gifted possession to Kettering, who were soon on the attack themselves, and took the lead after just 90 seconds. A prodigious throw from Exodus Geohaghon swirled in the strong wind, and the ball flicked off Wayne Hatswell's head and over the flat-footed Danny Potter.

Looking to bounce back quickly, good play between Willmott and Crow saw United win a corner on the right. Pitt's first flag kick was headed behind by Roper, and the second, taken by Willmott, saw the winger try and pick out Jai Reason on the edge of the box. But the delivery was poor and Carden had to be alert to stop a Kettering break away. Willmott found space again moments later, but delayed his cross and it was put behind for another corner. This time the young winger's centre was better, finding Saah, who half volleyed just wide.

The wind was playing havoc with both side's attempts to clear their lines, and Pitt seized on a poor clearance to send a 25 yard shot just wide. But United continued to press, and Geohaghon had to be alert to stop another cross at the expense of a corner. Willmott's cross was eventually cleared to Reason, who headed the ball wide to Crow in space, but his lob landed on the roof of the net with Harper beaten.

At the other end it took a good tackle from Tonkin to foil Ashikodi, but United were soon back on the offensive, and in the 11th minute Crow was fouled, earning a free kick on the left corner of the box. Willmott took aim, and fired in a great shot which flew just over the bar. United claimed Harper had got a touch, but referee Hendley gave a goal kick.

United came close to a goal when a low corner from Willmott was flicked on by Holroyd and put over his own bar by a covering defender. The second corner was cleared, and Kettering again showed their ability to break when Simon Heslop burst forward only to be thwarted by Tonkin. Wayne Hatswell was the next player to try his luck, striding forward but shooting wide from 30 yards, while Danny Crow was first to go in the book for a late tackle on Taylor.

Seconds later Kettering almost made it two; Potter did well to stop Heslop's shot, but the ball wasn't cleared and eventually fell to Elding, who blasted the it across the box to Ashikodi, whose shot hit the post and was cleared behind by Saah.

Pitt stung the hands of Harper with a long range effort as United went on the attack again, but Kettering's defence held firm, marshalled expertly by Geohaghon. Pitt again got a shot on target from Reason's cross, but his effort was straight at the keeper, and as the rain began to fall again Hatswell fouled Elding 30 yards from goal to concede a free kick. But Heslop's effort struck the wall and as United tried to clear, Dance was shown a yellow card for blocking Tonkin as he sought to take a quick throw.

Ashikodi was flagged offside as he looked to burst on to a Heslop pass, and moments later Danny Potter raced off his line to deal with another through ball, but scuffed his clearance into touch. From the resulting throw it took a great block from Pitt to deny Elding, and the little winger was involved again soon afterwards, releasing Tonkin, who saw his centre cleared by Roper.

Determined play from Holroyd then saw him force a corner on the right, which was taken by Willmott but cleared away. Elding was carded for a foul on Carden on half way, and the delivery into the box from the United skipper was cleared unconvincingly by the visitors to Pitt, who found Hatswell lurking on the left. His cross was slid behind for another flag kick, and from Willmott's delivery Pitt headed over.

Right on the stroke of half time Willmott spurned a good chance to equalise, arriving at the far post to meet a Reason corner but shooting high over the Newmarket Road end. Then Hatswell met a Reason free kick but headed into the arms of Harper. And after two minutes of added time, Mr Hendley blew his whistle and the players exited the field to the delighted cheers of the massed Kettering fans in the South Stand.

Half time: Cambridge United:0 Kettering Town:1

The players re-emerged for the second half with Kettering captain Roper sporting a hefty head bandage following a first half clash with Crow. United were immediately back on the attack, and a good passing move involving Carden, Reason, and Crow saw the latter release Willmott on the right. He bamboozled his marker but tried to beat Harper at his near post, and the Kettering keeper palmed the ball behind for a corner, which was cleared.

Then Holroyd found space in the box but shot over with Crow and Pitt in space to his left. The U's were now playing into the strong wind, and a couple of attempted clearances from Reason held up in the wind instead of finding their targets. The visitors were also struggled to adjust to having the breeze at their backs, with Ashikodi overhitting a corner that cleared everyone and went out on the far side.

United's next attack saw Pitt release Willmott, but his cross was sliced clear. Then Pitt stayed downed after a clash of heads with Noubissie, but was eventually helped to his feet by Greg Reid and rejoined the action following a drop ball. But with Kettering content to sit on their lead, the U's were having difficulty fashioning many chances in a scrappy second period.

Indeed it was the visitors who looked the more dangerous on the break, with a couple of Geohaghon's long throws causing chaos in the box. One of these throws led to a 18-man melee, with Potter taking exception to Roper's attempts to hang on the ball after United had been given a free kick. After a bout of pushing and shoving, Roper was shown a yellow card.

More controversy followed when Crow appeared to be bowled over by Geohaghon, but referee Hendley waved play on. Then a burst down the left from Pitt in the 63rd minute saw him win a free kick, but Willmott's cross was headed away. Mr Hendley was beginning to frustrate the home fans with his failure to deal with Kettering's physical tactics, but United continued to press, with a McAuley shot getting deflected behind and Saah failing to connect with the subsequent corner.

Then, with Francis Green down apparently injured, Reason's through ball almost Holroyd, but Harper was out quickly to smother. Green was soon back on his feet, and a mistake from Harper nearly cost his team, as he failed to deal with a Pitt cross but Willmott couldn't capitalise.

Martin Ling made a double change on 71, withdrawing Pitt and Willmott and replacing them with Challinor and Phillips, as United switched to 4-3-3. Mark Cooper made a change of his own, taking Green off and bring on Danny Thomas.

Crow had a shot blocked after good play from Tonkin as United looked for a way back into the match, but the change of shape seemed to favour Kettering, with their own wide men having more space in which to operate. Holroyd nearly stole in on a Reason long pass, but the ball was poked behind for a corner. But from the corner Kettering almost put the result beyond doubt, with Ashikodi running 50 yards before feeding Thomas, whose cross was put behind by the recovering Hatswell with Potter beaten.

Ling's final throw of the dice saw Sam Ives replace Reason, but a succession of hopeful forward passes failed to reach the front three, and Harper remained untroubled as the match ticked into the closing minutes.

Ives released Tonkin on the left as United looked desperately for a goal, but his cross was behind the waiting strikers, before a second Kettering change saw Ashikodi replaced by Damian Spencer in the dying seconds. Hatswell then conceded a corner when a long clearance skimmed of his head and behind, but with the visitors not committing many men forward United cleared the danger.

With five minutes of added time signalled, United won a free kick which was headed away and moments later Crow missed a glorious chance to equalise. Holroyd burst clear down the right, and fired a cross into the near post which met by Crow but his shot was blocked behind by Harper's leg, and the Kettering keeper was equal to the resulting corner, punching the ball away.

And as United pushed forward again, Kettering wrapped up the points. A long ball forward found Spencer, on for Ashikodi, who broke away down the right and squared for the unmarked Elding to ram the ball home and spark wild celebrations in the visiting dug out and the South Stand. The final whistle sounded seconds later, to confirm Kettering's victory, and make it a perfect swansong for Mark Cooper in front of watching Peterborough director of football Barry Fry and their chairman.

Cambridge United:
Danny Potter, Rory McAuley, Anthony Tonkin, Brian Saah, Wayne Hatswell, Paul Carden, Jai Reason (Sam Ives 82), Robbie Willmott (Lee Phillips 71), Courtney Pitt (Jon Challinor 71), Chris Holroyd, Danny Crow.
Subs not used: Josh Coulson, Andy Parkinson.

Booked: Crow foul 23'

Kettering Town:
Lee Harper, Ian Roper, John Dempster, Francis Green (Danny Thomas 71), Greg Taylor, James Dance, Patrick Noubissie, Simon Heslop, Anthony Elding, Exodus Geohaghon, Moses Ashikodi (Damian Spencer 89).
Subs not used: Darren Wrack, Lee Fowler, Andre Boucard.

Booked: Dance time-wasting 31', Elding foul 41', Heslop time-wasting 45', Roper foul 61'

Man of the Match: Courtney Pitt - Tried to get United going, drifting dangerous inside and attacking the heart of the Kettering defence. United lost impetus when he and Willmott went off.

Referee: Mr A. Hendley

Attendance: 3,088 (451 away)

Matthew Gooding