Kettering Nomads FC

2nd January 2010

After a three week lay off, Nomads Junior Cup dream faded away at the quarter final stage, as they were comprehensively beaten by UCL high fliers Irchester at a frosty Orlingbury Road. 

Business whiz kid Nathan Eady turned up looking resplendant in his new Christmas training top, complete with his initials, although from the sounds that the seams were making, it was obvious that someone had definitely overdone the Yuletide festivities! As usual, Eady was faced with some tough selection decisions ahead of the biggest game of the season. When the starting eleven was finally revealed, it was Evans, Symington and Joy who were the unlucky three that were dropped to the bench, with Massie, Jackson and Thurlow reinstated. With Dracula lookalike Bright unavailable due to a runny nose, Clark began in the centre of midfield.

Starting line up:  Panter, Ingham, Jackson, Smith, Massie, Clark, Piazza, D Morris, S Morris, Thurlow, Norton. Subs: Loake, Symington, Evans, Joy, Robinson.

With the frozen pitch having passed a pre-match inspection by the referee, the game got underway with Nomads looking to cause yet another cup upset. For the first ten minutes, Irchester enjoyed most of the possession, as Nomads allowed their midfield too much time and space. However, having survived a couple of half chances on their goal, the home side slowly began to gain a foothold and created the first real clear cut opening of the match when Jackson flicked on a long throw from Massie, only for the ball to roll agonisingly past the far post with no Nomads player able to complete what would have been a simple tap in. 

The game began to switch from end to end as both teams searched for the vital first goal. Unfortunately for Nomads, it was Irchester who succeeded in taking the lead after 20 minutes, when a high ball towards the near post was mis-judged by Panter and as he waited to collect it, the Irchester forward rose to head the ball into the empty net. To their credit, Nomads refused to let this set back affect them and started to play their best football of the match. Twice they had strong penalty claims turned down for fouls on Clark and Thurlow, and then a one two between Thurlow and D Morris saw the latter through on goal, but his shot was saved and then the rebound scrambled clear. The final chance of the half saw Jackson blaze a shot high over the bar when he probably should have done better.

With just a one goal deficit against them, Nomads came out for the second period still full of belief that they could get back into the match. They started the half well and were enjoying another spell of pressure when from nothing, Irchester doubled their lead. A huge kick from the away keeper was flicked on to put the Irchester forward clean through. As Panter came out to narrow the angle, the striker calmly squared the ball to his onrushing team mate who had the simplest of tasks to roll the ball into the unguarded net. 

This seemed to knock the stuffing out of some of the Nomads players as their heads visibly dropped. Irchester were now totally in command, and started to go for the throat as they found more and more space all over the pitch. Panter was forced to tip over a great volley to keep the score at 2-0, but he could do nothing a few minutes later when the big Irchester striker turned in the box and smashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner. 

Loake and Symington were brought on for Clark and Piazza as Eady tried one last desperate throw of the dice, but the UCL side were in no mood to allow any comeback and continued to rain attacks down on the beleaguered Nomads defence. A fourth goal came with five minutes to go, as the Irchester player cleverly chipped the ball into the far corner after his initial shot had been well saved by Panter.

Nomads can hold their heads high that they competed with their higher League opponents for an hour, but inevitably fitness and ability on the ball won the day. Nomads must now re-focus their attentions to their league campaign, with the next game seeing another tough encounter against Daventry Drayton Grange at home.