Kettering Nomads FC

Kettering Nomads Res 1 – 0  Milton Res

Saturday 18^th April

For the second game running Nomads Reserves were on home soil against an in form Milton side.  With unavailability’s and work commitments stand in gaffer Steve Walton was required to “shuffle the pack” , this time calling up seasoned war horses Steve Panter, Paul Smith as well as Gary “no tricks” Massie, to the squad.

A warm, hurricane free Orlingbury Road looked picturesque in the mid spring sunshine as a season high crowd of thirteen anticipated a well contested encounter.

With Hon Lam Lee (captain for the day) electing to kick towards

Duck End, the game kicked off at a frantic pace with both sides looking to stamp some early authority.  Heads was called upon twice in the first half making routine saves whilst Tom Perkins caused constant concern with his abundance of energy. The high temperature pitch side was obviously taking its toll on Tindle as stitch seemed to kick in on the

3 minute mark.

Going forward Milton’s Number 4 must have thought all his Christmas’ had come at once, as he tried and succeeded in producing his full repertoire of tricks, Massie was left in his wake working out his own arse from elbow.

The first half ended goalless with both sides feeling they had done enough to be in front, the half time discussions were lively with Nomads own Chuckle Brothers John Brown & Steve Walton, both stressing the importance of cutting out minor errors and pushing on for the win.

The second half got underway, with Milton showing great energy and commitment, Heads was called upon twice more to keep the scores level, as the visitors looked for a breakthrough.

On the 55 minute mark the call of the Ice Cream van led to Tindles’ departure as Smith was introduced to the fray at sweeper, allowing Massie to push forward into a more attacking role.  The crowd waited with baited breath to see if Massie could roll back the years and replicate the silky skills his big brother Keith had taught him as a kid……but alas the home contingent were once again left disappointed.

What was now turning into a well contested encounter the game was decided on the 75 minute mark when Harvey ghosted in at the back post to fire past the despairing dives of defenders and the keeper to give Nomads a 1-0 lead. Milton threw everything at Nomads who stood strong marshalled by Smith, whilst the introduction of Panter added some much needed experience during a frantic last 10 minutes. 

In the increasingly warm sunshine the final whistle was a welcome sound with 3 points in the bag, Nomads had gone some way in making up for last Saturdays disappointment.  With two games left Nomads have to be looking for 6 points and hope a sequence of results go there way as mathematically runners up spot is still on, realistically 5 points dropped in the past week means a 3^rd or 4^th place finish is more likely.

Team Ratings

Nathan Heads          Made up for last week’s errors, couple good blocks   8/10

Laurie Mac               Excellent performance, much improved, supported Harvey well

                             8/10

Calum Conway         An injury free appearance, never troubled

                             8/10

Hon Lam Lee            Led by example, dominant under aerial bombardment

                             9/10

Gary Massie             May  have had one lager too many last night!!

                             6/10

Andy Harvey            Excellent goal, great energy and support defensively

                             9/10

Matt Hector             Seemed to wilt in the sun as the game wore on

                             7/10

Tom Perkins            Played out of position adapted well and a constant threat

                             9/10

Rob Caskey             Keep eating those greens!!!! frustratingly inconsistent

                             7/10

Craig Tindle             Showed great vision spotting the Ice Cream Van from 15 miles away

                             4/10

Aidy Hobson             A quieter game than in recent weeks

                             6/10

SUBS

Paul Smith               Experienced, cool calm and collected, though did his best to cause mayhem with the worst defensive free kick seen to man

                             7/10

Steve Panter            Mind is willing, legs not!!!  Still the best “flicker on-er” at the club

                             7/10

Kettering Nomads Res 1-1 Weldon Reserves

Tuesday 14^th April 2009 

After Saturdays forgettable display the reserve side were back at home against in form Weldon. Manager Rick Conway was once again forced to make changes due to unavailability’s.

The biggest shock was the inclusion of Gary Massie, who actually was prepared to play against a Corby side.  With Jason Singh making a guest appearance at full back and Fraser Ingham replacing Nikki Glazebrook in midfield. The starting eleven was very different to the one that was soundly beaten three days earlier.

The usual chaos of a midweek early kick off meant the warm up and preparation were rushed, the last thing Nomads needed was a slow start against an enthusiastic Corby outfit.  Kicking towards the Cricket Nets in the first half Nomads started well enough having the better of the early exchanges with Ingham & Caskey both going close, whilst Gary Massie long throw was a constant thorn in the side of the Weldon defence.  As the half progressed Weldon managed to get into their stride, however their superior possession never once troubled Nomads’ makeshift back four of Singh, Massie, Lee and Macniven.

The second half got under way and almost immediately Caskey chased down a poor kick from the visiting goalkeeper, unfortunately his effort cleared the unguarded goal. Nomads pushed on and were rewarded for their efforts with 25 minutes to go when a defensive mix up allowed Ingham to strike from 30 yards, to give Nomads the lead.  The goal seemed to spur on the villagers and with the home defence dropping deeper and deeper this allowed Weldon to apply concerted pressure on the home goal, though in reality Heads was not really called upon. 

With the light diminishing and time running out it looked like the single strike would be enough to take all 3 points, when totally out of the blue a ball whipped in from the right wing was met perfectly by the away teams centre forward who planted a powerful header in the far corner past the despairing Heads……cruelly no sooner had the ball hit the net the referee blew for time.

The sickening circumstances may be hard to take for Nomads, however following the poor display at ON’s and the quality of the Weldon team, a draw was maybe a fair reflection of this end of season encounter.

TEAM RATINGS

Nathan Heads          Competent but un-spectacular                

6/10

Jason Singh             Constant threat going forward plenty of energy

                                                                                                7/10

Gary Massie              Cool calm and collected, still only one trick in his locker                                                         6/10

Hon Ham Lee           Great in the air defensively, still looking for 1^st goal

                                    In 25 years                                        7/10

Laurie Macniven      More solid than Saturday, likes playing against his

                                    fellow countrymen                           7/10

Andy Harvey Seems resigned to never get on the end of one of

                                    Heads booming kicks!!! Consistent display        7/10

Matt Hector                Worked hard rarely gives the ball away, still no goals  this season!!!      

                                                                                                7/10

Fraser Ingham          Wonder strike, fitness levels of Dude!!!

                                                                                                7/10

Rob Caskey              Missed open goal, though from distance,

Needs to eat his greens which will give him some strength in the tackle                                         6/10

Tom Perkins             Buzzed around, causing defensive confusion, no goal in 4 games, excellent work rate                 7/10

Aidy Hobson             Looks good player when holds the ball up, looks worse

                                    than Ken when he tries his flicks             7/10

SUBS:

Nikki Glazebrook      Had poorly tummy known as Corby It Us I think!!!

Lee Walton                Muscle bound hard man, came on and threw his weight around                                          7/10

ON Chenecks “A” 5    v    Kettering Nomads Reserves 0

After a run of impressive results and with a runners up spot in sight Nomads were brought crashing down to earth with what can only be described as a shambolic team display.

In fairness ON’s were a vastly different outfit than the one that Nomads beat 7-1 in September, with a mix of youth and experience,  they were arguably one of the better sides the reserves had come up against this season.

With the usual rock solid defence deciding to take the afternoon off and a midfield that were outplayed for long periods the result seemed a forgone conclusion as soon as the first goal went in.  Chances came and went for ON’s and before half time Nomads were happy to only be 2-0 down.  Things went from bad to worse straight from the restart with hesitant defending leading to the third decisive goal.  With Nomads now in disarray Heads in goal had a rush of blood to the head and after competently intercepting a long ball over the top was then guilty of giving the ball away leading to a fourth gift of a goal,  Bruce Grobbelaar / Rene Higuita eat your heart out!!!  A fifth goal soon followed, the only shock was the amount of chances ON’s missed saving Nomads further embarrassment.

All in all a bad day at the office has probably ended any lingering hopes Nomads had of grabbing second place, however a collective improvement is needed to ensure the season ends on a high.

Team Ratings

Nathan Heads          Blooper for the fourth goal!!                       4/10

Laurie Mac                A little hesitant at times                               4/10

Hon Han Lee                        Won fair share of headers                         5/10

Jon Stokes                Not really at fault, but below par    6/10

Calum Conway        Didn’t get injured which was a bonus     6/10

Mark Perkins             Had to defend for long periods                  5/10

Nikki Glazebrook      Game seemed to pass him by                   4/10

Matt Hector                Struggled top make any impact                4/10

Rob Caskey              ineffective after promising start                 5/10

Aidy Hobson             Worked hard with no reward                      5/10

Craig Tindle              Glimpses of class, unlucky not to net      6/10

SUBS:

Tom Perkins             Came on at 4 down no real chance to

                                    Make an impact                                         5/10

Andy Harvey Brief appearance, no chance to shine    5/10

Saturday 4th April

Kettering Nomads Reserves  4  v  Nether Heyford Reserves  0

Rick Conway's blue and white army were back on home soil this week against relegation favourites Nether Heyford. After last weeks excellent win Nomads were looking to keep up their late push for runners up.

Inevitably Rick Conway was forced into making a number of changes, with Andy Harvey, Tom Perkins & Kris Manley all away,  Gary (One Trick) Massie and Paul (How High Can I Wear My Shorts) Smith were called upon from the pool of talented first team players available, both took their place on the bench alongside Lee (I am nothing like my brother) Walton.

With a strong cross wind  (which played havoc with Ken Blounts comb over) and a hard, bobbly pitch the game itself was never going to be a classic footballing encounter.  The early exchanges were pretty non descript with neither side really getting to grips with the conditions, with Nomads employing the twin target man / no pace attack of Tindle & Hobson the endless long balls were causing minimal problems for the visiting defence. However  the game burst into life on the 20 minute mark when a booming goal kick from Heads was latched onto by Aidy Hobson who after 30 or 40 touches planted the ball into the bottom corner to give Nomads the lead.  The goal seemed to give Nomads some much needed momentum with the ever lively Laurie Mac missing two gilt edged chances that really should have but the game beyond Heyford.  The visitors showed little as an attacking force, creating  only one clear cut chance resulting in there left winger being put clear through on goal, however Heads did well to block with his feet to keep score at 1-0. 

With 35 minute on the clock the game turned slightly sour with Heyfords No.7 taking exception to a tussle with Tindle and looked to exact some kind of unwarranted revenge by kicking, punching and spitting in the direction of the larger than life centre forward, all of which found their intended target, leaving the referee with no option but to give the rabid No.7 his marching orders.  I think we all agree there is no place in the game for this kind of behaviour, however if an opposing player wants to spit, kick and hit anyone then Tindle would be the obvious choice of target!!!!!  Heyford looked visibly shocked at there own players stupidity and within minutes of being reduced to 10 men they went 2-0 down thanks to Tindle mis-hitting a shot that squirmed underneath the portly frame of the opposing keeper.

As the second half evolved Heyford must have taken heart from Nomads making two substitutions replacing Calum Conway & Hon Han Lee with veteran campaigners Gary Massie and Paul Smith, if ever a team had an opportunity to take advantage of a paceless back four then now was the time…..however experience won the day with Smith, Stokes, Massie & Macniven standing firm   As the game turned into a one sided affair Nomads added two further goals courtesy of Craig Tindle giving him a thoroughly undeserved hat trick,  however a goal return of 5 goals in 2 weeks is pretty impressive from the loveable chunky monkey.

Next week Nomads are forced to play their home game against ON's at Chenecks who will be looking to avenge a 7-1 defeat from earlier in the season, with back to back wins Nomads must build on this and if second place is to be achieved then 5 wins from the final 5 games is an absolute must.

Team Ratings

NOMADS RES 1   PEGASUS RES 0 (28-2-09)

After last weeks hard fought encounter at table topping Roade, the 2^nd string were looking to build on that and make a late push a top 3 finish.

After two weeks on the road, Nomads second string hosted Pegasus at the Theatre of Dreams Orlingbury Road. Rick was forced into making 3 changes from last week, with Mark Perkins unavailable due to Mrs Perkins having there first child, Matt Hector still struggling with his hamstring and Craig Tindle conveniently having a bout of Corby It-Us,  in came Aidy, Sean Kelly and Laurie Mac.  Manager Rick Conway also had his usual selection dilemma of which of his two goalkeepers Nathan Heads or Tom Perkins to play in goal and which to play up front, unbelievably Rick opted once again for Tom Perkins up front leaving arguably the clubs best striker Heads languishing in the sticks again!!!  

Defending the Duck End in the first half Nomads started brightly without really creating any clear cut chances 

With HH Lee dominant at the back, dutifully supported by the ever reliable Jon Stokes Pegasus never really created anything to worry the back four. As the half wore on Nomads took control of the game, and with 30 minutes on the clock a long throw by Conway caused defensive panic, leading to Aidy stabbing the ball past the opposing keeper. 

The second kicked off with Pegasus pressing for an equaliser, however Nomads new defensive resolve stood up well, with Heads not really being tested. With Andy and Rob C working up and down the flanks, Pegasus struggled to not only contain them, but also struggled to get in behind what is turning out to be a strong back four.  With Pegasus becoming more frustrated the game turned into a scrappy affair with foul after foul committed, though the only major incident being Tom Perkins being grabbed in a headlock whilst running adjacent to the Pegasus full-back, quite how the referee deemed it not to be a penalty, only he can answer.

All in all this will go down as a well gained 3 points against a decent Pegasus side, with 4 points from the last 6, the reserve side have a good base to build on for the final quarter of the season, if they can consistently show this type of character and resolve then maybe a runners up spot is not beyond them.

Team Ratings: 

1. Nathan Heads - had an unexpectedly quite afternoon 7/10

2. Calum Conway - got the better of his man, though this had to be expected, the guy is nicknamed Hippo!!! 7/10

3. Laurie Mac - switched to left back, one of three fitness instructors in squad, so why does he always look knackered?  8/10

4. Jon Stokes - Mr reliable / consistency, however loses all respect for wearing a purple jumper!!! 8/10

5. Hon Lee - never loses a header, good partnership with Mr Stokes 7/10

6. Rob Castka - after poor game last week much improved, however questions still being asked as to why the hell a 19 year old lad offered to be part of a wedding fayre!!  7/10

7. Andy - showed why he’s a fitness instructor, up and down and a constant threat on the flank, obviously uses his works facilities 8/10

8. Nikki Glazebrook - has become a vital part of the midfield decent game again, but supports Man City so……1/10

9. Sean Kelly - had a quiet game, seems to be mute!!!!! 7/10

10. Aidy -Goal machine done it again, works tirelessly 8/10

11. Tom Perkins - as ever a handful, constant threat should have had two penalties 7/10

SUBS: 

Craig Tindle - our 3^rd fitness instructor in the squad obviously does not use his works facilities!!! Was too poorly to start as he had a tickly cough!! Though some would argue he was wary that we were playing against the linesman he called a cheat in a previous meeting and did not want to get duffed up!!  5/10

Lee Walton - Back from Uni, came on with 20 to go and slotted in well 7/10

Chris - Forgot his I-POD this week and seemed lost on the touchline without it, cameo 10 minutes    7/10