Kettering Nomads FC

28th November 2009

                                                                    Symington, Ingham 

Despite a below par performance, Nomads picked up another vital three points to keep them very much in the title hunt, against a physical Stanwick Rovers team.

Manager Nathan Eady's now familiar rotation system was again in full force, with three changes from the side that had done so well against Moulton in the Junior Cup the week before. Piazza replaced the injured Loake in central midfield, whilst Evans and Symington came into the starting eleven for Ingham and Norton, who were joined on the subs bench by the returning Robinson, fresh from signing a lucrative new sponsorship deal with ambre solaire.

Starting Line Up - Panter, Joy, Evans, Massie, Smith, Piazza, Bright, D Morris, S Morris, Thurlow, Symington. Subs - Norton, Robinson, Clark, Ingham, Newcombe.

In the same fixture last season, Nomads saw their slim promotion hopes fade away as they were out muscled by a determined and aggressive Stanwick side. With the home team languishing near the foot of the table, and therefore desperate for points themselves, Nomads were expecting another tough encounter.

The first half got underway with Nomads kicking against the considerable slope of the Stanwick pitch, and after the first few frenetic exchanges, the game settled down with the away side enjoying the lion's share of possession. However, last year's game seemed to be very much in the Nomads players minds, as the match started to deteriorate into a virtual carbon copy of the previous season's fixture. Time and time again, Nomads squandered possession whilst under little pressure from their opponents, and with the bobbly pitch adding to the frustration, Stanwick began to grow in confidence that their long ball tactics may get them the result they needed. 

With the game crying out for a goal, a flash of creative genius finally saw Nomads take the lead. Thurlow picked the ball up on the right wing and delivered a pin point cross onto the head of his strike partner Symington, who rose unchallenged to bury the ball in the bottom corner. Thurlow almost doubled the lead a few minutes later when he was put clear by Symington, but his early shot came back off the upright with the keeper well beaten.

Eady decided to shake things up for the second period by replacing Piazza with Clark in the centre of midfield, and with the slope now in their favour, Nomads looked to press home the advantage that they had. However, the away side were stunned when Stanwick equalised with a goal out of nothing. A long punt forward caught out the Nomads back four, and the burly Stanwick centre forward was clean through. Despite his initial shot being saved by Panter, the ball sat up perfectly for him to head home the equaliser into the unguarded net.

Stanwick suddenly found a new lease of life and started to push for a winner themselves. Panter was forced to tip one effort round the post and Massie made two last gasp interceptions as the pressure on the away side increased. With time ticking away, Eady sent on the more attacking Ingham at left back for Evans. Ingham made an instant impact with a couple of mazy runs down the left flank himself, coupled with some good link up play with D Morris.  

Eady was soon patting himself smugly on his back, as his substitutional nous saw Ingham grab the vital winning goal. The left back again went past several Stanwick players as if they weren't there, and despite losing his footing as he bore down on goal, somehow lifted the ball over the advancing keeper and into the net.

The final ten minutes saw Stanwick desperately throw bodies forward in search of a second equaliser but the Nomads defence stood firm to ensure that they picked up the win that they had come to get. Indeed the margin of victory could have been even more, had Bright's header from close range not hit the bar in the last few minutes.

It is always a good sign when a team can play badly but still pick up the win, however with next week's game seeing Nomads entertain the only side to have beaten them this season, Earls Barton, they will need to improve significantly to keep their promotion push moving in the right direction.