Chris Seeby rides a challenge
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After an opening forty-five minutes of enthralling open attacking football at Clarence Park on Saturday St Albans City somewhat stumbled into Monday’s final qualifying round FA Cup draw thanks to the enduring brilliance of former Kettering Town goalkeeper Paul Bastock.
Attacking down either flank to great effect during the first half the Saints fully justified their lofty league placing but for once the highest scoring forward line in the Conference South was firing blanks. Although City were unusually blunt in front of goal not all the blame lies at the feet of Simon Martin and Lee Clarke as the Poppies defended superbly, indeed such was the excellence of Kevin Wilson’s backline that visiting keeper Mark Osborn was not called upon to make a single save of note.
Unchanged for the fifth successive match City soon got on top after an even and bright opening although Kettering were almost presented with an early gift as Bastock, uncharacteristically, needed two attempts to gather a James Gould free kick. But as City took the game to Kettering they were caught on the break with Ollie Burgess through ball sending Christian Moore clear, Bastock expertly delayed his dive until late and blocked the strikers shot with the rebound going onto Moore’s arm for a Saints free kick.
Scott Cousins, maintaining his run of good form, exchanged passes with the lively Mark Graham then drilled a low ball across the goal with a defenders outstretched leg just diverting it away from the incoming Matt Hann at the last moment.
Twice in a matter of minutes Graham squandered good chances with soft shots while Hann, positively exuding class down the City right, looked to have been impeded inside the penalty area by Craig McIlwain’s arm but for once referee Richard Kendall – who was a touch too fussy all afternoon – turned a blind eye.
Still, though, the better openings were being created by the Conference North side and on 19 minutes Moore, from point blank range, should have forced home Gould’s knock down from close range but again Bastock was equal to the task.
Midway through the half the exciting Hann won another corner that Scott Cousins sent deep to the back post where Brett Solkham sliced just over his own goal. Hann kept the pressure on the Kettering goal with an audacious drive towards the near post that Osborn did well to read and save.
Having weathered City’s best spell of the game, which contained no shortage of high quality passing, Kettering hit back with a couple of half chances going begging before Moore, with an fine opportunist strike from 25 yards, forcing Bastock to go full stretch low to his right to concede a corner. Kettering looked to have scored following Burgess’s corner as McIlwain headed powerfully goalwards to Bastock’s right but again the 35-year old keeper saved acrobatically.
City’s best opening was created on 37 minutes with Graham’s cross from the left falling to Clarke who exchanged passes with Martin before shooting narrowly wide from ten yards out.
From City’s point of view the second half was a damp squib as their exuberant first half football faded and Kettering took control. On 56 minutes David Theobald’s glancing header from a Gould free kick seemed certain to open the scoring until being deflected over by his teammate Solkham.
The Poppies were equally wasteful when McIlwain flicked on a Gould cross for the unmarked Andy Hall to fire just wide of Bastock’s left hand post. With City’s midfield fast being overrun Kettering continued to dominate and went close once more from a Gould free kick while Bastock, normally one of the strongest and most reliable kickers in the game, miscued some 30 yards out but was rescued as Gould, under pressure, sliced his shot as he sought to punish the City keeper.
Four minutes from time City almost, and perhaps should have, landed the sucker punch as Bastock caught a Wayne Diuk free kick and with a powerful punt towards the York Road goal sent substitute Paul Hakim clear only for his shot to go tamely wide of Osborn’s goal.
Match report by Dave Tavener. Kindly supplied by The St Albans Observer. |