Poppies show champion class against much-changed Town

FOOTBALL

Kettering Town 5-1 Stratford Town

Evo-Stik South Premier Central

Report by Bryan Hale

A MUCH-CHANGED Stratford Town were no match for champions Kettering Town as the hosts produced a ruthless display on Saturday.

Town boss Thomas Baillie opted to rest key players ahead of Wednesday’s play-offs and he handed five players their full debuts against the Poppies.

Rajan Shergill, Louis McDonald, Jack Coates, Roman Faulkner, Rob Singer made their bows and substitute Owen James came on for his first appearance while there were also rare starts for Tom Fishwick and both Kai and Kian Williams.

Ross Etheridge, Chris Cox, Will Grocott and Lewis Wilson were all on the subs bench while Wilson Carvalho, Kynan Isaac, Nabil Shariff, Albi Skendi, Mike Taylor and Jordan Williams were rested altogether.

By contrast Kettering were pretty much at full strength and took control early on and led 2-0 at half-time.

Rhys Hoeness set the Poppies on their way on 16 minutes when he broke clear down the inside left channel to give Shergill no chance as he smashed the ball into the roof of the net for his 21st goal of the season.

It was 2-0 on 37 minute after Brett Solkhon had all the time and space he needed to shoot past Shergill from eight yards out.

But Town gave the Poppies a shock two minutes into the second half when Kian Williams slotted home from a Faulkner pass, only for Kettering to make it 3-1 three minutes later when Craig Stanley headed in from a free-kick.

Shergill was injured in the process and he was replaced by Etheridge before the game restarted, but he was beaten twice in a minute as the Poppies turned on their champions style.

On 58 minutes the irrepressible Hoeness once again charged down the inside left channel to lash the ball into the far corner, and barely sixty seconds later Aaron O’Connor tapped in after Linden Meikle had crossed from the right byline.

By the final whistle the news had filtered through that King’s Lynn Town had won at Stourbridge and Town knew that they faced a testing trip to East Anglia for their much-anticipated play-off next Wednesday.

KETTERING: Paul White, Brett Solkhon, Gary Stohrer (Joe Massaro 72), Linden Meikle, Aaron O’Connor, Ben Milnes (Michael Richens 19), Rhys Hoeness, Dion Kelly-Evans, Marcus Kelly (James Brighton 72), Lathaniel Rowe-Turner, Craig Stanley. Unused Subs: Ben Toseland & Ben Bradshaw

STRATFORD: Rajan Shergill (Ross Etheridge 53), Cody Fisher, Louis McDonald, Jimmy Fry (c), Jack Coates, Tom Fishwick, Kian Williams, Kian Faulkner, Rob Singer, Dan Creaney, Kai Williams (Owen James 60). Unused Subs: Lewis Wilson, Will Grocott & Chris Cox

Full report and reaction in Thursday’s Herald.