Kettering Town 3-1 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report

Kettering Town 3-1 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report

20/9/25

Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division

Hamish Arnold

 

Three second half goals saw Kettering Town overturn Bishop’s Stortford’s half-time lead on Saturday. The Poppies went up to second in the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division, while the Blues have suffered three league defeats in a row, and sit in seventh with a group of four others on 12 points.

 

 A poor clearance by the hosts fell to Aaron Greene on the edge of the box, he dribbled between the defenders and fired low across goal but Alexander saved. Obi Onyeagwara dribbled past Wesley York on the Stortford left wing, his low shot was parried but Alexander grabbed the ball before Saleem Akanbi could shoot. Cole Dasilva’s dipping free kick went wide from a central position, and at the other end Jamar Loza fired wide after York had picked him out in the middle from the right wing. Alfie Lewis fired over the bar from the edge of the box, and Fabio Viriciglio managed to meet Dasilva’s cross, but could only make contact with his shoulder at the back post, with Declan Phillips making a run behind him, and the loanee midfielder may have been better placed to finish the chance. Adam Hayton did well to keep out Lewis’ low shot, with a stop down to his right, before diving away to keep the next effort away from danger. Edimond Oppong fired wide with a low effort from the edge of the box, before Akanbi dribbled through the middle, past the defence into the box, and scored into the bottom right corner via a deflection off a defender’s foot.

 

HT 0-1

 

Two minutes into the second half, the host drew level with a low cross from the left finding Loza in space on the right, and his first time shot was curled calmly into the middle of the goal. Jake Thompson won a header in the box from Dasilva’s deep free kick, but Akanbi couldn’t reach the ball and it went behind for a goal kick. Nile Ranger converted a left wing cross from close range as the Poppies hit the front for the first time. Luka Chawell slid in Akanbi with a through ball, but he fired wide in the box from his left foot. Substitute Callum Powell dribbled from halfway into the Stortford box, he looked to pick out the near pot tip corner but Hayton parried the ball over the bar. Kettering Town increased their lead late on, as Ismael was on hand to finish after Mark Haines had cleared a low cross off the line. Chalwell swivelled and shot from Onyeagwara cross, but narrowly missed the target, before Powell fired over the bar from a free kick. Hayton finished the match strongly, with a couple of saves, tipping Kai Fifield’s shot from a tight angle over the bar in stoppage time.

 

FT 3-1

 

TEAMS

Kettering Town XI

1 Jason Alexander

2 Levi Andoh

6 William Glennon (Powell 46’)

7 Wesley York

8 Andi Thanoj

9 Nile Ranger (c) (Goal 73’) (Fifield 89’)

11 Jamar Loza (Goal 47’)

14 Connor Stanley (Fatadjo 71’)

15 Edimond Oppong (White 79’)

16 Caden Voice

21 Alfie Lewis

Subs

5 Aksum White

12 Micah Anthony

17 Ismael Fayadjo (Goal 79’)

19 Kai Fifield

23 Callum Powell

 

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Adam Hayton

3 Leon Davies

5 Jake Thompson (c)

6 Mark Haines (Yellow card 88’)

7 Aaron Greene (Chalwell 61’)

8 Declan Phillips

11 Obi Onyeagwara (Yellow card 65’)

12 Fabio Virciglio (Yellow card 68’) (Field 85’)

14 Jack Smith

18 Cole DaSilva

19 Saleem Akanbi (Goal 39’)

Subs

2 Tommy Lethbridge

15 Eyituoyo Akinbulumo

16 Luka Chalwell

17 Rehan Field

 

Attendance 960