Emirates FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round
Your Co-op Community Stadium
Saturday 2nd October 2021

One of the most entertaining FA Cup ties seen on Harbury Lane in recent years saw an afternoon full of incident and entertainment, but sadly ended with fans of both sides questioning some of the decision making from the officials.

Games between Leamington and Kettering are always full of flashpoints, and this one was certainly in that category as the two National League North clubs battled it out to see who could take themselves to within one round of the competition proper.

Paul Holleran opted to stick with the same eleven that had started the previous three games, Josh Martin again absent with a foot injury, while having recently signed first team forms young Josh Beeson was on the substitutes bench.

Former Brakes loan man Callum Powell went close in the embryonic stages of the game as Kettering sliced through down the left, the ball being pulled back for him to side foot confidently towards the far corner of Jake Weaver’s goal only for a deflection to take it behind for a corner.

Leamington then stunned the visitors and their sizeable travelling support by taking the lead with their first chance of the afternoon. Skipper Jack Edwards won a free kick some twenty yards from goal. As the rain which had been present for most of the day continued to fall, Steph Morley stepped up to curl a delightful free kick beyond the outstretched hand of the diving Rhys Davies into the corner.

There was a spot of handbags in front of the main stand as Poppies right back Connor Barrett and Dan Turner squared up to each other, Edwards weighing in with a shove as he defended his team mate, receiving a yellow card for his involvement along with the Kettering right back.

Kyle Morrison produced a superb goal saving clearance as Powell expertly spun Jack Lane inside the box and fired towards goal, but Brakes failed to clear their lines, and when the ball was played back into a congested six yard box it was Claudio Ofosu who reacted quickest to crash it into the net to level things up.

Simeon Maye was the next name added to the Referee’s notebook as he mistimed a challenge on Powell as the nippy winger looked to race away down the left. Weaver dived full length as Harrison Neal lofted in the free kick, Isaac Stones getting something on the ball to direct it towards goal.

Brakes were back in front just past the half hour thanks to a marauding run from Dan Meredith, who charged unchallenged towards the box before driving it low into the danger area, where Turner arrived at the far post to bundle it over the line via a defender and the goalkeeper.

The tide of the game appeared to swing heavily in the visitors’ favour with seven minutes to go before half time when the inevitable red card appeared from the Referee’s pocket. Unfortunately it was Edwards who was the recipient. He appeared to slip when making a challenge on the halfway line, and none of the Brakes players could quite believe the decision. More handbags ensued, with Joe Clarke’s name being added to the list.

The visitors came close three times before the half time whistle, Weaver fielding two efforts while another dribbled agonisingly past the upright from a scramble in the penalty area.

Exasperation was the order of the day on the pitch and in the stands with nobody quite being able to understand how so many cards had been dished out when there had barely been a bad challenge in the game. The interval was definitely required for everybody to digest what they had seen.

Despite being a man light it was Leamington who threatened early in the second half, but with the awful weather showing no signs of letting up it was always going to be full of incident.

Morrison was the man in the right place again to clear a shot from Stones as he was set up by Neal on the left, and Neal saw his shot deflected behind by Mooney as Kettering pressed home.

Half time substitute Kyle Perry brought his side level on the hour, turning from a corner inside the box to fire low and in off both posts, Weaver rooted to the spot.

The burly frontman then powered home a close range header at the far post from Ofosu’s left wing cross on sixty six minutes to the delight of the travelling support.

Neal almost doubled their lead when latching onto a cute pass from Powell, who had driven towards the box from the left before feeding his team mate, who was forced a little too wide by Weaver, and fired into the side netting. Brakes pushed forward immediately, Kelsey Mooney driving low into the arms of Davies.

With just over 15 minutes remaining we were somehow level again, a curious penalty being awarded for a foul on Maye which Turner stepped up to rifle past Davies and delight a packed Harbury Lane End.

There was concern in the closing stages when Maye injured himself putting in a potentially goal saving challenge in the six yard box. With both physios called onto the pitch it was evident that there was a real problem, and the combative midfielder was stretchered off to applause from both sets of fans.

Both sides could have snatched a dramatic winner in a frenetic final few minutes of added time, but a hugely entertaining cup tie drew to a close with honours even and a replay on Tuesday night at Latimer Park.

‘To be trailing with ten men, we showed lots of energy and endeavour to get the equaliser, and on the balance of play we probably deserved it;’ said Paul Holleran afterwards. ‘But what’s gone on before was flabbergasting. I looked at the first half - and I’ve been standing on the line a long time; and I saw a local game, it was pouring down with rain - it was a really good cup tie - very competitive - but I didn’t see a bad tackle in the first half. I saw players being competitive, so to come off at half time with the amount of bookings we did was just mind blowing, absolutely mind blowing.

‘It was still a fantastic cup tie wasn’t it, so people still enjoyed it, but from our perspective probably 11 v 11 we possibly had enough to see it through today. We’ve had to dig really really deep to get the equaliser, and that’s what these boys are capable of; they’re fantastic.

‘We’ll be disappointed with the goals we’ve conceded, when we look back at them, but where Kettering were really brave, they left people on a high line. It turned into a bit of a game of table tennis in the end really, both sides had chances. I don’t think either side deserved to win or lose to be honest. It presents some problems for us on Tuesday night but we’ll just have to go again and see where it takes us. On the whole, taking the bits and pieces away, it was a really good cup tie.

On Simeon Maye’s injury: ‘We’re hoping it’s impact. That’s local derby FA Cup games isn’t it? Both sets of players trying to repel the danger, but hopefully it’s impact. We’ll probably get an X-ray just in case but Pete (Denham) thinks it’s badly bruised, no fractures or anything like that. It’s a shame because Simeon was fantastic today.’

Attendance: 566

Leamington: Jake Weaver, Dan Meredith, Stephan Morley, Joe Clarke, Kyle Morrison, Jack Lane, Joe Parker (15 Kaiman Anderson, 64), Simeon Maye (16 Callum Gittings, 90), Kelsey Mooney, Jack Edwards ©, Dan Turner.

Subs not used: 12 Kieran Cook, 13 Josh Allen (GK), 14 Devon Kelly-Evans, 17 Junior English, 18 Josh Beeson.

Kettering Town: 1 Rhys Davies, 2 Connor Barrett, 3 Alex Brown, 4 Luke Ward (24 Kyle Perry, 46), 5 Connor Johnson, 6 Chris Smith, 7 Callum Powell, 16 Claudio Ofosu (8 Jordan Crawford, 80), 9 Isaac Stones (12 Decarrey Sheriff, 62), 10 Lamine Sherif ©, 11 Harrison Neal.

Subs not used: 14 Gary Storher, 15 Rhys Sharpe, 18 Tom Unwin, 13 Jackson Smith (GK).

Referee: Mr Michael Barlow

Assistant Referees: Mr Karl Buckley & Mr Ben Robinson

Brakes Man of the Match: Simeon Maye.