SAINTS GO MARCHING PAST TABLE TOPPERS!
Leaders Poppies humbled
VISITORS St Ives pulled off the shock of the day in putting league leaders Kettering to the sword in emphatic style.
At several points in the first half you could have been forgiven thinking the men in orange were the side clear at the top of the table - such was their cohesion in passing and movement whilst remaining very solid at the back.
The Poppies, on the other hand, were poor in all departments allowing themselves to become frustrated as the Saints took control.
All of the talking points came in the first half, Kettering started brightly and created the first real chance on 16 minutes when Rhys Hoenes snuck round the back and floated a cross from the byline for Aaron O’Connor to turn in from three yards, but the ball was adjudged to be out of play before the cross was made.
That was a rare highlight for the hosts as St Ives grew in confidence. They opened the scoring on 25 minutes when Ben Seymour-Shove lost his marker, received the ball at the back post and passed across the face of goal for Oliver Snaith to hammer home from close range.
Former Cheltenham Town striker Dan Holman was the only player finding any joy against the dogged St Ives defence as Kettering looked for the equaliser.
But it was to never come as the visitors struck again, this time a corner from the left and Sam Cartwright was left unmarked to nod home.
After shipping in four goals in their previous outing against Redditch and now two within 35 minutes, the holes in Kettering’s defence were
laid bare for all to see and now every St Ives corner or deadball in the final third was a danger - so it was appropriate a sublime free kick made it three.
Danny Kelly scored an curling effort that left Paul White stationary on the line as the ball ricocheted off the inside of the post and in.
It went from bad to worse on the stroke of half-time when Holman was shown a straight red after a dangerous lunge on Charlie De’Ath.
The defender certainly made the most of the tackle to convince referee Mark Tinsley on what course of action to take.
The second half was very much a non-event, with the destination of the three points seemingly decided.
The hosts’ day was summed up in the third minute of stoppage time.
O’ Connor was brought down in the area to win Kettering a conciliation penalty.
Ben Milnes stood up to take it and blasted it over the bar.