Kettering Town and Corby Town tonight met at the Elgoods Brewery Arena, in the semi final of the Northants Hillier Cup, to earn the right to play either Desborough Town or Daventry Town in the final. The game ended in a 2-0 win for Corby with goals from Jason Lee after 5 minutes and Phil Gulliver after 57 minutes. Both teams set out to play football although the 90 minutes was a low key affair.

Teams:

Kettering Town:
13 Niall Cooper
3 James Jennings
4 Darren Wrack
5 Ian Roper (Captain)
7 Anthony Robinson ( 27 Enzo Carillo 62)
8 Jordan Hadfield
10 Jean-Paul Marna (6 John Dempster 26)
11 Kwesi Appiah
12 Greg Taylor
14 James Dance
15 Patrick Noubissie (20 Danny Thomas 46)

Unused Substitutes:
22 Marcus Kelly
24 Ryan Cherry

Yellow cards:
None


Corby Town (4-4-2):
1 Mark Osborn
2 David Deeney
3 Tommy Jaszczun (12 Dean West 67)
4 Phil Mayo
5 Phil Gulliver
6 Leon Hibbert (14 Jamie McGhee 72)
7 Gavin Strachan
8 Stephen Towers
9 Jason Lee
10 Leon Mettam (15 Jack Defty 72)
11 Brett Solkhon

Unused Substitutes:
18 Tom Cross

Yellow Cards:
None

Both teams had injury problems, with Kettering giving a start to young keeper Niall Cooper and naming Ryan Cherry and Enzo Carillo as substitutes. Corby only named four substitutes with Chris Hope and Steve Diggin receiving knocks from last Saturday. Former Poppies, Mark Osborn, Tommy Jaszczun, Brett Solkhon and Jason Lee started for Corby.

The game started slowly and it was a surprise when the first goal went in on 6 minutes. A cross from the right was headed across goal by Leon Mettam and Jason Lee swung his left leg and the ball gently flew into goal with Niall Cooper completely static on his line.

Kettering were slow to respond and only threatened briefly on 14 minutes as Ian Roper’s flick on was gathered by Mark Osborn as Anthony Robinson threatened. In the next minute Steve Towers shot wide from 25 yards.

Jean-Paul Marna was on the end of a loose tackle which went unpunished after 26 minutes and had to be substituted by John Dempster.

It was fully 20 minutes before the next real action as Osborn saved James Jennings’ shot, diving left. Then James Dance had a shot deflected just wide as Osborn was beaten in flight.

The final chance of the half was a good one as Dance had a clear opening on the right 15 yards out and fired over.

Half Time:

Kettering Town 0 - 1 Corby Town

The Second half soon saw snow falling. Leon Mettam had a great chance from 10 yards but Poppies skipper Ian Roper blocked solidly. However it was 2-0 to the visitors on 57 minutes. A corner on the right was headed on close in by Lee and with Niall Cooper all at sea, Phil Gulliver converted easily from three yards.

The play was largely centred in midfield with not much quality and neither side able to penetrate the other. On 62 minutes Kettering forced two corners from the right and from Jennings’ crosses, Osborn tipped over, and then dropped the second corner under pressure- but was rewarded with a free kick.

Again neither team dominated and it was not until 80 minutes that Dance, for Kettering, shot from 25 yards just wide of the left upright.

The shot of the night on 85 minutes saw Towers’ 35 yard screamer tipped over by Cooper for his best save of the game.

Kettering sent John Dempster up into attack for the last 10 minutes. On 87 minutes Dance came in from the right and his left foot side slid just wide. Then in the last minute, a lovely cross from the right by Jennings was met by Kwesi Appiah as the striker hooked the ball marginally over the bar.

Full Time:

Kettering Town 0 - 2 Corby Town

Attendance: 885 (Away fans 630)