Heartbreak for Needham as league leaders Kettering grab injury time winner

Joe Marsden celebrates one of his two goals at Kettering Photo: BEN POOLEY (Image: Archant)

The Marketmen suffered a heart breaking end to this game when Kettering’s Lindon Meikle struck the 94th minute winner into the roof of the net, to deny the Suffolk side a deserved point, writes Paul Munn.

Having fought back twice from being behind through two Joseph Marsden goals it wasn’t to be as Kettering opened up a five-point gap at the top.

The hosts started the match the strongest and fashioned some good early chances with Dan Holman and Ben Milnes being at the heart of the moves. The former had a couple of efforts that went wide of the target. However it was their skipper Michael Riches who had the best chance forcing a good save from Jake Jessup.

They looking as though they would take the lead on 17 minutes when they were awarded a penalty for an adjudged handball. Holman stepped up and struck it well but he managed to put it wide.

This seemed to take the wind out of their sails for a short time allowing the Marketmen to try to build some chances of their own.

The best coming from Luke Ingram whose shot forced a good save from the impressive Paul White.

However, having gone close moments earlier, Kettering did take the lead in the 25th minutes when Adam Cunnington out right played the ball across the area where Aaron O’Connor slid the ball home at the far post.

Little by little the Marketmen got themselves back into the game, Jamie Griffiths got on the end of good move, but again the host’s keeper came to the rescue with another fine save.

Samuel Squire and Marsden linked up to produce an effort for the later which was also put behind. On the stroke of half-time Reece Dobson and Griffiths linked up to provide Marsden with a chance, he cut in from the from the left found room and fired a shot into the far top corner to level the scores.

Just after the break the Marketmen lost Callum Sturgess through injury, with Adam Mills replacing him.

Both teams kept each other’s defences busy. The Marketmen saw Luke Ingram go close with an effort that went just wide and minutes later saw Mills go even closer, when he latched onto a ball from Squire and struck a firm shot towards goal, only for it to crash back of the post.

Up the other end O’Connor went close, and then shortly afterwards Jake Jessup had to make another fine save from a fierce shot.

However, in 72nd minute, it was Kettering who regained the lead when O’Connor latched onto a ball on the left, he took it on and when he was just inside the area he slid it nicely passed Jessup.

The Marketmen fought back well and eight minutes later pegged it back when substitute Jeremiah Kamanzi went over in the box with the referee pointing to the spot. Up stepped Marsden and it was the usual outcome for the Marketmen fans, as the ball nestled in the bottom corner.

It looked as though that would be that with both sharing the spoils, unfortunately for the Marketmen Lindon Meikle had other ideas.

With four of the five minutes added already up, Lindon ran at the Marketmen’s defence he got into the area and took it past the defender giving himself room for the shot, which was struck with force, passed Jessup and into the roof of the net to snatch the victory.

Teams

Kettering Town: White, Stohrer (Kelly-Evans 63), Riches, Meikle, O’Connor (Graham 75), Holman, Milnes, Kelly, Rowe-Turner, Stanley, Cunnington (Hoenes 59)

Needham Market: Jessup, Dye, Sturgess (Mills 49), Squire, Baker, Morphew (D), Ingram, Heath, Griffiths, Dobson (Kamanzi 68), Marsden

Attendance: 762