Match preview: Kettering v York City (From York Press)

Match preview: Kettering v York City

10:34am Friday 5th February 2010

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KETTERING Town will be hoping to win their first home game since September when York City visit Rockingham Road tomorrow (3pm).

The Poppies have not won any of the last nine fixtures in front of their own fans and have relied on an impressive away record, boasting ten victories, to cling on to the fifth and final play-off place.

Kettering also have off-the-pitch problems with owner Imraan Ladak having stepped down as chairman and reduced his financial input due to growing frustration at the lack of council support for a move to a new stadium.

The club sold their ground to local farmer Ben Pickering in the mid-1980s and their tenancy is due to expire in 2013, leaving the Northamptonshire outfit possibly homeless in three years’ time.

Since City last played Kettering in September, big earners Exodus Geohaghan, Damien Spencer, Lee Fowler, Francis Green and Moses Ashikodi have all moved on.

Ex-Leeds United striker Anthony Elding, meanwhile, departed for 28-time Hungarian champions Ferencvaros after a brief return to the Poppies, where he had plied his trade three years earlier.

Goalkeeper Lee Harper has also taken over the managerial reins from Mark Cooper since the two sides met at Bootham Crescent.

Cooper left for Peterborough only to be dismissed this week after just 13 games in charge of the Championship club.

His successor at Rockingham Road – 38-year-old Harper – is now considering hanging up his gloves due to nerve damage in his back.

Nathan Abbey, signed on loan from Rushden, has been brought in as a replacement.

Former Tottenham defender Alton Thelwell, striker Kwesi Appiah and midfielder Jordan Hadfield are other Harper signings expected to face City.

The Poppies are also hoping to recall Andre Boucaud to their starting line-up with the Trinidad and Tobago international midfielder having recovered from a broken nose he sustained during a nasty clash of heads against Stevenage a fortnight ago.

Joint top-scorer Jean-Paul Marna, level on eight goals with Ashikodi who left for Ebbsfleet last month, is also expected to be fit despite picking up an injury during Tuesday night’s 2-0 Northants Cup semi-final defeat to Corby Town in which Harper selected a near full-strength side.

At the other end of the pitch, Kettering’s defensive record of 24 goals conceded can only be bettered by top two Stevenage and Oxford, who have each shipped 19 times.

Kettering (probable): Abbey, Thelwell, Dempster, Roper, Jennings, Dance, Boucaud, Hadfield, Kelly, Marna, Appiah.

Match facts

City have made only one previous visit to Kettering Town and that was last season when they went down 4-2. Richard Brodie and Ben Purkiss were the scorers and the line-up on September 13, 2008, was: Ingham, Purkiss, McGurk, Parslow, Robinson, Bore (Sodje), Greaves, Henderson, Russell (Wilkinson), Brodie, McBreen (Farrell).

It happened on February 6

1954: A 2-1 home win over Chester with Dave Dunmore and Campbell Burgess on target. It was Dunmore’s last game for the club prior to his transfer to Tottenham Hotspur for a then record fee received of £10,500. The attendance for the Third Division North fixture was 3,960.

1971: Kevin McMahon scored both goals in a 2-2 home draw against Exeter City in front of 3,364 and City were in the top half of the Fourth Division.

1988: City suffered their fifth successive defeat and remained bottom of the Third Division (League One) when they lost 3-2 at home to Port Vale. Scorers were Gary Himsworth and Dale Banton.

1990: Ian Helliwell netted the winner in a 1-0 success at Rochdale and City were seventh in the Fourth Division.

2005: A 2-0 home defeat against Aldershot Town and City were in the lower reaches of the Conference. The crowd was 2,133.

Compiled by Dave Batters

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