A SAINT might have rescued a point for Kettering on Saturday but Michael Rankine should not be cast as a sinner following his late penalty miss for York City.

Home debutant Kieron St Aimie, playing for nothing at Rockingham Road after agreeing non-contract terms, levelled the scores at 1-1 after being introduced as a second-half substitute.

Jamie Reed had earlier assumed spot-kick duties, with Rankine starting the game on the bench, to hand City a seventh-minute lead when he followed up to net after his penalty had been saved by Poppies ’keeper Willie Gueret.

Understandably, considering Reed’s poor attempt from 12 yards and Rankine’s seven out of seven success rate for City, the former handed responsibility back to the latter on 88 minutes when David McGurk tumbled in the box.

Rankine, though, had squandered an excellent opportunity just ten minutes earlier, which is rarely the best preparation for converting confidently from the spot.

So it proved on this occasion, as the 6ft 3in striker sidefooted firmly wide of Gueret’s left-hand post.

Inevitably, at this stage of the season, Rankine’s mishap might be remembered as a costly case of two points lost should the team’s top-five tilt ultimately prove unsuccessful come the end of the month.

If that’s the case, though, it should be pointed out that Rankine penalties were responsible for two points won in autumn draws against Bath and Wrexham.

Others ought to also shoulder some of the blame for City’s failure to convert their dominance into maximum points at Kettering.

Having limped out of the action with a recurrence of his hamstring injury 19 minutes into Saturday’s match, Ashley Chambers’ early profligacy in front of goal might be easier to overlook.

But, had the on-loan Leicester City striker been more decisive in the final third of the pitch, then the outcome would surely have been a formality long before his replacement’s spot of bother.

Chambers’ pace gets him into positions that his composure levels struggle to keep up with and a return of one goal from his last 17 outings for the Minstermen is disappointing.

Kettering had problems containing the speedy 21-year-old but, following Reed’s goal, he wasted three excellent openings during a one-sided start to the game.

Reed relished the responsibility as City’s lone central striker from the start and, displaying his predatory instincts, crashed a first-time effort against Gueret’s left-hand post in the third minute after Chris Smith had met Meredith’s free-kick with his head.

Moments later, the Minstermen were awarded their first penalty of the afternoon when Meredith was felled by Luke O’Neill’s lunge.

Reed’s weak effort, though, was too close to Gueret, who dived low to his right to save. Every good striker is usually a lucky striker, however, with Reed following up to fire at Gueret again but, this time, the ball ricocheted off the former Swansea stopper and into his bottom right-hand corner.

O’Neill, enduring a torrid start to the match, then fell over to let in Chambers from Michael Ingham’s long punt but he shot straight at Gueret and Jonathan Smith could not trouble the Frenchman from the rebound.

Shortly afterwards, with O’Neill at fault again, Chambers dragged another great opportunity wide before bursting clear through the right channel only to make a mess of his square pass to Meredith, who looked certain to score as City overloaded the home penalty box.

Chambers departed seconds later and, with him, the visitors lost some of their attacking impetus.

Mills, clearly reluctant to move Reed, persisted with Rankine on the flank for the remainder of the first half but was forced to reshuffle before long.

Kettering, meanwhile, had Ingham at full stretch on 26 minutes to keep out Adam Cunnington’s header with his finger tips.

Jean-Paul Marna’s overhead kick also bounced narrowly wide and Marcus Kelly drove over after exchanging passes with the Senegalese striker.

After the break, City’s struggle to match their early promise continued with a 20-yard Levi Mackin drive that narrowly missed the target being the visitors’ only notable second-half goal threat prior to St Aimie’s equaliser.

Marna’s corner to the near post appeared to flick off Meredith and hit the former AFC Hornchurch striker in the face before beating Ingham from six yards out.

The Minstermen then twice went close to conceding again in quick succession.

First, Callum Wilson rounded Ingham only to be denied a goal by Daniel Parslow’s last-ditch intervention. Then, Nick McKoy’s shot on the turn was cleared off the line by substitute David McDermott, who survived handball accusations despite a lengthy discussion between referee Andy Hendley and one of his assistants.

The last 20 minutes, however, saw City impose themselves on proceedings again without getting their reward in front of goal.

Rankine pulled an excellent chance wide after shrugging off the attentions of McKoy to charge on to Mackin’s through ball on 78 minutes.

Moments later, Reed saw a 15-yard effort deflected narrowly wide of a gaping goal before McGurk crashed to the deck with home captain Sol Davis in close attendance.

Rankine did not take advantage and, in stoppage time, failed to redeem himself when Gueret was quick off his line to save from the former Rushden forward after he had raced on to an Andre Boucaud pass.

Skipper Smith then headed against the bar and O’Neill cleared McGurk’s subsequent shot off the line before Boucaud, playing against his old team, forced Gueret into a near-post save with the final chance of a frustrating afternoon for the visitors.

Mills’ men will certainly need to be more ruthless with whatever opportunities come their way when champions-elect Crawley Town visit Bootham Crescent tomorrow.


Match facts

Kettering Town 1 (St Aimie 73), York City 1 (Reed 7)

York City: Michael Ingham 7, Daniel Parslow 7, Chris Smith 7, David McGurk 7, James Meredith 7, Levi Mackin 7, Andre Boucaud 6, Jonathan Smith 6, Peter Till 6, Jamie Reed 8, Ashley Chambers Subs: Michael Rankine 5 (for Chambers, 19), David McDermott 7 (for Till, 63).

Not used: Liam Darville, Neil Barrett, Leon Contanstine.

Key: 10 – Faultless; 9 – Outstanding; 8 – Excellent; 7 – Good; 6 – Average; 5 – Below par; 4 – Poor; 3 – Dud; 2 – Hopeless; 1 – Retire.

City’s star man: Reed – his hunger for goals is impressive if not infectious.

Kettering: Willie Gueret, Luke O’Neill, Calum Flanagan, Nick McKoy, Sol Davis, Callum Wilson, Patrick Noubissie, Liam McDonald (Brett Solkhon, 71), Marcus Kelly (Danny Mills, 59), Adam Cunnington (Kieron St Aimie, 64), Jean-Paul Marna.

Subs not used: Jon Challinor, Romone McRae.

Booked: Chambers 18, Solkhon 83, Noubissie 87, Gueret 87.

Shots on target: Town 4, City 10.

Shots off target: Town 4, City 10.

Corners: Town 8, City 4.

Offsides: Town 0, City 4.

Fouls conceded: Town 10, City 12.

Referee: Andy Hendley (Halesowen). Rating: gave City more than a helping hand but suspect at times.

Attendance: 1,365 (256 from City).

Miss of the match: Rankine’s wayward shot ten minutes before his penalty represented an even easier opportunity to hit the target.

Save of the match: Gueret’s late charge off his line denied Rankine the chance of a reprieve.


Head to head - Andre Boucaud v Patrick Noubissie

On his return to Rockingham Road, Boucaud was steady without pulling up many trees. Noubissie, meanwhile, carried out his anchorman duties in efficient, if not spectacular, fashion.

City’s former Trinidad and Tobago international was guilty of losing possession on instances but his defence-splitting pass in injury time might have proven a telling contribution had Gueret not been alert to the danger to thwart Rankine.