Northamptonshire Combination League
Premier Division
Tuesday 22nd August 2023
Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.20
Kettering Nomads 4 Wollaston Victoria 3, attendance 39
31’ 0-1
35’ 0-2
52’ 1-2 (pen)
61’ 1-3
73’ 2-3
87’ 3-3
90’ + 3, 4-3
@ The John Lowther Football Centre
off Rushton Road
Glendon
NN14 1QF
No Admission or Programme
Tonight’s game was to see the defending champions host last season’s seventh placed finishers. Kettering Nomads had opened the season with a 2-1 win at Finedon Volta, whilst Wollaston Victoria were beaten 4-2 by Woodford United.
It was an excellent game from start to finish. Wollaston deservedly led 0-2 at the break, despite having a man sin binned late in the half. An early second half penalty, whilst the visitors were still a man short, saw it pulled back to 1-2, but Wollaston soon regained their two goal lead, smashing one into the bottom corner with a first time shot. Nomads headed in at the far post to make it 2-3 with seventeen minutes left and it looked odds on that they would get at least a point as they were now well on top. The equaliser came three minutes from the end, when a speculative shot appeared to deceive the ‘keeper and find the far corner and the inevitable winning goal arrived three minutes into stoppage time, when a cross from the right was met with a looping header that went high over the ‘keeper into the far corner.
According to the league’s F.A. Full Time website, this was, and still is, being shown as played at Islam Cricket Club, but was in fact at The John Lowther Football Centre (confirmed by the home club on Twitter) on an industrial park in Grendon, off the A43 just to the north of Kettering. It is a two pitch venue, both grass, running end to end. The one with the dugouts, nearest to the changing rooms, hosting tonight’s game. Looking at the pitch side sign and the badges on the corner flags, it appears to be something to do with Kettering F.C.
The usual traffic nonsense outbound, diverting off the M25 at J20, via Hemel Hempstead, before joining the M1 at J9, but a trouble free return journey, beating all the roadworks, arriving home dead on 10 pm.
