Thursday 1 October 2015

Creasey Park Blues for Kettering

After a summer of upheaval at Dunstable Town a poor start did not come as a surprise.  A win at home to fellow strugglers Kettering Town would make it back-to-back wins in the league for the first time this campaign and 4 in a row in all competitions.

Dunstable made a single change from Saturday's win in the FA Cup as Victor Osubu came in for Jamale McKenzie-Lowe on the left hand side.  Remember that name.

Dunstable got off to a perfect start as defender James Kaloczi headed in a corner from the left on just 3 minutes.

A flurry of chances came and went for Kettering who's finishing was lacklustre at best. The Poppies best effort hitting the post from a Brett Solkhon header.

They were punished further on  35 minutes as a tricky, mazy run from Osubu was finished off with a powerful drive through Enol Ordonez in the Kettering goal to double the lead.  Two minutes later a third arrived for the hosts as Luke Pennell headed home after a poor piece of goalkeeping, not the first from Ordonez, who had a poor game for the visitors.

Dunstable went in at 3-0, without really deserving their lead.  Manager Tony Fontenelle wasn't impressed was their first half performance despite the seemingly comfortable 3-0 score line.  "I felt Kettering had better periods in the game than we did, they were dictating play to us and winning the midfield battle, at half time it was about being more organised" was the Dunstable boss' verdict on his sides first half display.

Just 3 minutes into the second half and any small possibility of a mammoth comeback was over as David Keenelyside put the Blues 4-0 ahead with over 40 minutes to play.

The game turned just minutes later as Jevan Brown lunged in on left back Luke Pennell in which looked a very reckless and dangerous tackle right in front of the dugouts, sparking somewhat of a fracas between both sets of players and staff. Brown was awarded just a yellow after the melee, which may have been a touch fortunate for the Kettering midfielder.

From then on a series of strong and late challenges were displayed by both teams in a game that included 5 cautions.  Kettering coach Scott Godwin was banished to the Creasey Park dressing rooms for tripping Dunstable left back Pennell as he tried to retrieve the ball.

Following that the game rather calmed down somewhat however the tempo still remained as both teams looked to score more goals to aid their poor starts to the season.

Dunstable will of course be the happier of the sides but a 4-0 result certainly flatters the Bedfordshire outfit, who still sit 19th in the Southern Premier Division.

Meanwhile it was Osubu who was undoubtedly the man of the moment for Dunstable, a goal and an assist for the winger signed just a month ago. Kettering right back Richard Bryan was time and time again beaten by the pacey wide man, without any sort of reply as he received a deserved and unsurprising yellow card for impeding Osubu in an attempt to stop him one too many times for referee Louis Marks' liking.

On his wingers performance and the strong tackle on Luke Pennell, Fontenelle explained how Dunstable were lacking someone like Osubu earlier on in the season.  "I like players that excite me and I think everyone can see Victor is one of those players that on his day can be the star performer." He added "From Kettering's point of view it's a fair tackle, from my point of view it's a late tackle, was it a red? I've seen them given."

Heading into the weekend, Town travel to Cambridge City looking for a third consecutive win in the league for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Fontenelle previewed his team's trip by saying he is "looking for more of the same against what will be a very well organised side with players of good quality proven at this level and the level above, it won't be an easy game." Finally commenting "we'll look to Victor to give him the ball and let him score from 20 yards again!"

Dunstable have bolstered their striking options for the game against mid table Cambridge, signing Geoff Mitchell, formerly of Hayes and Yeading, Histon and most recently Alloa Athletic in the Scottish Championship.

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