Andre Boucaud leads Kettering Town's fightback
Kettering Evening Telegraph
IT'S not very often a Nationwide North side gets the opportunity to take on a team from the most famous club in the world – and Kettering Town didn't waste their chance last night.
With just over 2,000 people inside Rockingham Road, the Poppies put in their best display of the pre-season build-up so far as they more than matched a very impressive young group of players from Old Trafford.
Okay, everyone knew the big superstars were not going to be there and the truth is had they been it's debatable whether it would have produced the entertaining clash this turned out to be.
It really doesn't matter how old these United players are. They are still rated as good enough to push for a first-team place with the Red Devils.
And you could tell how desperate each and every one of them is to show Sir Alex Ferguson that they can be 'the next big thing'.
Two of the United squad from last night – Ritchie Jones and Darron Gibson – have already made first-team appearances. But none of it bothered Morell Maison's men.
After going 2-0 down in the first 15 minutes the hosts went on to dominate for long periods.
Once again they got the ball down and knocked it around with plenty of confidence and they may have felt a little disappointed that they did not come out with a win.
But pre-season isn't about that. It's about preparation and it has to be said it all seems to be going pretty well at the moment.
For the first quarter, however, Kettering were not in it.
They may have paid their visitors far too much respect and they were punished as the excellent Fraizer Campbell played in Danny Rose for the opener before the striker curled a wonderful second beyond Mark Osborn.
A drubbing looked like it may be on the cards. But Andre Boucaud's brilliant 25-yard strike within a minute of United's second certainly woke the hosts up.
Kettering seemed to come out with a point to prove in the second half and Rene Howe missed two great chances before they grabbed the equaliser.
Howe saw his shot blocked but it fell to the tireless Andy Hall who had time to pick his spot before planting it in the corner.
The Poppies went on to have the better chances while David Gray had a header ruled out at the other end.
But a draw was the right result from a cracking encounter.
Poppies (3-5-2): Osborn; Koo-Boothe (sub Burrows 64 mins), McIlwain, Graham; Hall, Boucaud (sub Morley 86 mins), Solkhon, Okai, Olaleye; Abbey (sub Makofo 86 mins), Howe (sub Marna 58 mins).
Manchester United Res (4-4-2): Heaton; Gray, Evans, Shawcross, Lee; Mullan, Rose (sub Burns 80 mins), N'galula (sub Gibson 68 mins), Evans (sub Barnes 61 mins); Hewson (sub Marsh h-t), Campbell.
Goals: Rose (10 mins, 0-1), Campbell (14 mins, 0-2), Boucaud (15 mins, 1-2), Hall (47 mins, 2-2).
Attendance: 2,040.
