another trinidadian score, his name is andre boucaud and he also got a man of the match performance
Saturday, 17 February 2007 - 15:00
Redditch United 4 - 4 Kettering Town (League)
The Poppies faced their second away game in 5 days when they travelled to the Valley Stadium to take on Redditch United. In an eventful game played on a heavy and sanded pitch the game finished 4-4. The game turned on 44 minutes,when, with the Poppies leading comfortably 3-0, goalkeeper Mark Osborn was sent off for bringing down home debut striker Richard Ball to concede a penalty. Brett Solkhon deputised in goal. Scorers for Kettering were Rene Howe,John Dempster,Brett Solkhon and Andre Boucaud and for Redditch, Simon Hollis (2) and Richard Ball (2).
Changes from the line up which started the game in midweek at Barrow saw Brett Solkhon restored to midfield to replace Andy Hall and Moses Olaleye replaced Serge Makofo. Jean Black made a return from injury onto the substitutes bench replacing the injured Liam Nicell.
The teams lined up :-
Redditch: ( 4-4-2 ) :- Anstiss;Petty,Walker (Ashley),Geohaghon,Taylor;Hollis,Softley (sub Dave Walker 61 mins),Palmer,Murphy; Ball,Rickards (sub Adams 90 mins)
Other substitutes : Cotterill,Rea, Clarke.
Yellow Cards : Geohaghon (foul);Petty (foul);Rickards(ungentlemanly conduct).
Kettering Town 4-4-2:- Osborne;Graham,Theobald, Mcilwain,Mckie;Olaleye(sub Hall 69 mins),Dempster,Solkhon,Boucaud,Howe,Westcarr.
Other substitutes : Caskey,Black,Makofo,Peprah.
Yellow Cards : Boucaud (foul);Theobald (ungentlemanly conduct).
Red Card : Osborn (professional foul)
Playing down the slope Redditch started well and in the first minute Mark Osborn had to be alert to save from Chris Murphy after a flick on by Simon Hollis. The resultant corner flashed across the six yard box with no one able to get a touch. Kettering responded and home keeper Richard Anstiss was quick out of his goal to smother from Rene Howe after an Andre Boucaud through ball. Then Osborn had to kick away after Hollis set Scott Rickards racing through.The best early chance fell to Richard Ball for Redditch after a poor back header, but he lobbed the ball wide.
The Poppies took the lead on 17 minutes when Craig Westcarr turned full back Ben Petty inside and out and crossed accurately for Howe to head in firmly from 4 yards. Howe almost scored a second in the next minute when his looping header from 8 yards was scooped away by Exodus Geohaghon from the goal line for a corner. Redditch came back on 22 minutes when Rob Taylor's left footed free kick saw Osborn fumble but collect at the second attempt.
Kettering had an excellent chance to increase their lead on 25 minutes when Howe broke clear on the left, but with three attackers free in the box, his left foot shot went wide of the right hand post. The pitch was becoming very cut up after the half hour and both teams were finding it difficult at times to control the ball. However Kettering went three up in the space of two minutes, when on 38 minutes John Dempster scored his first goal for the club with a stooping header at the near post from Westcarr's right wing corner. Then, in the next Kettering attack, Andre Boucaud's excellent through ball to Westcarr saw him round his man and square for Brett Solkhon to convert on the goal line. Remarkably in between the two goals, Richard Ball hit the bar for Redditch and the referee turned down appeals for a penalty as the rebound was controlled by Craig Mcilwain.
Moses Olaleye then shot just over the bar on 41 minutes. With the game at 3-0 and comfortable for the away side the game took a massive turn on 44 minutes. Ball was sent clear of the visitor's defence and as he rounded keeper Osborn, he was brought down in the penalty area.Referee Mr. Davies had no alternative than to award a penalty and send off the Kettering keeper. With reserve keeper Nick Bussey out with a broken bone in his foot it was left to Brett Solkhon to take the goalkeeper's jersey and he almost kept out Hollis's penalty diving to his right.
At half time the Poppies were leading 3-1 but now down to 10 men.
Half Time : Redditch United 1 Kettering Town 3
On 47 minutes Westcarr's cross from the left almost found Moses Olaleye at the far post but he could not connect with the header. Then Howe shot straight at keeper Anstiss. Redditch pulled a goal back however on 52 minutes when Solkhon kept out a stinging shot, diving to his left, but Ball rammed in the rebound from a tight angle from the right. In the next minute Ashley Walker managed to scramble away a Westcarr free kick from inside his own six yard box.O n 57 minutes Howe poked the ball wide as he cut inside to make a scoring chance.
On the hour Solkhon managed to paw away a Hollis cross and Chris Murphy hooked the rebound over the bar. Boucaud then shot wide for Kettering from a decent position. However he scored the Poppies fourth goal on 69 minutes when his vicious right foot shot on the turn saw Anstiss get two hands to it but it dropped into the far side of goal. The Poppies tried to consolidate their lead but Rickards sliced the ball over on the left hand side when in a good position. A neat one/two between Hall and Westcarr saw Hall's cross cleared.
On 78 minutes Redditch pulled a goal back when Hollis was given too much space on the right and he fired in a driven shot to give Solkhon little chance. On 83 minutes Boucaud sent Westcarr racing clear on the left but Anstiss did well to save at the second attempt to keep his team in the game. After a corner to the home team Petty shot over from the clearance. But on 85 minutes Redditch equalised. A mis-hit shot across goal from the right saw Ball reach out at the far post and he converted high into the net with his left foot.
There was still time for a Dempster shot to be deflected over the bar for a corner and for Ashley Walker to make a last ditch tackle on Westcarr as he threatened to shoot from 15 yards.
Full Time : Redditch United 4 Kettering Town 4
Attendance : to be confirmed
Poppies Fans : 275
Poppies Man Of The Match : Andre Boucaud.
Ken Samuel
17 Feb 2007
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