KitmanUK Reserves Cup Final

Kempston Rovers vs Harborough Town

Friday 16th October 2020

Dog & Duck, Wellingborough.

Report from Pete Wade

Photos from Finbarr Carroll.

Six months later than expected Kempston Rovers Reserves and Harborough Town Reserves met in the Reserve Division Knockout Cup Final at The Dog and Duck Ground in Wellingborough. A chilling autumnal evening welcomed the crowd of 240 as the players prepared in the dark, as for some odd reason Wellingborough Town don’t put the floodlights on until the last minute.

The game began with the players ‘taking the knee’ and the Harborough Town ‘Bees’ kicking off and quickly built an attack that ended with Granger shooting straight at the keeper. A flavour of the game soon occurred when Harborough’s left back slammed into a tackle leaving ‘The Walnut Boys’ Cann injured on the floor. The referee chose to ignore an overly robust challenge, which he did several times in the opening quarter of the game. Kempston were soon in the game and forced HTFC’s Burke into two poor clearances. It had been a fast and furious opening with both sides attacking but too often the final ball caused attacks to break down.

On Harborough’s right side Gudyer was causing problems, beating several players at a time with his runs and setting up Clipston for a shot which was easily saved. With 10 minutes gone Rovers were beginning to control the game, knocking the ball around nicely, and another Harborough defensive muddle almost let Cann in on the right side. 

Harborough were forced to play on the break with Gudyer again causing problems, although their pressing game was keeping Rovers at arm’s length. On 17 minutes, after the Ref had allowed and advantage to play out, Bakogeorge broke forward only for Harborough’s Holland to halt him with sound block, but on 21 minutes Rovers deservedly took the lead. A through ball split the two centre-halves and Davey drove through the middle and slipped past the on rushing keeper.

With a raucous Kempston crowd cheering their side on Rovers were largely in control, although their keeper’s attempts at playing the ball out caused problems at times. McGuiness had a shot blocked and hit the rebound high over the bar. Harborough’s captain Burke was struggling with a hamstring issue that would see him replaced at half time. Rovers won two quick corners after good work by Bakogeorge which came to nothing despite Rushby’s missed punch. ‘The Bees’ still looked good on the break and a stiff challenge on Gudyer went unpunished as the Referee seemed intent on ensuring the Harborough players were controlled. An excellent break by Cann, who benefitted from a good advantage being played, saw him fizz the ball across the goal with no taker on hand. With half time looming an excellent HTFC move involving four players interchanging passes came to nothing but then a generous free kick to Rovers 30 yards out would be crucial. The ball was played in but Rushby failed to scoop the ball up as it bounced and it dropped invitingly to Ronayne who could not miss from three yards.

2-0 to Kempston at half time was about right as the stronger side had controlled much of the play in the first half. Rather strangely the beginning of the second half was delayed as both sides lined up but the officials finished their refreshments before returning! Gorman-Powell replaced the injured Burke as Harborough set about repairing the damage. They immediately tried to do just that and would dominate the play for the second half as they sought to get the ball down and play more, with Falcini very much to the fore. Falcini drifted passed several players to win a corner but the next time he did the same Bulley was cautioned for a blatant shirt pull. 

On 50 minutes Town were back in the game. A free kick by Gudyer was knocked down in the box and in the ensuing melee a Rovers player grabbed a shirt and the Ref was on hand to award a penalty. Gudyer dispatched a crisp shot into the corner with the keeper guessing the right way but was beaten by the pace of the ball.

It was Kempston’s turn to play on the break and Cann was narrowly caught offside in such a break. 10 minutes into the second half Harborough were pushing Rovers back on all fronts. Clipston was booked after a late tackle as Rovers sought to break in midfield.

On 58 minutes came a decisive moment in the game, when in a quick Harborough attack Gudyer got a shot off which was parried by Kirkup, it was headed out but Granger was on hand to hammer in a shot from the edge of the box to even things up at 2-2. Now it was game on as ’The Bees’ poured forward in waves. Time and time again Falcini went by his man and got the ball into the box and with Rovers looking uncertain the back a third looked probable. When Rovers did break and Davey drove into the box he was booked for simulation having taken a dive. Substitutions were beginning to take place: for Kempston Obodoechine came for Cann and for Harborough Morris replaced Gudyer. Once again Falcini went on a run, slipping between two defenders his shot beat the keeper only to strike the crossbar. Next it was Rovers, with a swift break by Obodoechine, whose cross evaded everybody in the box and was cleared. With 70 minutes gone the game changed once again as from a corner Davey got a header on target which took several deflections before ending up in the net.

Harborough soon had a golden chance to square things; from a free kick the ball was played in by Gorman-Powell and in the mad scramble that enused the ball was twice cleared off the line. Cann returned to the fray as Town went forward again and on 77 minutes yet another free kick was played into the Kempston box and once again in the scramble the ball was cleared off the line. With 10 minutes to go a poor short goal kick allowed Granger to shoot from 20 yards but his shot flew narrowly wide.

There were more substitutions in the closing minutes with Woodhouse coming on for Knowles, Witkowski and Rodrigues replacing and Granger and Taylor all for Harborough and Moscaritolo coming on for Aca for Rovers. In the 85th minute came a controversial moment as Woodhouse tried to reach a bouncing ball and caught a Rovers player. Without giving himself time to think the Referee went for the red card, hardly necessary but there it was. Granger was brought back on for Logan. This was then followed by a foul for which Kempston’s Matindale was cautioned.

With time nearly up a quick break by the excellent Davey saw him run away from the depleted Harborough defence and play a good ball across the box for Moscaritolo to tap in. Right to the end Harborough threw everything at Kempston but with no further goals.

It was the fabled ‘game of two halves’ with Kempston in control in the first one and Harborough in the second. Rovers were stronger and Harborough needed more of the football played in the second half played earlier in the game. The 4-2 score line flattered Rovers but they deserve their win and celebrated enthusiastically with their fans.