Rebels see off Poppies at Arbour Park

Slough Town

Slough Town

3
Moone (2, 28), Dobson (57)
Kettering Town

Kettering Town

2
O'Connor (89), Howe (90+3)
League Attendance: 588 Charlie Moone
Slough Town took all three points from their final league match before Christmas, and looked comfortable in doing so until the Poppies twice struck late to give the Rebels a scare.

Kettering arrived at Arbour Park having won their previous three league games but were second best for most of this match, with an early goal giving the home side a platform from which to go on and build a healthy lead.

New signing Chris Flood, who joined from Gosport Borough in the week, went straight into the starting eleven, partnering Charlie Moone in attack. And Moone was on the scoresheet with less than two minutes played, as he ran clear and fired into the bottom corner with Kettering appealing in vain for an offside flag.

Kettering looked to respond with Wilson Carvalho standing over a dangerous-looking free kick 25 yards out, but Mark Scott made a routine save. At the other end Kettering right-back James Haran’s name went into the referee’s notebook for a foul on Moone as he again made inroads towards the Poppies penalty area.

The visitors went close as a corner kick flew all the way across goal for Haran, but he failed to get sufficient contact on the ball to turn it on target.

Moone could have had a second on 22 minutes but he chipped wide of goal after finding himself in the clear again. But six minutes later he did find the net again. Slough kept the pressure on from a free kick and, after Mark Nisbet had seen a volley blocked, Moone put the ball past Dean Snedker at the second attempt after an initial attempt was blocked by a defender.

Kettering saw a lot more of the ball late in the second half without threatening the hosts, and things got no better for Kettering in the second half. Early on, Jack Kelly almost diverted the ball into his own net as he cleared a dangerous Dobson cross over the bar.

Slough added a third on 57 minutes and the result looked like a foregone conclusion thereafter. This was another superb individual goal from James Dobson, who now has 16 for the season. Dobson beat his marker with a nice bit of trickery and sprinted clear before rounding Snedker and slotting in, making the finish look easy. Dobson had Mark Scott to thank though, as the keeper's quick thinking and inch-perfect long pass made it possible.

With the Poppies being frustrated by the offside flag when attempting to mount attacks, Slough looked to be coasting to victory and almost added a fourth when substitute Dan Hicks – brought on to anchor the midfield – burst through and forced a good save from Snedker.

But Kettering pulled a goal back with one minute remaining as Aaron O'Connor finished neatly into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Moone then missed a golden chance to seal his hat-trick, Snedker saving his shot with his legs, before Rene Howe reduced the deficit further in the third minute of added time - but there was no further time for Kettering to search for an equaliser.

Kettering Town Lineup

Dean Snedker, James Haran, Jack Kelly, Dom Langdon, Paul Malone, Gary Mulligan (c), Lewis Hornby, Aaron O'Connor, Rene Howe, Wilson Carvalho, James Brighton. Substitutes: Liam Canavan, Matthew Barnes-Homer, Nathan Hicks, Brett Solkhon, Paul White.

Rebels

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