Friday night misery for Poppies as Andrade haunts former team-mates with double strike
There were no Friday night delights under the lights for Kettering Tiwn as they had a night to forget in front of goal and hosts Bedford Town ran out 3-1 winners to extend their lead at the top of the Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central.
Dominating possession doesn't always win you football matches - and this proved to be the case at the New Eyrie as the Poppies saw most of the ball throughout the 90 minutes, but were poor in both final thirds where matches are won and lost.
For any neutral in the ground, it was an excellent game of football.
The passing was crisp, energy levels were high and the jeopardy of losing the game was there for all to see.
For anyone wanting to market non-league football, then Friday night football could become a new norm.
What is also increasing in frequency is former Kettering players scoring against their old employees.
Ethan Hill certainly enjoyed netting a wonder strike for Banbury United a fortnight ago, and Bruno Andrade didn't hold back his celebration after rifling home after just six minutes.
A single ball across field allowed the former Poppies striker in before sending his shot goalward which Dan Jezeph's hand could only palm into the roof of the net.
In a match of such significance, sure and calm heads are needed especially after conceding so early.
But Kettering decided to press the self destruct button just two minutes later, losing the ball whilst on the attack in the Bedford third before Andrade again received the ball this time on the left, turning his marker and firing the ball under Jezeph to double the lead.
Isiah Noel-Williams had the Poppies’ best chance to get back in the game early on when Alex Gudger nodded a corner back across the face of goal but the Kettering man could only hit his shot into the ground and over.
On 27 minutes it was Nile Ranger's turn to miss a gilt-edge opportunity after a freekick into the area fell kindly for the striker, but he could only lash his shot wide.
At the other end, Ryan Blake saw his shot inside the area blocked off the line before Lewis Hilliard was denied by the legs of Jezeph to keep the score at 2-0.
Carl Mensah received a yellow card for a rash tackle on the edge of the area on 36 minutes, but the resulting free-kick was repelled by the wall.
Ben Hart tried his luck three minutes later and there was still time in the half for Andrade to try and complete his hat-trick, but his header from a cross swung in from the right was straight at Jezeph who gratefully collected the ball.
Whatever team talk Richard Lavery delivered at half-time, it certainly didn't include conceding a goal after the restart!
But on 49 minutes Kettering were undone yet again as a single through ball took out a number of white shirts allowing prolific striker Leon Lobjoit to roll the ball home for his 20th goal of the campaign.
Devon Kelly-Evans did grab one back for the Poppies on 57 minutes after a surging run into the area and correctly opting to shoot low past James Horlock as hope was briefly restored.
But Bedford should have sealed the win on 64 minutes through Blake who got in on goal but could only find the crossbar with Jezeph beaten.
Throughout the game Kettering were playing well but continued to make wrong choices in the final third when testing the keeper would have been the better option.
The game did take another twist when a near identical foul outside the area from Mensah on 77 minutes resulted in a second yellow card.
But the Eagles stuck to their task, giving Kettering no space in the middle of the field that the man advantage was not helping the Poppies.
Ranger could have set up a grandstand finish on 86 minutes if he could have turned home Tyree Wilson's pass across goal, while Jezeph's body kept out another Blake shot a minute later with 10 minutes of stoppage time yet to be played.
A large proportion of the 1,973 crowd will have headed back up the A6 very frustrated that Kettering were the masters of their own downfall.
To concede twice so early in a game of such importance is concerning.
Yes, the Poppies do have four games in hand and can easily claw back the six point gap between themselves and the Eagles.
But in a tight league where everyone beats everyone, suddenly a two win buffer looks very comfortable.