No cohesion, no height and no confidence - Poppies sunk by Needham Market
Visitors Needham Market did just enough to leave Latimer Park with all three points on Saturday, beating directionless and managerless Kettering Town 1-0 in the Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central.
In a game that isn't going to last in the memory of both sets of fans, Kettering could not produce a single effort on target and needed the brilliance of Jason Alexander yet again to keep the visitors at bay before Kyle Hammond tapped home the eventual winner.
The win for Needham Market saw them leapfrog their hosts to go seventh in the table, whilst the Poppies are languishing in 10th having played a game more than the teams around them.
Kettering started well enough finding themselves in the visitors half for much of the opening period.
They had four corners in quick succession but the now vertically challenged squad, with no towering striker to aim for, were unable to capitalise.
On 14 minutes, Needham surged up the field in a rare counter attack and a wicked ball towards Joe Neal was headed beyond the outstretched glove of Alexander, but the left post came to Kettering's rescue.
From then the quality of the match dropped dramatically with Kettering having no outlets other than lofting the ball forwards towards Callum Powell whilst Market weren't much better as both sides easily coughed up the ball in midfield.
The key moment of the first half came on the stroke of half time when Needham Market received a penalty after Poppies skipper George Forsyth upended his opposite number.
Luke Ingram stepped up but saw his penalty shot saved by the knee of Alexander who then reacted quickly to keep out Ben Hunter's rebound shot at the near post.
A poor first half was followed by an even worse second half.
Neither side could produce a coherent spell of pressure until on 69 minutes a cross from the left hand side flashed across the face of the Kettering goal and Kyle Hammond was on hand to turn home just yards out.
WIll Glennon had a glorious chance at the death to salvage a point when a cross came in from the left but his header could only flash wide of goal.
The problems for new manager Liam McDonald are plain to see – there is no cohesion, no height and no confidence.
The effort levels are actually very good from Kettering, and there is a desire from many in the squad to turn this season around which is by no means over!
But it's going to take an injection of new blood, cash and, most importantly, patience from the fans to let any new project come to fruition.