A Game Of Four Halves

Kedington FC may well have expected an easy ride when bottom of the league Clare Reserves came to The Grate Meadow for the Quarter final of the Halstead League Challenge Cup, but Clare, who have not yet won a match this season, were to provide the nail biter of the season.

Clare took every advantage of a lack lustre shambles of a first half from Kedington, taking the ball strait through the middle of KFC's defence to claim a penalty which they easily turned in to a goal. Kedington were not to get any better during the half and Clare found it to simple to educe Chaos around the Kedington goal mouth allowing them to tap the ball in for a 2-0 lead in to the break.

Corner An inspirational team conversation between halves brought Kedington out for the second half a changed team. Suddenly Clare had a fight on their hands and the form that has been the hallmark of the Kedington side all season returned. It still took till half way through the half that Kedington started to pull back goals on the score board when a corner was headed in to the top corner by captain Tom Rogers. It was a corner that gave Kedington the lead in for their second goal as well as, with just 15 minuets remaining, Richard Elding put the ball in at the near post, much to the surprise of the Clare Number 11 who thought he had deflected it only to have it pointed out to him by the referee that he was standing a foot behind the line at the time.

Both sides fought hard in the last few minuets for the clincher Kedington smashing the ball of the cross bar and Clare suffering disappointment when they put the ball in the back of the net only to have it declared No goal as a hand ball. Thus the teams hit full time even.

Corner Kedington had the vast majority of the ball in extra time and seemed to be well in control of the game until Clare took full advantage of a slip at the Kedington end to get round keeper Stuart Watson and take the lead. It took very little time how ever for Kedington to force a corner out of their opponents and use it with their normal devastating precision to set up Alan Moule for the equaliser.

Kedington still could not find a lead till the final half of extra time and even then the Clare Keeper knocked the ball clear more than once before finally although he got his hand to it he found himself unable to divert Lee Phillips' edge of the box flick. After spending the whole match either behind or for short periods even Kedington took the lead with two minuets to go.

Clare will no doubt take some heart from a strong performance when they return to the meadow this Saturday for the the second Kedington League Match up. Kedington will also be looking forward to the Cup Semi final against their closest league rivals Glemsford Gladiators.