This Saturday I was pretty much resigned to another match on plastic, especially after seeing postponements coming in thick and fast. However, midway through the morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the game on top of my grass list was on. The match in question was the Northants Combination Premier clash between Kettering Nomads and Blisworth. Still wary of last-minute changes in the weather, I set out a little early to give myself ample time to get back to Earls Barton United's 3G pitch should this one get called off.
With league leaders Roade sitting twelve points clear at the start of play, both second placed Bliswoth and fifth placed Kettering knew that a win today was essential. Both had games in hand, Blisworth two and Kettering five, but neither could catch the leaders even if they won them all. so they would still be counting on a mistake or two from Roade. The reverse fixture, played in October, had been a close encounter that Blisworth had edged 2-1. Today was expected to be much of the same.
Blisworth had a very good penalty shootout win against Desborough Town in the Les Underwood Cup last weekend, but suffered a damaging 2-1 defeat at Roade at the end of January. Nomads beat Heyford Athletic last weekend but also lost 2-1 at Roade the week before.
Many thanks to the Kettering Nomads official who fetched both team sheet for me to photograph before the game. Very much appreciated.

Although Blisworth started this game on the front foot, it was Joe Mann's 11th minute effort for Kettering that provided the first real strike in anger. It was wide of the mark, as too was Kaine Clinton's free-kick a couple of minutes later. However Sam Starkey, in the home goal, was the first of the two goalkeepers to get his knees dirty when he had to dive to his right to push away Adefolarin Ademidun's effort, before the rebound was sent spiralling over the bar.
The team's continued to spar, but it was Blisworth who looked the more dangerous of the two, and Jamal Said sent a shot whistling past Starkey's goal just before the half-hour mark as if to emphasise the point. So, it was somewhat against the general run of play when Nomads took the lead in the 31st minute. Oscar Horton was the beneficiary, getting on the end of a ball into the box, after good work up the left flank. 1-0
Four minutes later the home side thought they had doubled their advantage when Josh Mcadoo spilled a long-range effort. Charlie Wilson was first to react, nipping in to lift the loose ball over the keeper, only for the assistant to put his flag up. The home players and bench were convinced that the striker was onside, but the referee agreed with the assistant. No goal. To be honest, from the opposite end of the pitch, it was impossible to get a perspective.

HT Kettering Nomads 1 Blisworth 0. Nomads take a lead into the break despite Blisworth creating slightly more opportunities. All to play for with not a great dela to choose between the teams.

​The wind seemed to have picked up a little during the break, and was now in the favour of Blisworth for the second half. They immediately set about using the conditions in their favour. First Dylan Surace and then Ross Watson tried their luck from distance, using wind assistance. Both were marginally off target
However, just before the hour mark, the visitors were level. Jamal Said picking the ball up some 25 yards out, steadying himself and sending a dipping drive beyond Starkey's right hand into the bottom corner. 1-1
Just the other side of the hour there was an unusual incident that confused a few of the onlookers for a while. McAdoo collected the ball in his area and, as he was about to throw it out, changed his mind. He dropped the ball right on the edge of the box before picking it up again. The referee blew for a free-kick with the majority, myself included, believing the keeper had handled outside the box. However, the ball was placed inside the area and it soon became apparent that the free-kick had been awarded because the keeper picked the ball up again after first releasing it. As it happened, nothing came of the free-kick.
Five minutes later, with just over 20 minutes remaining, Blisworth produced the best piece of football in the game. A series of quick passes and movement off the ball ended with Morgan Littlejohn playing a one-two and slipping the ball under Starkey. 1-2. 
Two became three after 77 minutes when Don Gillard sent a low, skimming shot past Starkey from 25 yards. Great strike for 1-3 and possibly game over. However, Kettering substitute Max Jelliman had other ideas. Two minutes after conceding the third goal, Jelliman found the ball in front of him, just inside the Blisworth half. A quick glance revealed McAdoo to be off his line, allowing Jelliman launched a perfect 45 yard lob over the stranded keeper. 2-3
Nomads were now looking to get back on level terms and were not too far off when Matty Sherwood let fly, missing the target by a narrow margin. However, they were leaving gaps at the back in the ir efforts to get a goal and, on 83 minutes, were a little lucky when Blisworth had a fourth goal disallowed for offside. To be fair, there were no real complaints from the visitors.
Then, with the minutes ticking down, Clinton said a little too much to the referee and earned a sin-bin, reducing Nomads to 10 for the final few minutes. They almost paid the price when Ross Watson was sent clear, but Starkey was out quickly to make a great one-handed block. There was still enough added time to almost allow Clinton to return to the action, but whilst the Nomads bench were trying to get him back on, the referee finally blew for the end of the game.

FT Kettering Nomads 2 Blisworth 3. A crucial three points for Blisworth, who keep their slim chances of catching Road alive. The result leaves them 9 points adrift of the leaders with one game in hand. Kettering stay in fifth, 21 points off top spot with four games in hand.
Next weekend Nomads make the trip to Corby to face Stewart & Lloyds in the first of a double-header, with the return match taking place the following Saturday. Blisworth are back at home as Corby Pegasus come calling. A first league meeting this season, but Blissy did win 2-1 at Glebe Park in the Les Underwood Cup back in October.

Kettering Nomads: Starkey, Hale, Boyce-Chong(c), Lingley, Tolton, Heads, Mann, Horton, Wilson, Clinton, Cawkill. Subs: Sherwood, Jelliman, Proctor
Bisworth: Mcadoo, Sergeant(c), Bazeley, Redding, Gartland, Gillard, Said, Surace, Wilkes, Ademidun, Watson. Subs: Heasman, Hadley, Hogben, Littlejohn

The Ground
Kettering Nomads play their home games at Isham Cricket Club which is situated between the villages of Isham and Orlingbury, some five miles south of Kettering. The club has a reasonably large car park with additional parking available on the road outside the ground. Next to the car park is the club house and patio area that looks out over the playing fields. The football pitch is at the far end of the ground, beyond the cricket pitch and has a backdrop of open countryside. There's no spectator cover around the pitch and no dugouts. The playing surface, although in need of a trim, looked to be in pretty good condition given the recent wet weather, and clearly drains quite well.

Ground Number: 479
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Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A

​After my daughter's game got pushed back to an 11:15 kick-off, it looked very much as if I wouldn't get toa game on Saturday afternoon. However, step forward Community Football Academy and Glen Villa, who were scheduled to meet at 4pm on the Oadby 3G pitch. Perfect! Just enough time to get back from Oxford, have a quick cup of tea and set off up the M1 for what looked like a tasty Division One clash. Hosts Community Football Academy sat in second prior to kick-off, having just played back to back games against the leaders St Patricks. After losing 2-0 at The Emerald Centre, CFA threw the cat amongst the pigeons with a resounding 8-2 win at Beauchamp College last Saturday. That result left CFA four point behind the leaders, who also had a game in hand. At the start of play, Glen Villa sat in fifth, a further 10 points adrift of CFA but with two games in hand on today's hosts. Earlier in he season BotP had the pleasure of watching both games between St Patricks and Glen Villa, a 4-2 away win for Villa (Reversal Of Fortune) and a 2-0 away win for St Patricks (A Warm Welcome). 
As a consequence of these two match, I already knew Villa boss Jonny Morgan and it was he who was one of the first people I saw upon arriving at the ground. After asking if I had the team sheets yet, he had a word with the CFA coach, who came over to share their list with me. Jonny then got the Villa sheet a little later, after a last minute change through Jake Inskip pulling up in the warm-up. Thanks to both teams for sharing their team sheets. It's very much appreciated.
I was also very pleased to meet CFA Chairman and founder Ahmed Maravia before the game, and even more pleased when it turned out that my blogs were already known to CFA, despite not having seen them play before. Ahmed spoke to me about the reason he set up CFA and just how far they and the charity had come in the 22 years since being founded. To find out more about the excellent work they do, I'd recommend taking a look at their website, especially the ABOUT US section.
Back to today's game. CFA were in search of a double over their visitors, having won 2-1 at The Rec in November. Two Charvin Ambhire goals enough to trump Jack Langton's goal for Villa.

​Both teams started the game looking quite lively, but it was the visitors who had the first real chance when Ira Caster was sent through. However, under pressure from a defender, his shot went straight at CFA keeper and captain, Aamir Bham.
CFA then soon made Villa rue that missed opportunity as the hosts went ahead. Four minutes in, Jaseem Khamkar drove up the right before firing over a low, driven cross that Lewis Dowle couldn't hold onto. The loose ball fell to Zak Yusuf who steadied himself before planting the ball into the net. 1-0.
It quickly got worse for Villa as CFA began to stroke the ball around with the confidence of a team who scored eight in their last game. Four minutes after going ahead, another raid into the Villa box culminated in Jaseem Khamkar being clipped inside the area. Penalty given. The same player picked himself up and slotted home the spot-kick. 2-0
To be fair to Villa, they tried to respond to this setback. Josh Wright saw his curling effort brilliantly pushed away by Bham and, after Hales had headed down a long ball, Caster arrived at the far post, but could only hit the side-netting. Harry Boorman then came close for CFA, but his header was just over the bar. Then Dowle made a very good stop to keep out Khamkar as CFA threatened more goals. 
A third did arrive, just past the half-hour mark. Younes Mihoubi was the architect, driving down the left before cutting the ball back into the path of Liam Taylor, who drilled the ball into the bottom corner. 3-0.
Once again, Villa tried to respond, but George Parker's free-kick, given after Cameron Grieff was caught by a stray arm that Villa thought was more than accidental, was never really troubling Bham, as it sailed over the bar and, if anything, it was CFA who looked more likely to add to their total before the break. In fact, only a very brave block from Dowle prevented Bleu McNeil from making it four in the final minute of the half.

HT Community Football Academy 3 Glen Villa 0. CFA well on top and played some very good football, using the surface to their advantage with quick passing. Villa with plenty of work to do if they want to get back into the game. 

​If the Villa coaches had wanted to see a marked improvement in the second half, they almost got their wish just three minutes after the restart. Josh Wright took aim from 30 yards sending his shot arrowing past Bham only for it to come back off the joint of post and bar. Very unlucky.
Credit to Villa, after chasing shadows for much of the first half, they had definitely got to grips with things in the second half. The fluent and fluid CFA attacks had been stemmed, but the visitors still couldn't find a way to cause problems for Bham. In fact, it was Dowle who was still the busier keeper, making comfortable stops from Adam and Hajat.
Into the final fifteen minutes, Villa did conjure up a coupe of half-chances. First Myles Cosgrove burst up the right wing, sending over a cross that was only marginally too far in front of George Parker flying in a t the far post. A few minutes later, a corner from the left found its way to the back post, arriving very quickly at the feet of Cosgrove, who couldn't get his strike on target.
A minute after that opportunity, CFA sealed the game completely when a dissecting through ball sent Mohamed Mahir clear. He calmly stroked the ball past Dowle for 4-0. That left just enough time for another substitute, Meroune Fahri, to see his goal-bound effort deflected over, as CFA saw out the game.

FT Community Football Academy 4 Glen Villa 0. A much better second half from Glen Villa, who stemmed the flow of CFA, but couldn't quite find a way back into the game. Maybe with a three-goal cushion, CFA also took their foot off the pedal a little, but they'd done the damage in the first half.
The result leaves CFA a point behind St Patricks, but having played two games more than the leaders. Villa remain in fifth spot but are now thirteen points behind CFA, albeit with two games in hand.
If you want to catch either of these teams in action then, weather permitting, they both have league games next Saturday. CFA travel to 12th placed Barrow Town who they beat 3-2 in the reverse fixture at the start of January. With St Patricks not playing, a point or more would see them go top. Glen Villa are back at home, as they welcome mid-table Holwell Sports Reserves to The Rec. The reverse fixture saw Sports score in the 89th minute to edge a the game 3-2.

Community Football Academy: 1.Bham(c), 11.Mihoubi, 18.Boorman, 5.Kone, 17.McNeil, 12.Bhandal, 13.Husain, 45.Taylor, 6.Adam, 15.Yusuf, 7.Khamkar. Subs: Hajat, 2.Jameel, 4.Bobat, 10.Mills, 16.Farhi, 8.Patel, 9.Mahir
Glen Villa: 1.Dowle, 13.Wright, 6.Payton, 12.D.Garrat, 7.Caster, 8.Greiff(c), 9.J.Parker, 10.G.Parker, 11.Morton, 15.Hales, 16.Cosgrove. Subs: 14.Mason, 2.Rowe, 18.Nwaigwe, 17.A.Garrat

The Ground
The Oadby 3G pitch is part of Beauchamp College campus. There's not a huge amount to say about the ground. It's a standard green cage design with spectator access along on side, although you can probably get a good view of the game from the pathway that rises up above the playing surface behind one of the goals. There's plenty of parking around the college and pathways leading around to the 3G pitch. There's no spectator cover but there are dugouts on the far side of the pitch.

Ground Number: 478
Att: 
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A