So for my final report of 2024 I visited the Arden Garages Stadium, whilst staying with family for a few days post Christmas, home of Stratford Town, knows as “the Bards”.

Stratford Town play in the Southern League Premier Division Central, where they occupied fourth place in their efforts to secure a play off place and secure promotion to the National League North. Their opponents today, Kettering Town, have been the league’s runaway leaders this season, so this was truly billed as a festive “cracker”.

The Arden Garages Stadium is in Tiddington on Knights Lane. The record attendance at the ground was 2800, when Stratford Town played Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup 1st round back in November 2021. The ground boasts refreshment stands, an outdoor bar as well as two covered grandstands and ample open seating. The pitch is grass and of a high quality. Parking was available on a large scale but charged at £3.

Caretaker manager, Paul Davis has seen his Stratford Town side secure a decent run of four wins in the last five games. His side’s goals this season have mostly come from Callum Ebanks, with 7 goals. Kettering Town, led by manager Richard Lavery, have had a great season, topping the league and getting through to a televised FA Cup tie in the second round, with Doncaster Rovers.

The game opened in front of a huge Matchday attendance of 1664, with the league leaders stamping their authority, when on twelve minutes Gary Stohrer’s header, from a corner, struck a Stratford Town defender before nestling in the net, to make it 0-1.

Ten minutes later Isiah Noel-Williams, goal scoring star from Kettering’s televised second round FA Cup Tie with Doncaster Rovers, saw a point blank shot well saved by Jacob Weaver in the Stratford Town goal, when he was one on one and through on goal.

In the 39th minute Stratford Town’s Finley Brennan was judged to have pulled down Tyree Wilson when through on goal, preventing a clear goal scoring opportunity. The referee showed Brennan a red card and awarded a penalty.

The spot kick was taken by Kettering Town’s Jonathan Edwards and after a slow opening run up, Stratford Town’s Jacob Weaver threw himself to his left, making a fine save to keep the score at 0-1.

As so often happens, being reduced to ten men fired up Stratford Town. With three minutes left to the break Callum Ebanks broke free, against the run of play, to chip the ball home and pull Stratford Town level at 1-1.

At the half time whistle the sides went in with the scores level. The second half looked set to be entertaining.

Kettering Town came out with renewed self belief and on 50 minutes were ahead again when Lewis White scored, after a goal mouth scramble, to make the score 1-2.

Just when the game seemed to have slipped back in favour towards Kettering Town, Owen James broke free for Stratford Town and lobbed Daniel Jezeph in the away team’s goal to make it 2-2. Unfortunately I missed filming the goal, but caught the immediate celebrations!

In the 73rd minute Stratford Town found themselves in an unlikely lead, when Callum Ebanks slid in to score his second of the game, making it 3-2 to the ten men.

Just two minutes later the scores were level at 3-3. Kettering Town’s Callum Powell firing home from the left hand side of the penalty area to tie the scores again.

The last minutes of the game, including the added seven minutes the referee found, saw relentless Kettering Town pressure and last ditch defending by “the Bards” defence. However as the full time whistle blew the spoils of battle were shared. Stratford Town would have taken far more from their point, having saved a penalty and played 60 minutes of the game with ten men, than Kettering Town did.