Damaging derby defeat for 10-man Peterborough Sports

Peterborough Sports' Connor Kennedy (left) v the Kettering Town goalkeeper. Photo: David Lowndes.

Peterborough Sports suffered a damaging derby defeat at the hands of Kettering Town in National League North at the Bee Arena on Boxing Day.

A fisrt-half red card for former Kettering skipper Connor Kennedy proved a pivotal moment in a tight contest. Kennedy walked five minutes before the break after collecting a second yellow card.

The fisrt period had always been lively in a physical rather than a fluency sense with Sports having the edge in possession in front of crowd of just over 600.

Clearcut chances were rare with right-back Isaiiah Bazeley missing the best opportunity when finding himself one-one-one with Cameron Gregory with the Kettering ‘keeper winning the duel.

Connor Kennedy (blue, facing) of Peterborough Sports has just been sent off against Kettering Town. Photo: David Lowndes.

Josh McCammon’s diving header causing a scramble in the Kettering penalty area and a Dion Sembie-Ferris shot from just inside the penalty area was well handled by the visiting ‘keeper.

But Kennedy’s dismissal was a clear boost for a Poppies team that hadn’t won away from home all season.

The bottom four side opened the scoring from the spot through Sheffield United loanee Frank Maguire in the 61st minute after a foul from Richard Jones, but Sports won a spot-kick of their own 10 minutes late following a foul on Jordan Nicholson which ice-cool captain Dan Lawlor converted.

But Maguire’s quality down the right-hand side provided visiting skipper Gary Stohrer with the chance to win the game six minutes from time which he took.

Josh McCammon attempts a diving header v Kettering. Photo: David Lowndes.

Sports have dropped to ninth in the table, still nine points clear of 21st-placed Kettering with the teams set to meet again on New Year’s Day at Latimer Park (3pm).

Sports: Crook, Bazeley, Fox, Fryatt, R. Jones, Lawlor, Sembie-Ferris (sub Jarvis) Kennedy, M. Jones (sub Sani), Nicholson, McCammon (sub Camara). Unused subs: Elsom, Wiliams-Lowe.