HSFL Division 3 - Whitwell 25 1 - 1 Kimpton Rovers

Kimpton extended their unbeaten start to the season to three games with a well fought out draw away to local rivals Whitwell 25.  This was the first time the villages had met competitively since 2003 so it promised to be a close contest.

A&R Photography

Against the early run of play the visitors got their noses in front when captain Alex Jode collected a Tom Hills throw in shooting smartly on the turn forcing the home keeper Viktor Kokeny into a full stretch save.  The push out landed at left back Lewis Rutter’s feet, he controlled it and fired home clinically from ten yards.  The hosts tried relentlessly to get back on level terms as the first half played out but were limited to just a few free kicks outside the box that failed to hit the target.

Kicking into the sun but with the wind behind them in the second period the game was played out mainly in the Rovers half with centre backs Adam Sayer and Ryan Gray thwarting the offensive forays time and time again.  The visitors continued to give away free kicks in dangerous areas around the box but thankfully none were to trouble the visiting keeper.  It was however a set piece that got the home side level with just over twenty minutes remaining.   A deep corner from the right was powerfully headed home into the top corner.  Whitwell, buoyed by getting back on level terms continued to press in search of a winner but it was Rovers who came closest to stealing all three points when in the dying few minutes, substitute Joe Catterill found himself clear of defenders and one on one with the keeper, but Kokeny saved superbly in the last bit of goalmouth action of the contest. 

All in all, a solid team performance by Kimpton in what may well be one of their toughest games of the season, with  goalscorer Lewis Rutter picked up the Meyer Office Solutions player of the match award.