Law wants to keep his Poppies together

Marcus Law immediately set his sights on keeping “the core” of his Kettering Town squad together for another shot at promotion after they suffered play-off heartbreak last night (Wednesday).

The Poppies were beaten 3-1 by Slough Town in the Evo-Stik South League Premier play-off semi-final at Arbour Park with Aaron O’Connor scoring his 40th goal of the season in all competitions to cancel out Perry Coles’ opener for the hosts in the first half. But two second-half penalties from James Dobson sent the Rebels through to the final at King’s Lynn Town on Bank Holiday Monday.

With a restructuring of the non-League system in the offing this summer, Kettering now look set to be part of the new ‘Central League’ for the start of next season. And Law said: “We will soon find out what league we will be going in but I will do as much as I can to keep the core of this squad together, if not everyone.

“We have proven over a 46-game period that we are more than capable of competing. “I look at the small margins and we need to nullify that. “If we were looking to go into the level of playing against teams like Stockport, York and Chester you are going to be in pressurised games and you have to be composed and not make the errors. “From last night, you wonder whether it might have been too early but we have to act on that.

“We have kept 21 clean sheets so I have to look at why we have conceded as many goals as we have in 25 other games. That’s something we will look at over the summer and get right. “I asked for a stronger underbelly and a more hard-working side from the season before, the players have given us that and I don’t think any fan can grumble at the commitment the players have given us this year.

Read more at: Jon Dunham Northants Telegraph