Solkhon targets the top-three with Poppies' title hopes all-but gone

There now seems to be an acceptance within the Poppies camp that any hopes of winning the title are now gone after their 2-0 defeat at Chesham United last weekend left them 10 points behind leaders and title favourites Hereford.The Bulls look well set to leave everyone trailing in their wake but the battle for the play-off places and home supremacy in the semi-finals of the extended season looks set to be a close one.Kettering are still well-placed as far as securing a play-off spot is concerned.But club legend Solkhon admits he and the Poppies players are setting the targets a bit higher.“It was a great week for us leading up to last weekend with the win over Bishop’s Stortford and then the long trip to Tiverton and the victory we had down there,” Solkhon said.“So we went into the Chesham game full of confidence and we had enough chances to be 1-0 or 2-0 up at half-time.“To be honest, we were lacklustre in the second half. You never want to make excuses but I just think we all ran out of legs a little bit.“But we have still put ourselves in a great position as far as the play-offs are concerned.“Hereford don’t seem to be slipping up, they keep picking up points and it looks like their title to lose now.“But we are up there with Weymouth and King’s Lynn and we just want to pick up as many points as we can and finish as high as possible.“It’s been a good season for us so far and now we want to get into the play-offs and then we want to finish in the top three so we can be at home in the semi-finals.“You saw when the club got to the play-offs before that the support was amazing and we want to make sure we have that behind us again if we can finish in those positions.”The ‘Beast From The East’ will undoubtedly have its say over local football scene this weekend.But should the Poppies beat the weather, they will be taking on Dorchester Town at Latimer Park on Saturday afternoon.And Solkhon admitted there is a “score to settle” after the Poppies produced one of their worst displays of the season when they were thumped 4-1 in the reverse fixture in November.“There’s a big score to settle”, Solkhon added.“We were flying at the time when we went down there and I think that was one of those occasions when we just turned up and thought it would be straightforward.“But we got well beaten that day and it was a bit of a wake-up call.“So we are hoping the game will be on and we will try to set the record straight."