Boss Lavery always had faith Kettering Town would recover from 'bad six weeks'
Richard Lavery says he always believed Kettering Town would fight their way out of their recent slump in form - even if a section of the club's fanbase was getting a little twitchy!
The start to 2025 has not been the best for the Poppies, who lost four of the first five Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central matches they played in the year.
It was a run that saw them slide from top of the table to fifth, but Saturday's 3-0 win over Barwell at Latimer Park has hopefully got Lavery and his team back on the title track, with the manager insisting his squad is 'the best in the league'.
Ahead of this Saturday's trip to eighth-placed Stourbridge, Kettering are sitting fourth in the table and just three points adrift of leaders Bedford Town, with the little matter of four games in hand.
They also have two and three games in hand on second-placed Stratford Town and third-placed AFC Telford United respectively, so with 15 matches left to play Lavery's men are in pretty good shape.
They have now won two of their past three matches, conceding just one goal in the process, and after the regulation win over Barwell, Lavery insisted: "For me, there was no corner that needed turning.
"We have shown what we can do, and the fans are going to be fickle if they are going to go the way that says we are no good any more. We are a good team, and I have probably got the best squad in the league.
"I will back myself to say that, but we have had a bad six weeks or so, which happens to everybody."
A major bonus from last weekend's win was the fact the team clicked once again as an attacking force, and there was a return to scoring action for striker Nile Ranger who netted the opener against Barwell, with Isiah Noel-Williams and Wes York also on target.
And Lavery believes Ranger and fellow targetman Jonny Edwards can push each other on as they compete for the lone striking role in his starting line-up.
"I am pleased for Nile," said Lavery. "He has come in for Jonny, who has had two games without any goals, and Nile has come in after being out in the cold and scored.
"I then brought Jonny on for Nile, and I could do that because we were in control of the game and it gets them both minutes.
"But there is only one place up there, and the two of them are fighting it out for that one place, and I like that."
Saturday’s trip to Stourbridge will be a testing one for the Poppies, with the home side on a run of three straight wins.
They have risen up the table having claimed 12 points out of 15, and are just four points outside the play-offs, and only five behind Kettering.
The Poppies were 2-0 winners when the sides met at Latimer Park in October.
Quotes courtesy of Peter Short