Boss McDonald bemoans 'soft' mentality as Poppies concede another four goals

The Poppies followed up a 4-2 festive loss at title-chasing Harborough Town with a 4-1 defeat at mid-table rivals Leiston on Saturday, with the home side rattling in three goals in the closing minutes following a 79th-minute red card for Blaine Rowe.

Kettering had looked to be on course for at least a share of the spoils as Will Glennon's 48th-minute penalty cancelled out a first-half header from Ronnie Bois, but the wheels came off following Rowe's dismissal for a second yellow card.

And McDonald was not impressed with how his side defended for any of the Suffolk side's four goals.

"I said to the lads after the game we are soft, and I don't mean from a physical aspect, I mean from a mental, in-game play aspect, we are just soft," said McDonald.

"We are conceding soft goals, the first goal is soft, Will (Glennon) should do better with it, and sometimes it is just excuses.

"Last week it was 'we need Foz (George Forsyth) back in there', and Foz was in there on Saturday and we still conceded the goals.

"How many shots has Jay (Jason Alexander) saved? Probably one or two all game, but every team that has a shot at the minute the ball seems to hit the back of our net. That is disappointing and is something I need to look at."

McDonald has undergone something of a rebuild since taking over from Simon Hollyhead in October, with the latest player to leave Latimer Park being attacker Eddie Oppong, who left last week to join Isthmian League Premier Division side Carshalton Athletic.

But following the loss at Leiston, he confirmed he is now preparing to play out the rest of the season with the players he already has at his disposal.

"We are what we are and this is our squad and this is what is going to see us through to the end of the season and we will find a way," said McDonald.

"We dominated the second half against Leiston and we were on top, so it is not all doom and gloom, it's just we are not getting the rub of the green sometimes.

"It is hard for me as a manager, because after a defeat like Saturday and the one at Harborough, I would love to go in and really tear into the players, but if you look at the balance of play, was it a 4-1 game? No.

"Has there been much in it when you take away the late goals? No. So we are staying in games, but we are just not scoring as many goals as the opposition and it is very frustrating."

The Poppies are back in action on Saturday when they entertain Alvechurch at Latimer Park (ko 3pm).

Quotes courtesy of Peter Short