Boss McDonald calls for patience as he strives to boost Kettering Town's firepower

The new Poppies boss took charge of his first game on Saturday as he oversaw a 0-0 draw with St Ives Town at Latimer Park, and the 40-year-old was left with mixed feelings.

On the one hand he was pleased with the overall performance, and felt there was plenty of quality on show, but on the other he was underwhelmed with the team's lack of attacking firepower, and lack of height in the final third.

And that is going to be the area of the pitch that he intends to bolster, perhaps even ahead of Saturday's Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central trip to third-placed Quorn.

For various reasons, the Poppies have been left short in attack after being shorn of the services of the likes of Leon Lobjoit, Nile Ranger and Jamar Loza over the past month or so.

Former Tamworth attacker Kai Williams was signed at the back end of last week and made his debut against St Ives, with ex-Nuneaton Borough winger Ryan Monga also joining and making a scoring debut in Tuesday’s 3-0 NFA Hillier Senior Cup win at ON Chenecks, but McDonald knows more is needed.

"I have told the players I am going to try and get as much help for them as possible because we need it," said McDonald. "We are disappointed in terms of not winning game, and that we haven't created enough, but we are a work in progress.

"I think the supporters know that with them clapping us off, and there was a lot of positvity from them, so it is one small step forward."

A major issue for the Poppies is their lack of tall players, and McDonald said: "Good managers have versatility, and we are a small side in the final third.

"We can't be big, strong and horrible at times and really get the ball forward earlier, so we have to engineer stuff and we do have good technical players.

"We do need a little bit of height in the final third, and we are short on forward players to bolster the squad and we will do that.

"We have a lot to do, and there is a lot of hard work to come."

Asked if he will be flicking through his book of playing contacts, McDonald said: "Seven dayers go in and you have to wait a week, and it is little things like that.

"Within time we will get extra bodies in to help, and that little bit of extra quality that would probably win us a game like the one on Saturday and get ourselves three points not one. We know we need to get better, and we will do."

Saturday’s trip to Quorn will be a tough one for the Poppies, with the Leicestershire side having enjoyed an excellent start to life in Step 3 following their Northern Premier League Midlands Division title success last season.

They are currently on a five-match unbeaten run.

Quotes courtesy of Peter Short