Boss McDonald rues 'two points dropped' ahead of long-awaited return to Latimer Park
Liam McDonald admitted it felt 'like two points dropped' for Kettering Town at Stourbridge on Saturday - but the Poppies boss is pleased by the bigger picture of recent road-trip achievements.
In what was a sixth straight away game, Kettering let slip a first-half lead to draw 1-1 at the War Memorial Athletic Ground.
Preston Bitemo fired McDonald's side ahead on 19 minutes, only for the home side to level 15 minutes from time through Jack Newall.
The share of the spoils took the Poppies' points tally to 10 out of the past 12 available to them ahead of a long-awaited return to Latimer Park to take on Stratford Town on Tuesday night.
Kettering go into that clash sitting 12th in the Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central, and 10 points off the play-off places, although they do have games in hand on all of the sides above them.
"It feels like two points dropped," admitted McDonald. "But I said to the boys, let's not us get carried away, and that we should just keep turning up for these away games and winning.
"We are a big football club, but this season has been different with the run that we've had, missing all of these home games.
"You could see what happened when Stourbridge scored, and I am thinking to myself I will take a point now, and it will be a good point.
"But we are here to win games of football, that's what needs to happen now, and we were good in the first half.
"In the second half we were defending and half the lads couldn't see because of the sun, but we have got a point, and taken 10 points out of these four away games which is a good return.
"The boys are disappointed, but Real Bedford came here last week and got beat, and Harborough have been beaten here as well, it is a tough place to come.
"We just need to get some home games now and use our crowd like they did on Saturday, because I think they carried them over the line.
"We need to get back home, get a big crowd in and take the game to Stratford on Tuesday night."
If it goes ahead, the showdown with Stratford will be the first at Latimer Park since December 20 last year and will kick-start a run of 10 home leeague games to be played between now and April 18!
And McDonald is appealing to the football-starved Kettering fans to get out in force and back their team as the bid to launch a late-season surge at the play-offs..
"I have asked the supporters to be on this journey with us, and it is going to be difficult," said McDonald. "But I want them to stick with the lads and then see where the season ends.
"We have got these home games coming up, and if we win a certain amount of games at Latimer Park then we are going to give ourselves a certain amount of hope.
"The boys understand we have a lot to do, but going to Bishop's Stortford anf winning, going to Needham and winning, going to St Ives and winning and then getting a draw at Stourbridge is a good start.
"We are now really looking forward to Tuesday and we will be ready to go again."
After Tuesday's clash with Stratford, the Poppies are also at home on Saturday against Bromsgrove Sporting before hosting Alvechurch next Tuesday (March 10).
Quotes courtesy of Peter Short