Dorchester disaster needs to be put right against strugglers

Kettering Town boss Marcus Law's expression tells the tale during his side's defeat at Dorchester

The Poppies were stunned in Dorset as they suffered just a second loss of the season in the Evo-Stik South Premier Division.

And the result draws parallels with the only other reverse which was 3-1 at Weymouth back in September.

It is a link Mander feels the management team might have to look in to.

The Poppies management team offer their apologies to Kettering's travelling support. Pictures by Peter Short

“It was one of those games for us really,” he explained.

“There were too many things wrong to put your finger on a specific reason but we just didn’t get going.

“You can look at the Weymouth result and say there might be something in it – they are our only two defeats so far.

“Potentially we might have to think about how we travel when we have long journeys in the future.

“There were also a lot of similarities to Weymouth in the shape Dorchester played.

“It took us a long time to start and come to terms with that.

“We felt the first half was split into two. We struggled intitially but then managed to get ourselves back in.

“Then, when we got back to 2-1, we conceded almost immediately and that killed it.

“We should have been more sensible at that stage.

“But it was very, very disappointing and that’s why me, Marcus (Law) and John Ramshaw all went across to the fans who had travelled all that way to apologise.”

Things shaped up better in midweek for the Poppies when they booked a place in the Hillier Senior Cup by beating Daventry Town 6-1.

And it was a show the team needed to put on according to Mander.

“We needed to bounce back and we wanted to turn up and put in a professional performance,” he said.

“The attitude and the mentality had to be right.

“We’ve put out strongish sides throughout in that competition and wanted to do the same again.

“Winning is a habit and we needed to bounce back.”

That is now something they need to do in the league and, with rock-bottom Gosport their opposition this weekend, nothing less than a victory would be acceptable.

“These are always difficult games but they are games we need to be winning,” Mander added.

“With Slough drawing with Banbury in midweek we got a bit of a get out of jail free card.

“But we can’t afford to mess up on Saturday and we have to put right some things after Dorchester.”