Forsyth happy as Poppies players shake off ‘the nonsense’ to secure precious victory

It has been a torrid few weeks for the Poppies, with manager Simon Hollyhead resigning last Friday, just hours before their 4-0 hammering at Redditch United, and have also seen a string of key players depart the club, for a variety of reasons.

A run of just one win in eight games had seen Kettering slide out of the title picture and down to 10th in the table, but three precious points were secured in Oxfordshire as goals from Wes York and Callum Powell nailed down the victory at the Puritans.

And a straight-speaking Forsyth admitted: "It was our job as players and professionals to respond, it's about your own personal pride.

"There is a lot of things going on, but we are paid to do a job for this football club, it's as simple as that.

"That was for the fans really, as this is a massive football club for this level, and it deserved better than what it's been having.

"I don't get involved in any of the nonsense, us as players on that pitch have to perform, and we haven't been performing well enough.

"That game just showed a bit more grit, a bit more determination, and we dug in and it is a good win for us.

"When you lose games of football, confidence is a massive thing and maybe that has been lacking a little bit, and I think we just said 'the situation is the situation, we just have to dig in and show what we are all about'.

"Playing for a club like this, the pressure is a privilege.

"There are people who can't pay their bills and things like that, this is the easy stuff, this is the enjoyable stuff.

"There were a bit of nerves, we haven't won for a while, and in the end we got what we deserved."

The win lifts the Poppes up to ninth in the table, and to within just a point of the play-off places. On Saturday they host Needham Market at Latimer Park (ko 3pm).

Interview by Peter Short