Lavery stays positive but warns his Kettering Town players they have to sharpen up

But ahead of Saturday's crunch clash with fellow high-flyers Halesowen Town at Latimer Park (ko 3pm), he has warned his players that changes will be made if things don't quickly improve.

It is far from a crisis as the team heads into the second half of the season, with the Poppies sitting four points clear at the top of the Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central.

But there has been a dip in form from Kettering, who have gleaned just eight points from the past 18 available to them, and were beaten 2-1 at struggling Harborough Town on New Year's Day.

Lavery was very unhappy with a sub-standard performance at the Bee Hive, and made it clear after the game that if the squad needs freshening up and new faces need to be brought ub, he won't hesitate to do that.

"I will never panic because I know what job I have done so far, and if I have to make changes, then I will make changes," said the Poppies boss.

"I don't want to do that, but the form is not great at the minute.

"Every team in every season goes through a bad patch, and I am hoping that is our bad patch.

"The game at Harborough was an opportunity missed, but everybody is losing at the top.

"I am gutted about the result, but I will stay positive."

Like the Poppies, Halesowen were also beaten on Wednesday, going down 2-0 at home to Bromsgrove Sporting.

That result saw them drop to fourth in the table, five points adrift of Kettering who still have a game in hand on them.

AFC Telford were thrashed 4-0 at Stratford Town on New Year's Day to drop to fifth, with that win seeing Stratford rise up to second in the table on goals scored from Bedford Town, who are now third.

The Eagles were 2-1 winners at Bishop's Stortford, and it is all beginning to get very congested, with just eight points now sparating leaders Kettering and sixth-placed Stamford, who also have a game in hand on the top dogs.

Quotes courtesy of Peter Short