Law insists it's '˜game on' in Poppies' play-off bid

Kettering Town moved to within four points of the top five following their 3-1 victory over Stratford Town at Latimer Park on Tuesday.

The Poppies have two games in hand on fifth-placed Hitchin Town and their run of home matches continues over the Easter weekend as they take on Slough Town tomorrow (Saturday) before hosting Bedworth United on Monday (3pm).

The victory over Stratford, secured by second-half goals from David Popa, Spencer Weir-Daley and Wilson Carvalho, extended Kettering’s unbeaten run to six matches and they have suffered just one defeat in the last 10.

Law insists his players have the belief to go on and finish in the top five to give themselves a chance of a second successive promotion.

And he firmly believes they will be “truly in it” if they have a successful weekend.

“The lads do believe and they want to make it happen,” the Poppies boss said.

“We are closing in with games in hand so it is game on. We have hung in there and we have got our rewards.

“I said from the start of the run of home games that by the end of the bank holiday we would know exactly what we are all about and what we would need to do.

“The challenges have been put in front of us and, at the moment, we are meeting them.

“I do believe the lads will go about things the right way tomorrow and Monday.

“And if we have a good, positive weekend and a couple of other results go for us then we will be well and truly in it.”

Law, meanwhile, is hopeful skipper Brett Solkhon and striker Rene Howe will both be fit for Monday’s game.

Both players are struggling with hamstring injuries as Solkhon missed Tuesday’s win while Howe was withdrawn just before half-time.

However, Law is hopeful that the frontman came off before the injury became more serious.

And he also confirmed that full-back Liam Bateman should feature at some stage after recovering from a hamstring problem.

The Poppies boss said: “Rene’s hamstring hasn’t gone but he felt it and he took the sensible option to bring himself out of it.

“I would expect him to be fit for Monday and the same goes for Brett.

“So it might be that there could be two different teams for each game, which will hopefully be to our advantage.

“We have put Liam through some tests and challenges and he is in contention for the weekend.”

The Poppies completed a deal with Birmingham City yesterday (Thursday) to extend the loan of full-back Perry Cotton until the end of the season.