Mixed feelings for Daly after his Kettering Town debut

Liam Daly was left with mixed emotions after his debut for Kettering Town ended in a 2-1 defeat at Spennymoor Town last weekend.

The experienced centre-half, who signed for the Poppies from Nuneaton Borough, marked his first game for the club by heading them in front in the first half at the north-east.

He then had another effort ruled out while Kettering were also frustrated when Jordon Crawford saw a goal chalked off for offside in the second period.

But Spennymoor hit back with two second-half goals, the winner being a deflected free-kick from Glen Taylor, and the disappointment was capped when captain Connor Kennedy was sent-off for a lunging tackle.

He will now be suspended for this weekend’s clash at Chester along with Connor Johnson and Gary Stohrer while George Cooper remains sidelined by injury.

It will add up to another start for Daly who was pleased to score on his debut, despite being left frustrated by the final outcome.

“I know the league and I knew what I was going into at Spennymoor,” said Daly, who previously played in the Vanarama National League North for Gloucester City.

“It was always going to be a tough game but I thought the lads were brilliant in the first half and we should have been out of sight really.

“I was happy to get my goal. I spoke to a couple of people before I signed at Kettering and my friend (Leamington manager) Paul Holleran told me that they had great delivery from set-pieces and the first one came in and I scored!

“I had one disallowed 10 minutes later and I don’t know why but if the deliveries carry on like that then I think I will get goals.

“We were good in that first half but credit where credit is due, in the second half they were probably better than us.

“I think a draw would have been a fair result and we had another goal disallowed and the lads were adamant that it was never offside. That’s how it goes.

It was very disappointing to lose to a deflected free-kick but I enjoyed being back in there and I am looking forward to the next one.”