No time to waste for Law as Poppies get ready for a step up

Who will stay and who will go? Marcus Law is hoping to keep the vast majority of his title-winning Kettering Town team together for next season. Picture by Peter Short

The preparations for the Poppies’ move up to Step 2 have already begun after the curtain came down on their title-winning campaign last weekend.

And boss Law revealed he will be doing all he can to keep the majority of the current squad together while he is now on the hunt for fresh faces to strengthen things up.

“The moment you stand still in football, you are behind everyone so it’s relentless and it’s non-stop,” the Poppies boss said.

“We have had a board meeting and a few discussions and now it’s a case of talking to targets and talking to players who we want to secure.

“It’s bedlam because there will be lots of rumours and hearsays but we will keep our court and let people know as and when things happen.

“We have got a championship side and they have earned the right to be in the division higher. We will do our utmost to secure a fair few of them, if not all.

“But there will be bigger clubs than us pitching themselves. We will do our best and see what we can do.”

Kettering’s season ended with a penalty shoot-out defeat to Weymouth in the Evo-Stik League South Premier Division Championship Match at Latimer Park on Saturday.

The Poppies wasted numerous chances in the first half and trailed to Calvin Brooks’ goal before Brett Solkhon came off the bench to grab a second-half equaliser.

But it was the Terras who triumphed 5-3 in the resulting shoot-out and Law added: “I think it was the first and only time in the season that I can say we didn’t win because we weren’t clinical.

“Chance-for-chance we were far superior, I thought we were the better side but we didn’t get the rewards we deserved and that happens sometimes.

“They took their chance well in the first half and then we finally got a goal and penalties are always a lottery. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out on the right side of it.

“But we can be very proud of our season. The lads have given everything in every game and that’s why they won the league comfortably.

“I am proud of them and proud to be involved.”

Poppies top scorer Rhys Hoenes scooped no fewer than four awards, including the Supporters Player of the Year and Overall Player of the Year prizes at the club’s end-of-season presentation.

Hoenes also took home the golden boot and the Kettering Town (Poppies) Supporters Trust Player of the Year award.

Michael Richens was named the Players’ and Directors’ Player of the Year while Dion Kelly-Evans was awarded the Executive Members’ Player of the Year prize.

Kettering also launched their Hall of Fame at the awards evening with record appearance holder Roger Ashby and club legend Solkhon being confirmed as the first two inductees.