Poppies boss Glover hopes to get the ‘rub of the green’

The Poppies head into this weekend’s clash with second-placed Banbury United, who have made a flying start to life in the Vanarama National League North after being promoted from the Southern League Premier Central last season, with just one win to their name from seven games.

Kettering are on the back of two successive draws after a 1-1 Bank Holiday Monday stalemate was followed by a 2-2 draw at Buxton last weekend in which Peterborough United loanee Andrew Oluwabori scored twice.

Glover admits his team have been guilty of giving away “some sloppy goals” in the early stages of the season but he insists he can’t ask for much more when it comes to work-rate.

And he feels his team could do with a slice of luck here and there to help get things going.

The Poppies boss said: “The figures the lads are giving us in terms of running stats are probably as good as any other side. They are fit and they are working hard.

“It’s a collective thing. We have given some sloppy goals away, we should have had a penalty in the second half at Boston and I don’t think we have quite had the rub of the green the performances have deserved.

“Apart from a very, very poor 20-minute spell against Alfreton, I think we have been fantastic at times considering where we’ve come from.

“As long as we don’t take our eye off what we are doing and what we are trying to achieve, I don’t think we will have any problems.”

The Poppies, meanwhile, now know they will travel to Southern League Premier Central side Barwell in the second qualifying round of the Emirates FA Cup a week on Saturday (September

17).

Barwell won 3-0 at Highgate United in a first qualifying round replay on Tuesday night to secure a home tie with Kettering after the clubs had been paired together in Monday’s second qualifying round draw.

It will be the first time the Poppies have played Barwell since the 2018-19 campaign when Kettering were eventually crowned champions of the Southern League Premier Central.

Glover’s immediate focus is on the two league games coming up with the Poppies’ clash with Banbury being followed by a trip to Leamington next Tuesday night.

But he insists his team will treat Barwell with the respect they deserve when the time comes.

"The actual process for that game is that we will get them watched, just like we do with every other team we are coming up against and we will get a plan together to try to win a game of football,” the Poppies manager said.

“We treat everyone with the same amount of respect.

“I have been in both changing rooms in that situation – one when you’re the underdog and there’s no pressure on you and the other where there is an expectation to win.

“It’s all going to be about attitude and application on the day.

"We will park that one for the moment, so to speak, but we will be ready for it when it comes along.”