'Severe tests' ahead for Poppies in final month of pre-season

Paul Cox watches on during Kettering Town's 2-2 draw at Halesowen Town on Tuesday night. Pictures by Peter Short

Paul Cox is looking forward to the next month as Kettering Town’s pre-season programme moves up a gear or two.

There is just one month to go until the Poppies’ new season gets under way with the second qualifying round of the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday, October 3 while the National League North campaign will begin during the following midweek with the full fixture lists due to be released next Tuesday at 1pm.

Boss Cox is content with where his team are after the first phase of pre-season but preparations are to be ramped up over the next few weeks.

Dan Holman takes the congratulations after his long-range strike gave Kettering the lead in their friendly at Halesowen

The Poppies host National League side Solihull Moors in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Latimer Park on tomorrow (Saturday, midday) before heading to Southern League Premier Central side Stourbridge next Tuesday night.

Further friendlies over the next month will see the Poppies taking on fellow Step 2 side Hemel Hempstead Town and National League newcomers King’s Lynn.

And Cox believes they all represent “severe tests” for his squad.

“In a way, although we have got lots out of them, the previous games will become almost irrelevant,” the Poppies manager said.

Ben Milnes scored Kettering's second goal at Halesowen with a free-kick

“Moving forward, the number of trialists will be cut down and we will start to put a smaller squad of players together for games.

“I want the month before the season starts to replicate the first month of a National League North campaign where you play Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday against quality opposition.

“Results won’t really matter to me as long as I know that we are progressing and we are getting better at certain parts of our game.

“These next few matches will be severe tests for us and they will show where our weaknesses are. It will then be up to me to make sure we get those bits right before the season starts.

“I am really looking forward to the next month, it will be a really big test for us.”

Kettering claimed a 2-0 win at St Ives Town last weekend before drawing 2-2 at Halesowen Town on Tuesday night with Dan Holman and Ben Milnes on target.

Cox used two different line-ups in each half during the clash in the West Midlands, which came up at short notice and proved to be another good exercise.

“I think the last few games have all been proper tests for us in different ways,” Cox added.

“I don’t like the ‘testimonial’ games in pre-season where teams are just rolling the ball around and you don’t get the proper conditioning.

“Tuesday night was a really good test against a team who will be playing in the semi-finals of the FA Trophy this weekend.

“We didn’t have the game pencilled in but when they asked if we would go for the fixture I felt it would be a great test for us to go up there on a Tuesday night.

“It was experimental again and we looked at a different system and we had two different sides for each half. We got loads out of it.

“There is still a lot that needs to be done and I think the squad still needs adding to with more quality.

“But at this stage of pre-season, I think we are in a healthy position."