Simpson wants Kettering Town to 'attack' their remaining games

Manager Ian Culverhouse and coach Joe Simpson (in the background) will urge Kettering Town to 'attack' all of their remaining matches. Picture by Peter Short

The Poppies stopped the rot of three successive defeats on Tuesday night as they bounced back from last weekend’s miserable 4-0 defeat at Chester by sharing a 1-1 draw with Hereford in their first game at Latimer Park for a month.

Another home clash now follows as they entertain fifth-placed Chorley tomorrow (Saturday).

Kettering are seven points adrift of the play-off places and 14 clear of the relegation zone with their season looking like it might be heading for mid-table mediocrity - something most would have taken back in August.

And while first-team coach Simpson insists he and the rest of the management team are “realistic” about the chances of a top-seven finish, he insists the aim of being competitive in every game remains the same.

“This league is ridiculously competitive,” Simpson said.

“Every week we seem to be playing a team who are on the cusp of the play-offs and we just want to be as competitive as we can.

“We are a group that is learning. Since we have come through the door, the boys have been excellent and we are learning more with every game. We just want to try to take the club forward.

“Saturday, again, will just be about being as competitive as we can. Chorley are a good side, they are physical and they have players who can hurt you. But so have we.

“We will give it everything we have got between now and the end of the season.

“When you are in and around the play-off places and you’re getting results, it’s easy to get excited.

“At the same time, we are realistic in terms of how tough this league is. There are some big clubs with some very good players who have a lot of experience.

“We are still a young group, we have some good players and it’s a case of going into every game and being as competitive as we possibly can.

“We have 11 games to go and let’s go and attack them and see how we get on.”

The Poppies will have Gary Stohrer available again for this weekend after he completed a three-match suspension following his sending-off in the 3-2 defeat at Boston United.