‘Strong mentality’ will be needed as Poppies face up to a fixture backlog

A number of postponements due to the sub-zero temperatures over the past couple of months have resulted in what is set to be a heavy schedule in the weeks ahead.

With the weather set to turn for the better this week, the Poppies should be back in action at Alfreton Town on Saturday before they will hope to play their first home game in just under two months against fellow Vanarama National League North strugglers Boston United next Tuesday evening.

That will spark a flurry of midweek matches for Glover’s team who are scheduled to play seven games in February - five of which will be at Latimer Park.

There will be crucial points on offer as Kettering try to move themselves away from the relegation zone, which they currently sit in.

And Glover knows his players’ minds will be tested just as much as their bodies during what he described as “a slog”.

“We are going Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday for the next month or so,” the Poppies boss said.

“It will certainly test the resources.

“Going into this period, you are hoping you don’t get injuries and hoping that you can start putting wins on the table.

“And I think you have got to have a really strong mentality.

“For the players, it will be about the mentality of the group and having to deal with a big run of matches.

“It is a slog, mentally as well as physically.

“Players will need to get themselves up for midweek games when they might have been at work and are feeling a bit tired but we need to go again.

“The players need that mentality where they are fully focused and understand the slog we are going into.

“There will be times when we don’t even train because there’s no point dragging people in for what will just be cool down sessions because they have been playing that much.

“So we need to look at how we maintain fitness and keep people right for every game.”