Peterborough Sports boss 'chuffed' with his side's passion and commitment in goalless draw at Kettering
Peterborough Sports boss Graham Drury was ‘chuffed’ with his side’s performance in a hard-fought goalless draw at local rivals Kettering Town on Saturday.
The city side still haven’t won any of their first four Southern Premier Division Central matches, but Drury was delighted with a first clean sheet of the campaign.
He insists the players showed the passion and commitment they have towards the club as they attempt to get back to National League North at the first attempt.
Sports will need those characteristics at home to unbeaten Anstey Nomads in a rare Friday night game at Pims Park (August 28, 7.45pm kick) and a trip to Needham Market on Bank Holiday Monday (August 31, 3pm).
"I’m over the moon with a point,” Drury told Peterborough Community Radio after the Kettering game. “The main objective was to keep a clean sheet as we’d been too open, too expansive in our previous games.
"It was never going to be a spectacle as Kettering is a tough place to go. We had to grind it out and hope we could nick a win and we were resolute and solid, while showing passion and desire. The fans saw what we are trying to do and they saw a team determined to do well for this club.
"We could maybe have created more, kept the ball better and picked better passes out, but that happens in every game. We have to park last season and build together with a new group and our building block in this game was to keep a clean sheet. We haven’t been overly-bad in the previous games and we will keep working our socks off.
"It was a blood and thunder local derby and I’m chuffed with the group for the way they competed. It was only a point, but not not many teams will get that at Kettering.
"It’s the start of a really tough run of three games. Anstey are a good side who have carried momentum with them from last season, while Needham Market is always a tough place to go. Any team that gets something there has done well.”
Sports are 18th in a 22-team division, while Kettering are seventh, Anstey sixth and Needham Market 16th.
Star striker Leon Lobjoit could be back for the weekend games after missing the Kettering game through illness.
Drury won’t select players on a Saturday if they have missed training on a Thursday.