No room for doom is Larry's message

AFC Telford United are ready to concede the Blue Square North title to Kettering - but assistant manager Larry Chambers insists there is "no room for doom and gloom."

The Bucks fell to a 5-1 hammering at home to Southport on Saturday and went into this afternoon's Bank Holiday fixture at play-off rivals Nuneaton seven points behind the leaders.

With the Poppies also having two games in hand, Chambers accepts their hopes of automatic promotion are fading fast but believes they have don well just to stay in the hunt.

"There's no room for doom and gloom because it was never going to be easy," he said. "Over the last two or three months things have gone our way, but it happens time and time again in football that things are going swimmingly well and you get a slap in the face.

"It's very tight up there and it's going to go to the wire. You've got seven or eight teams fighting it out for a play-off place.

"I've always said Kettering would win the league and I think that's going to prove to be the case, they've got enough strength in depth and enough quality and they won't make a slip-up now."

Chambers was also quick to play down Saturday's thumping, insisting the scoreline was not a fair reflection of the balance of play.

An Asa Charlton free-kick was all the Bucks had to show for their efforts, with Southport becoming only the second team to win at the New Bucks Head this season.

"I remember when we went to Barrow and got beaten 4-0 that I said it was one of those games that could have gone either way and the scoreline flattered them, and I thought the same on Saturday," added Chambers.

"The big difference was the finishing."

l Wolves Reserves are due to entertain Nottingham Forest at the New Bucks Head tomorrow (2pm) in a Pontin's League division one central.