The Poppies – who moved back up to second place in the table with a 2-1 victory at Eastbourne Borough on Tuesday night – head to Salisbury City tomorrow as they look to maintain their impressive start to the season.

And Cooper has hit back at his team's critics after Eastbourne manager Garry Wilson had his say following the game in midweek.

Wilson was quoted as saying: "We came up against a team in Kettering who had a method while we tried to play the right way."

That appeared to be a real 'dig' at the Poppies' approach and prompted a response from Cooper.

The Poppies boss said: "We have got a method because we are organised and we work hard at what we do.

"We don't just turn up and play fancy football for the sake of it just so we can say we play the game in the right way.

"We put a lot of work into how we think our team is best equipped to get results and it's working. I don't see why, for the sake of other people at other clubs, we should change it.

"If people are having a go at other teams, then I think there is something wrong with their side and if you are in the bottom four there is obviously something not right.

"I take the comments people make as a compliment because if they can't beat you then they have to come out and have a little bit of a dig at you.

"But if people want to come up with excuses for their own teams then that's fine. For some reason they never want to say they were beaten by a more organised and fitter team."

And Cooper feels there is even more to come from his players as they prepare for tomorrow's trip to Salisbury.

"We can be better and the players know that themselves," he added.

"We could be better in our general play and that is what we are striving for every time we are on the training ground.

"If we can do that then we might get a few more good results and, hopefully, upset a few more people."


Match preview in today's Evening Telegraph.