Harper shows his passion: Read Jon Dunham's view
Since he got the job as manager of Kettering Town, Lee Harper has remained a very cool and collective customer.
But, despite everything that has taken place before, I don't think I have ever seen him as despondant and angry as he was on Tuesday night.
Having seen his team stop the rot at the Elgood's Arena against Grays Athletic a week ago, hopes were high that the Poppies would make it back-to-back home victories when Cambridge United came to town on
Tuesday night.
It was always going to be a different proposition against Martin Ling's side but you wouldn't have thought that with the way the Poppies started the game.
They tore into Cambridge, should have been two or three up inside the first 20 minutes and definitely should have taken some sort of advantage into the break.
They didn't and, as the game moved into the last 20 minutes, it became painfully obvious what would happen.
Danny Crow who, for the stick he took from the home faithful, would have had a hat-trick if he had been in the Poppies line-up, showed the difference in quality by finishing off his second chance of the night to seal an undeserved win for the visitors.
Harper firmly believed there was a handball in the build-up to that goal but even he was unable to take out all his frustrations on the referee.
The thing that angered the Kettering manager so much was the fact that Cambridge were there for the taking and the Poppies couldn't finish the job.
It has become an all-too familiar tale at Rockingham Road this season and, with the majority of the matches they have left being on home soil, it's a problem the
Poppies must resolve if they are serious about finishing in the top five in the Blue Square Premier.
It will be interesting to see the reaction when they take the best away record in the league to under-fire title-chasers Oxford United today.
Many are expecting an Oxford backlash after they were beaten at home by Hayes & Yeading on Tuesday.
I am sure Harper is expecting a backlash from his own players as well.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Kettering
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 26 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North east
