Mark Cooper

Cooper encourages Poppies' celebrations

Kettering Town manager Mark Cooper believes the club's players, staff and supporters should revel in and absorb the glory of being runaway Blue Square North champions.

The Poppies defeated promotion rivals AFC Telford United 3-0 at the A-Line Arena to walk away with the title as Stalybridge Celtic were overcome 3-1 at Boston United and Harrogate Town were held to a 1-1 stalemate by Hinckley United.

And with 84 points and two-games in hand over the off-the-pace chasing pack, Cooper's charges were awarded the North crown as a plethora of supporters flooded the pitch in ecstasy.

The Poppies mentor told the Evening Telegraph: "It's a fantastic day for the club and we have to make sure we enjoy it because these days don't come along very often.

"I said to the boys before the game that whatever level you are playing at you don't often get the chance to win a championship.

"They were great and played really well. We won the game in the first half and the second was a bit of a non-event.

"But to play like that against a team that had been second for a long time and blow them away was even more fitting. The players have been fantastic.

"It's just nice to get it out of the way because all week I was hearing that we needed to this and other sides needed to do that and I was fed up with it.

"I am glad it's finished. But we can't relax because players are playing for contracts and the next five games are paramount in deciding who stays and who goes."

And Cooper admitted he was confident Kettering could achieve greatness in the campaign after just their first game of the season - a win against Stalybridge.

"Even after the first game I felt we might have a chance of doing something here because we showed that togetherness," he said.

"We were resolute and if you have that and you can be consistent over 42 games the you will always have a chance.

"The fans have been great. You are always going to get one or two who aren't happy unless you are 5-0 up after three minutes.

"We had a couple of ups and downs before Christmas. But once they realised what we were trying to do they appreciated it and on the whole they have been fantastic."