Cup loss will make us stronger - Kettering boss Lavery

Richard Lavery was appointed by Kettering in February, replacing Jim Le Masurier

Kettering Town manager Richard Lavery insists their FA Cup second round defeat by Doncaster Rovers will only make the team stronger as they look to win promotion this season.

The Poppies were eventually beaten 2-1 by League Two side Doncaster Rovers after extra-time with Isiah Noel-Williams having given them the lead at Latimer Park.

They will now focus on Southern League Premier Central in which they are currently three points clear at the top of the table.

"I'm gutted but so proud of every single one of the players. My last words were 'leave everything out there and have no regrets' and they did that," Lavery told BBC Radio Northampton.

"(We've played) Two league sides, we beat one and took these to the wire, that is a credit to the club and how far we've come inside six months."

In front of a crowd of 2,803, two goals by Doncaster's veteran striker Billy Sharp ultimately saw off Kettering, who must now prepare to take on Banbury United on Saturday in their next fixture.

"This'll make us stronger as a unit, we've got a big squad. I want to win the league and I think we can do it," added Lavery, who was assistant to Marcus Law when Kettering last won promotion to National League North in 2019.

"I want to go further, whether it's Conference North, the National League, whether it's League Two, I want to take it far.

"I think we can do it, with the fanbase we've got here, everything around the club, the new owners - and this cup run has done us a massive favour financially."

Having earned £45,000 by knocking out county neighbours Northampton Town in round one, Kettering will pocket a further £20,000 for their second-round efforts - but it could have been £75,000 had they beaten Grant McCann's Rovers.

Owner George Akhtar said it was a shame there were no longer any replays in the competition, but they will now consider how best to use the money to improve the club's infrastructure.

"I know why they did it [scrapped replays], it is unfair but we all know this before kick-off, " he told BBC Radio Northampton.

"Of course we'd have loved to go to Doncaster and I'm sure Harborough would have loved to have brought Reading back to Harborough. It's a difficult one but I understand why they did it."

Akhtar, who took over the club in May, said appearing in the main draw of the FA Cup should be "standard" for the club, which has "massive aspirations".

"Since the draw (for round two), it's been relentless, that's an understatement, it's been a whirlwind, 150 miles per hour every single day just to get the game on at Latimer Park," he added.

"It's been an unbelievable effort. The four-week build-up has been unreal but it's been an eye opener for everyone as well, just to see what it takes."