Sutton Utd's next opponents Kidderminster Harriers are in a confident mood despite consecutive losses, with manager Paul Wotton defending their early-season form. The Harriers sit ninth in the National League table, two places and one point above Sutton, ahead of Saturday's meeting.
Paul Wotton, who took charge in the summer, pointed to his team's 18-point haul from their opening 11 games. "We've had a tremendous start - 11 games and 18 points," the manager said. He argued that losing their first, sixth and 11th matches of the campaign does not detract from a positive opening period.
Harriers' season so far
Kidderminster bounced back from an opening-day defeat at Hornchurch with an eight-match unbeaten run. That streak was ended by losses to Yeovil Town and then Boreham Wood, who beat them 3-1 on Tuesday. Those results have left them four points off second place in the tightly packed division.
Wotton refused to be downbeat after facing two of the league's stronger sides. "We've just played two fantastic teams," he said. "We went toe-to-toe with Yeovil and I believe we should have won the game, or definitely not lost it, and [against Boreham Wood] we've come here and tried to be very brave. We've come up against a better team."
He admitted the 3-1 defeat to Boreham Wood, which sent the leaders seven points clear, was a learning experience for his newly-promoted squad. "It's a big learning curve for us," Wotton stated. "We're still very new and losing away to Boreham Wood doesn't define our season."
Looking ahead to the Sutton game, Wotton emphasized the need for a reaction. "We have to respond," he said. He acknowledged the challenge, noting Sutton's experience and physicality, but backed his team to perform at Aggborough Stadium.
Sutton Utd travel to Worcestershire this weekend sitting 11th in the table with 17 points from their 11 games. Their recent form shows one win, two draws and two defeats from the last five, a run you can review on our fixtures page. The clash at Aggborough Stadium on Saturday pits two sides separated by just a single point in the mid-table standings.
