Coming into this evenings game our opponents, St Neots, had won 3 out of their last 4 games at home since they appointed their new manager. After an impressive draw against title contenders Halesowen, Corby were expected to come out on top against 19th place St Neots.

The saints kicked off trying to play some intricate football around the Corby forwards/ midfield. However, Corby came out fighting as they initiated their strong high press with Elliot Sandy leading the line.

As the first half progressed both teams began to play similar football to each other, beginning to keep playing the long high ball over the top of the defenders. Working less and less each time, they had to change the style sooner or later if either side was to come out on top.

Prince Mutswunguma looked dangerous on the ball in the early stages off the game as he ran at the two Corby Centre-Halfs.

Sam Gomarsall took the ball round Charlie Wise into the Corby Penalty area, but Curtis Hartley was waiting to make a wonderfully strong challenge, putting Gomarsall into the air whilst Wise cleared for the Steelmen.

Corby began to take control with a good 10-15 minute spell passing the ball round St Neots creating some good chances. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to matter how good of a chance came round, they just couldn’t find a final product.
Similarly, when St Neots found themselves moving forward their final pass was not to standard. It would either be over hit or skewed out of play.

Corby came inches close to going ahead when Thomas Dickens cleared off the line for St Neots on 2 occasions, on another day it could of easily been 1 or 2-0!

Thomas Boxer was booked for blatantly pulling back James Clifton on the edge of the box, although nothing came of the resulting free kick as it was smashed into the wall by Jake Duffy.

The game seemed to level out after that but Corby came close late on in the half when Gary Mulligan saw his effort go just over the bar.
Neither keeper was really troubled in the first half making minimal saves- not what either team would have hoped for.

Half Time:St Neots 0-0 Corby Town

The second half started brightly for Corby as they pressed St Neots hard and high up the pitch not giving them any chance of playing the game at their own pace.

Steve Diggin beat Aaron Smith, the Saints Left-back, with a great piece of skill but he saw his brilliant low driven cross bobble around in the Saints penalty area before eventually being cleared.

Not long after though, some great wing play from Jordan Crawford opened up some space in the St Neots defence. Crawford found Clifton who swiftly released the ball to Diggin who was in enough space to drive into the box and slot home to put the Steelmen in the lead. 0-1.

The goal did not kill the will and intensity of either team as a lot of strong challenges stroke fouls were being put in now as Panayiotis Boxer picked up a yellow card after a terrible challenge on Duffy.

The first half long-ball game had resumed in the second as both teams began to launch it far up the pitch again and again.
It almost came off for the Saints as Wise was caught when Mutswunguma nicked the ball off him after his poor first touch. However, luckily for Wise, Prince blazed his shot high over the bar not at all troubling Alastair Worby in the Corby goal . A good chance to level it up for the hosts.

Not a lot long later, Corby surrounded the referee, Luke Scott, as Clifton's shot seemed to strike the defenders hand. However, despite the calls for VAR the referee pointed for a corner instead of the penalty spot. Corby being left very frustrated after being so sure it was handball.

St Neots broke through the Corby press and looked like they were on a good clear counter attack. That was until Greg Ling raced back and got a foot in to stop Lee Watkins in his stride, something Ling had done numerous times throughout the game.

Corby picked the ball up after that challenge and went forward through Crawford who beat a number of Saints players, but he fired his shot high over the bar and out of the stadium.

St Neots looked as if they would punish the Steelmen when they regained the ball after a poor Corby corner. Sam Warburton made a heroic effort to get back from taking the corner to not only stop Watkins in his tracks but he managed to recover and take the ball from Reif Bissett-Clarke's feet with a tremendous slide challenge- timed to perfection.

James Ireland came on to replace Elliot Sandy in the 80th minute, and what a substitution it was as Ireland's first touch of the ball was a bullet header past Finley Iron, the Saints goalkeeper, and into the back of the net. Ireland's goal gave the visitors a two goal cushion.

The game remained rather scrappy all through out with both sets of players working equally as hard.

Just nine minutes after Ireland made it 0-2, Ling sent Crawford through on goal with a sublime pass. From that point on it was all pretty straight forward as Crawford took the ball into his stride and scooped it up over the onrushing keeper. 0-3!

Although losing 0-3 St Neots kept working hard and managed to win themselves a cheap penalty after Ireland couldn't get his foot out of the way of Sam Gomarsall who went over in the area.
Gomarsall stepped up to take the penalty kick and smashed his effort down the middle past Worby who got a slight touch on it but not enough to keep it out. 1-3.

That was the last chance of the match, both teams struggled to make anything of their last attacks of the game. Luckily for Corby it was only the one goal the Saints brought back.

A good game for the Steelmen as they picked up the three points needed to put themselves back up to the top of the table.

Montgomery came on to make his second appearance for the first team at just 16 years of age, gaining more experience- a great achievement for him. Keep it up son.

Steelmen: Worby; Hartley, Wise, Mulligan, Warburton; Duffy, Ling; Clifton, Crawford(Sub: Montgomery 89mins); Sandy(Sub: Ireland 80 mins), Diggin(Sub: Robbins 85 mins)
Subs not used: Robinson.

St Neots: Iron; Goode, Dickens, T Boxer(Sub: Butler 60mins), Smith; P Boxer, Watkins; Joseph(Sub: Foster 45mins), Gomarsall; Neal(Sub: Bissett-Clarke 45mins), Mutswunguma
Subs not used: Shaw, Martin.

Referee: Luke Scott

Goals: Diggin (53 mins, 0-1), Ireland (80 mins, 0-2, Crawford (89mins, 0-3), Gomarsall (90+ mins, 1-3)

Bookings: T Boxer, P Boxer (Both fouls)

Attendance: 178

Above picture by Jim Darrah.

Match Report written by Aaron Lloyd.