A spring in the step as Setchell’s Steelmen get ready to take on the leaders

The Steelmen secured a fine 3-2 success at Loughborough Dynamo thanks to goals from Dan Gordon, new signing Toby Hilliard and Tsaguim Florian to get the Setchell era truly up and running.

And the victory ensured Corby still have an interest in the top five places in the Northern Premier League Midlands as they moved back to within six points of the play-off spots with 11 games to play.

Halesowen will arrive at Steel Park this weekend with a three-point advantage at the top of the table, although second-placed Stamford have a game in hand on them.

Saturday’s game signals the start of a tough run of matches for the Steelmen.

But Setchell knows his team will have to be at their best if they are to pick up more points and maintain their outside chances of clinching a play-off place.

“It was nice to get the win last weekend,” the Corby boss said.

“What was more pleasing was to see a bit of progression as well.

“We didn’t just scrape a result, we played quite well and we did a lot of things right.

“You look at the league table again and, all of a sudden, you’re not a million miles off it.

“But we have got some really tough games coming up against Halesowen, Shepshed Dynamo and Spalding United so we are going to have to be at our best to get anything from them.

“Hopefully last week will give us the confidence we need to go and take these top teams on.

“Halesowen are doing what a good side does. They are winning games.

“I watched the highlights of their game with Harborough Town last weekend and they found a way to win. Both sides had chances and it looked like a cracking game.

“But Halesowen are finding a way and that’s what good teams do.

“You only have those special performances five or six times a season but the rest of it is a grind and they are grinding better than anyone else at the moment.

“Hopefully we can make them work on Saturday and we will be doing all we can to pull off a big result for ourselves.”

There’s the potential for a big crowd at Steel Park on Saturday as well.

Corby’s attendances have held up impressively so far this season while Halesowen are now regularly attracting gates of over 1,000 as they bid for the title.

And Setchell is hoping that’s a situation the Steelmen find themselves in over the next year or so.

“Halesowen are regularly over four figures for their crowds and, for a Step 4 club, that shows you they have the legs to go and be at Step 3 or Step 2,” he added.

“I am pretty sure if we were in the same situation, which we hope to be over the next 18 months, then we would be knocking on the door of four-figure crowds if we were top of the league.

“That’s our aim – to get to where the likes of Halesowen, Stamford and Spalding currently are.