'Big hearts' help Corby Town produce a sensational fightback

The Steelman came back from 3-0 down to beat Halesowen Town 4-3 at Steel Park.
Jordon Crawford scored twice as Corby Town staged a stunning fightback from 3-0 down at half-time to beat Halesowen Town 4-3 at Steel ParkJordon Crawford scored twice as Corby Town staged a stunning fightback from 3-0 down at half-time to beat Halesowen Town 4-3 at Steel Park
Jordon Crawford scored twice as Corby Town staged a stunning fightback from 3-0 down at half-time to beat Halesowen Town 4-3 at Steel Park

Gary Mills hailed the “big hearts and pure desire” of his Corby Town players after they staged a sensational second-half fightback to beat Halesowen Town 4-3 at Steel Park.

On an afternoon that will live long in the memories of the sell-out crowd of 400, the two teams fancied to be challenging for the title in the Pitching In Southern League Division One Central served up a proper game of two halves.

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The Steelmen looked dead and buried at half-time as they were torn apart by a rampant Yeltz side as two goals from Simeon Cobourne and one from Jamie Molyneux put the visitors 3-0 up.

It could have been even worse had it not been for a fine save from Craig Hill to deny Molyneux before half-time.

But some tweaks in tactics and personnel, as well as a half-time grilling from Mills turned the game on its head.

Steve Diggin saw a penalty cannon off the post but the fightback was started by Jordon Crawford’s far-post finish and the Corby talisman made it 3-2 soon after with a stunning strike into the far corner.

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Charlie Wise headed home the equaliser as the Steelmen scored three goals in the space of nine minutes and they won it with eight minutes to go when youngster Connor Furey slammed home from close-range after Diggin had been denied by Yeltz goalkeeper Bradley Catlow.

It was a stunning turnaround which raised the roof at Steel Park and made it four wins in a row for Mills’ team as they moved into fourth place in the early standings.

And the manager admitted he was forced to raise his voice at half-time in an attempt to spark his team into life.

He said: “Football never ceases to amaze you does it?

“I was happy to go in 3-0 down because we deserved to be more than 3-0 down at half-time.

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“We were woeful, second best to everything and the work-rate wasn’t good enough so everything that is not good about trying to win a football match we had in the first half.

“Everything that is good about winning a football match was there in the second half.

“I don’t normally raise my voice but I raised it a little bit at half-time. I changed it and it worked.

“Their wing-backs were getting out too much and we were making it too easy for them.

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“They were stopping us how we played on Wednesday (in the 4-0 win over Bedworth) so you have to change it and we did that and we changed it again at half-time.

“When we missed the penalty you think it’s one of those days but I am proud of my players because they have listened to me, they have done exactly what I asked them to do in the second half.

“It was an incredible second half. I am 58 and 59 in a few weeks and I have been in the game for a long time and I said to the boys that there are different ways to win football matches. But working harder than the opposition is the best way and we did that in the second half.

“I am not getting carried away with anything and I don’t want to talk about any goals or penalty misses.

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“Today, we got the result thanks to pure desire, big hearts and the willingness to run around.”

The Steelmen will be looking to make it five wins in a row when they head to AFC Dunstable on Tuesday night.

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