Birthday boy Mills delighted by Corby's late fightback

Corby Town delivered the perfect early birthday present for boss Gary Mills with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Sutton Coldfield Town at Steel Park last night (Wednesday).

European Cup winner Mills is celebrating his 60th birthday today and it will feel a whole lot sweeter after the Steelmen battled back from a goal down to win the re-arranged fixture and move into the top 10 of the Northern Premier League Midlands.

For a long time, however, it looked like being another disappointing evening.

Corby fell behind to a superb early strike from Sutton’s Ryan Shaw and they struggled to find any sort of meaningful response until Mills decided to push centre-back Lewis White into an attacking role for the final 20 minutes or so.

Callum Westwood saw an effort come back off the crossbar but it was White who brought them level with 11 minutes to go when a free-kick into the area fell to him with his back to goal and he hooked a fine strike into the far corner.

And then, in the third minute of injury-time, a Steel Park crowd of 378 was sent into raptures when Westwood drove down the right-hand side, fizzed the ball across goal and White was there to finish it off from close-range.

This was the first of three successive home matches for Corby and Mills paid tribute to his players and the supporters for what they did to turn a loss into three precious points.

“I thought we looked like a side who lacked a bit of confidence,” the Steelmen boss said.

“We were looking for too many winning balls when we should be passing the ball a little bit more.

“I am so pleased for them though because we haven’t had the breaks.

“In the last half a dozen games there have been ones we should have won with the chances we created and how we have played.

“I think the confidence was sapped out of them a little bit as a team and you could see that.

“But as their manager, I am delighted with the way they have gone and got the win because we could quite easily have lost the game.

“I am so pleased for everybody, including the fans.

“It’s not been great this season so far and it’s been challenging with not being able to play the same team but the fans have stuck there.

“We were 1-0 down and not really looking like we were going to get back into it but we did and the fans have played their part in that.

“I am delighted for the players because we have come through a difficult night and got three points.

“When things aren’t ideal, you just have to try to pick up these points and keep going.

“That’s the first of four out of five games at home and we have got the three points so I am delighted.”

Mills reserved special praise for two-goal White, whose season has been blighted by a knee injury but whose presence in attack after being switched up there ultimately made the difference.

“I have thrown Whitey up there and the lad is incredible,” Mills added.

“He has such a big heart, wherever you play him he will give 100 per cent and he will do everything he can. He would go through a brick wall for you.

“I contemplated starting him up there because if you put the ball in the box then he is fearless and he will go through three men to stick it in the net.

“His first goal was a cultured finish and the last one was just a desire to get into the six-yard box and get across the defenders to score the winner.”

The Steelmen take on 12th-placed Cambridge City at Steel Park this weekend