Boss Mettam insists Steelmen are ‘not far away’ from being a match for high-flyers

The Steelmen’s winless run stretched to seven matches with a 1-1 draw against play-off chasing Wellingborough Town at Steel on Wednesday night, but they have been more than competitive in all of those matches, drawing four of them.

They have also pushed some of the league's high-flying teams all the way.

They were narrowly beaten 1-0 at home by third-placed Basford United last Saturday, and last midweek drew 2-2 with fifth-placed Coleshill Town, but things don't get any easier for the Steelmen.

Saturday sees them travel to champions-elect Carlton Town and they then host play-off hopefuls Shepshed Dynamo next Wednesday night, but Mettam believes he and his players can go into those games with confidence thanks to their recent performances.

"The games don't get any easier. We are at the runaway leaders Carlton on Saturday, and then we get Shepshed who are a really hard-working and well-organised team," said the Corby boss.

"People go on about needing time, but it is a results business, I am fully aware of that.

"It is just more frustrating for me that I look at the teams we are playing against, who are sat right at the top of the table, and I am thinking we don't need much more to be up there.

"It is just a case of having belief, and if we can get that belief in this squad and add one or two more players to it, then we will not be far away."

Jordon Crawford secured a point for the Steelmen on Wednesday, his 67th-minute strike cancelling out a first-half effort from Doughboys skipper Jack O’Connor.

The point sees Corby remain 13th and they are now nine points adrift of fifth-placed Coleshill, although they do still have two games in hand.

The Steelmen also weren't far away against Basford at the weekend, with the visitors taking a second-minute lead and then holding on to what they had for the rest of a game that Corby dominated.

"If the team that is second or third in the league is coming to us with the state we are in at the minute and they are playing for time in the first half, then that shows you where we are at," said Mettam.

"We have put them on the back foot and have done the right things, but we just need a little more nous out there and we need to game manage better.

"We are putting so much energy into running around, and sometimes it is better just to stand still and see what is around you, and see the picture.

"But because we are so young, and so keen to impress, we are running up blind alleys, we are trying to close down, and we are trying to do everything, and sometimes it is wasteful running.

"You can't fault the players' effort, it is spot on, but sometimes we need to find a little bit of cleverness to our play."

On Saturday, Corby go to a Carlton side that is sitting 11 points clear at the top of the table after they saw off second-placed Anstey Nomads 2-0 last weekend.

That was their fourth win in their past five matches.

When Carlton travelled to Steel Park in November, they claimed a narrow 1-0 success thanks to a strike from Niall Hylton.