Boss Mettam urges Steelmen faithful to 'take a breath' in wake of brilliant Belper win

Sam Warburton's second-half double sealed a second win in three matches under guidance of Mettam, who was last week named the Steelmen's new boss on an 18-month contract after a two-match stint as the interim manager following Gary Setchell's departure in December.

The win at Belper lifted Corby back up to sixth place and to within a point of the play-off places in the Pitching-In Northern Premier League Midlands Division, and has raised belief among some supporters that the team could maintain a challenge for a top five finish and a tilt at promotion.

Indeed, the Steelmen will move back into the play-offs if they can beat Coleshill Town at Steel Park on Wednesday night (ko 7.45pm).

The mood around the club is certainly much more positive than it was following the 7-0 home hammering at the hands of Long Eaton United in the immediate wake of Setchell's departure after he left the club along with a host of players due to significant budget cuts.

And although Mettam is delighted with the start he has made at Jimmy Kane Way, with Corby having also won 1-0 at Bourne on Boxing Day, he is keen to ensure followers of the club maintain realism, highlighting the fact that the much-publicised budget cuts are still in place, and that he and assistant Danny Brooks are 'working on a shoestring'.

Eight players have been brought in to bolster those that have stayed loyal to the club, such as Jordon Crawford and Harrison Jones, but many of those are youngsters, and Mettam is wary that his new-look team may struggle for consistency.

"A lot of the supporters are talking about the play-offs, but they have to look at the club, strip it back and look at what's happened over the past eight weeks or so," Mettam told @corbytownfc.

"The old management team has left, a lot of players have gone with them, and we are having to rebuild and restructure the whole thing.

"Just because the old management team has left the club, it doesn't mean the budget has come back and we are working on a shoestring at the minute.

"I have said we are going to try and utilise the loan market, which we have done, and we are going to get lads in that are young and hungry from maybe Step 5, and try and find one or two gems.

"But I think we as a club, and as a fan set, need to take a breath, realise where we are at, and the rebuilding stage we are at.

"Listen, I see the league table and I realise where we are in the table, and Saturday's result obviously emphasises that, but in reality we are fighting a big battle.

"When you are bringing in new lads who are young and have not played at the level, the chances are they are not going to be brilliant every game, and we have got to be patient with that.

"We will have really good results like we have at Belper, but then you will have some indifferent ones like the Rushden game, and there will be more of them between now and the end of the season.

"But as long as we can consolidate until the end of the season, and the fans can see what we are trying to do, then just let that build.

"We can't do it overnight, so let it build and then let's see where we can go next season."