Boss Mettam's relief as Wakefield strike secures first league win of season for Steelmen
Corby Town are up and running!!
The Steelmen secured a welcome first win of the Pitching-In Northern Premier League Midlands Division season on Wednesday night, as they saw off high-flying Bedworth United 2-1 at Steel Park.
A first half strike from Lewis Wilson was cancelled out just before the break, but a 56th-minute tap-in from Harry Wakefield restored Corby's lead.
And despite Bedworth piling on the pressure, the Steelmen held on to record a first league win of the season at the sixth attempt, and a first home league victory since March 28!
The win was a much-needed one for the Steelmen, who conceded twice in stoppage time at the weekend to throw away a 3-1 lead and draw 3-3 at Loughborough Students.
Boss Leon Mettam pulled no punches in his post-match interview following that late collapse, but he was in better spirits after the win over Bedworth.
"I am certainly happier and I think this result has been coming for the past three games," Mettam told @chuckmiddleton.
"We were better in the Stafford game, then we built against Rushden and bult again at Loughborough, even though we didn't quite get the two results we deserved or perhaps should have got in those games.
"Against Bedworth the lads have dug in brilliantly.
"We have kicked every ball, all of us, because we know how much it means to the players and I am chuffed for them.
"I am not going to pick anyone out, they all deserve it from one to 16.
"You could see the effort and determination, with lads throwing their bodies on the line."
Mettam also addressed his post-match blast at the players on Saturday, when he questioned their 'courage' in coughing up that 3-1 lead.
"Saturday was a real disappointment and I have to come out and do interviews straight after and sometimes that is really hard," he admitted.
"I get thrown in front of the camera and my emotions are through the roof, as they are now, but I am delighted for the players.
"In the past 10 or 15 minutes we rode our luck but we won.
"To be fair to Bedworth, we should probably have had a man sent off, it is a red card all day, but sometimes you get them and sometimes you don't.
"We haven't had any luck in the past two games so I'll take it, and we deserved our luck in this one."
The win lifts Corby out of the Midlands Division relegation zone ahead of Saturday's home date with Coventry United, who were promoted from the United Counties League Premier Division South last season, winning the play-offs.
United have started their first season at Step 4 well, and currently sit 10th in the table, having won two and drawn two of their six matches to date.