Kinniburgh expects Corby to have a '˜fighting chance'

Steve Kinniburgh takes some instructions off assistant-manager David Bell during his debut for Corby Town last Saturday. Picture by Alison Bagley

With half of their season now complete, the Steelmen are rock-bottom of the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Premier Division and 12 points adrift of safety.

Kinniburgh, who joined in a player-coach role from Kettering Town at the end last week ahead of him taking over as the director of the Steelmen’s academy in the new year, was one of four new faces in the Corby squad at the weekend.

Boss Gary Mills has continued to switch things around in terms of personnel and, while they were beaten again 3-1 by Workington on Saturday, a much-improved performance did at least give the club a glimmer of hope.

Corby are already facing an uphill battle to avoid a second successive relegation and they have a busy Christmas period with the Boxing Day trip to Grantham Town being followed by home clashes with Halesowen Town (December 30) and Spennymoor Town (January 2).

But Kinniburgh is confident the Steelmen will give themselves a ‘fighting chance’.

“The next three games are going to be huge for us but I think that will be the case for the next month as well,” Kinniburgh said.

“We have eight games between now and the end of January and when those have been played, it will tell us where we are going to be.

“It starts on Boxing Day and if we can pick up between five and seven points out of the next three matches then it will stand us in good stead.

“It’s not like chasing a title when you simply have to win every game.

“In this situation, at the bottom of the league, you know other teams will drop points as well. It’s just a question of picking up as many as we can.”

“We should have come away with three points last weekend and I think Workington’s reaction at the end said it all.

“They were dancing and jumping in their dressing-room and that’s not how most teams would react after beating the team at the bottom.

“I think they knew they got away with one and, from our point of view, it was our finishing that cost us because we created enough chances to win two games.

“We aren’t a million miles away if that’s anything to go by.

“We have half the season remaining and we are looking at a four or five game stretch to turn it around.

“I think there are some strong personalities in the squad now and if we can add a couple more to it then we will give ourselves a fighting chance.”