Kinniburgh looks to the future as Corby's season ends in defeat

Former Steelmen Josh Moreman and Avelino Vieira scored the goals that ended the current crop’s five-match unbeaten run.

Kinniburgh has been settling into the hotseat on a permanent basis following his spell as caretaker-manager and is now turning his attention towards the summer before he takes charge of his first full season at Steel Park.

Corby were well backed by a healthy travelling support in the final-day local derby.

And he was keen to deliver a defiant message, despite the loss.

“I have to thank the 100-120 fans for coming but that just shows the support and trust they’ve got in what we are doing at the club going forward,” the Corby boss said.

“This time last year the club were on the back of back-to-back relegations and then in October we were sitting second from bottom and the club was all over the place.

“We had to break it into a half-season and we ended up giving ourselves a good chance of getting into the play-offs with a limited squad and a lot of young academy boys.

“We gave ourselves that chance of the play-offs up until a few weeks ago and that’s credit to everyone involved in the turnaround.

“We have consolidated the club, everything in the background has come together.

“It wasn’t about this result, it’s about what has been going on for the last six or seven months and the building as we look to go forward.

“We are maybe lacking the real bit of quality that you need to finish in the top five or six.

“To finish in the top five next season, we will need to add that bit of quality.

“We need that player who, in a game like this one, can pop up with a couple of goals for you.

“A couple of silly mistakes have cost us, it was the same old thing that has been happening week in, week out and we need to address that.

“We aren’t a million miles away from where we need to be. We are finishing above mid-table and in ninth place.

“Add a few more to what is already a good squad and I think we will give ourselves a right good chance.”