Mills delighted as patched up Corby Town advance in the Trophy

The Steelmen enjoyed a second home win over Halesowen Town in the space of a week
Corby Town manager Gary MillsCorby Town manager Gary Mills
Corby Town manager Gary Mills

Gary Mills was delighted to see his Corby Town players “step up” as they made it a quickfire double over Halesowen Town with a 1-0 success at Steel Park.

Having beaten the same opponents in such dramatic fashion a week earlier in the Pitching In Southern League Division One Central after they fought back from 3-0 down at half-time to win 4-3, the Steelmen produced a different kind of display to get the job done in the second qualifying round of the Buildbase FA Trophy.

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Corby weren’t helped by an ever-increasing injury list which was only enhanced when Steve Diggin and Jordan O’Brien had to be withdrawn during the first half.

But a solid defensive display ensured chances were few and far between as former Northampton Town goalkeeper Chris Dunn, who came in for the injured Craig Hill, having a relatively quiet afternoon.

The closest Halesowen came was when Jordon Crawford headed Paul McCone’s effort off the line and the crucial moment arrived when substitute Coden Duncan flicked the ball on for new signing Tommy Yorston who produced a cool finish as he rolled the ball past Bradley Catlow.

Under tough circumstances, Mills’ team rose to the occasion to get themselves into the hat for the third qualifying round draw on Monday.

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And the manager said: “You have to overcome problems and you either stand up to it or bow down to it and say ‘what did you expect’.

“I asked my players to step up to it with big hearts and the work rate I expect anyway and purely wanting it. I put all that up on the wall for them and they gave me every one of them from start to finish.

“Since Tuesday night (the 2-0 defeat at AFC Dunstable) I have been busy, busy, busy with trying to make signings right up until the last minute and then inside 20 minutes two others had to come off.

“But you have to face it and, as a whole club and with the fans, we stood up to it.

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Chris came into the team in goal and was superb but he never had a shot to save and that’s credit not just to the back four but to the whole team.

“I am delighted, I’ve told you I like the Trophy. I’d like to make it a hat-trick and we are in the hat and we deserve to be.

“We have won four games out of the last five and I don’t think anyone expected us to go and win this one because of the situation but I knew that if the lads worked and stayed organised then we could.

“We went to a 4-4-2, we kept it basic and it worked. I just said at half-time that we needed to keep putting it in behind and it would only take the one time and we will get in.

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“That’s what happened so the players deserve credit but I am going to take a little bit as well!”

Striker Elliot Sandy started alongside Gary Mills at the heart of the defence after stepping into the role on Tuesday night after Charlie Wise was forced off with an ankle injury.

Sandy produced an impressive display in a new role and Mills was impressed with what he saw.

“I have been in the game a long time and I have played with centre-forwards who, and this is no disrespect to Elliot, get older and little bit slower and you and go and play somewhere where you can get a few more years out of it by reading the game,” the Steelmen boss added.

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“Maybe that is what is going to happen to Elliot? He went in there on Tuesday and I thought he did really well and I have asked him to go in there again and I thought he was excellent.

“He read the game, he slashed a few with his right foot but we can’t do anything about that but Christmas is coming so somebody might give him a new right foot!

“But other than that, he kept it basic. I have played at a level where top managers have told centre-halves to head it and kick it and I asked him to do that and he did it.”

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