Mills 'disappointed' as Corby Town squander three-goal lead
The Steelmen were reduced to 10 men in the second half having been 3-0 up at half-time.
Gary Mills was left “disappointed” after 10-man Corby Town squandered a 3-0 half-time lead before having to hold on for a 3-3 draw at Sporting Khalsa.
Things were looking great for the Steelmen at the break after a fine first-half display was rewarded by goals from James Clifton, Jordan O’Brien and Sam Moore.
But the game changed after the break as Khalsa pulled a goal back and were then awarded a penalty with Elliot Sandy sent-off for handball on the line.
The spot-kick was converted and the 10 men were unable to hold on as the hosts grabbed an equaliser.
“I am disappointed,” Steelmen boss Mills said.
“I thought we were excellent at Cambridge a couple of weeks ago when we last played and I wanted us to carry that on after a while off.
“And we did. We should have been six up at half-time, not three up and it’s come back to bite us because we didn’t take the chances that we should be sticking away.
“I said at half-time that the next goal would be massive because if they got it then the whole game changes mentally and that’s exactly what happened.
“Football will always be a simple game and if you don’t come out in the second half when you’re 3-0 up like we did then you will end up drawing the game or losing the game.
“Fortunately, for us, we have ended up with a point because if it had gone on for another five or 10 minutes we might have lost.”
Mills offered few arguments over the penalty award but he felt his team created their own problems in the second period.
“All I saw was the referee award the penalty and send Elliot off,” the Corby manager added.
“The referee has made that decision and we have ended up conceding the second goal.
“We were hoping to hang on which we didn’t and then we were hanging on for a point.
“It’s another point for us away from home and a disappointing one because we were 3-0 up.
“But you never stop learning in this game and you know you have never won a game until the final whistle goes.
“Don’t get me wrong, it was a great feeling to be 3-0 up and we played some great stuff.
“But we created our own problems. We panicked when they got their first goal and you have to be stronger than that.”