SATURDAY FOOTBALL '“ Bad day all-round as Steelmen, Poppies and Diamonds are beaten

Just 33 seconds were on the clock when the visitors opened the scoring.

Tyrell Waite raced away on the right of the penalty area and then beat Sam Donkin with a neat finish on the angle.

The rest of the first half was scrappy with few chances, although Greg Mills shot over from a good position and then dragged an effort wide.

But Mills did get on the scoresheet when he brought Corby level 11 minutes into the second half. The ball dropped nicely for him in the area and he beat Jordan Smith with a low shot.

However, Nuneaton regained the lead on 68 minutes when Joe Ironside beat Donkin with a near-post header from James Clifton’s cross.

And the game was up with 11 minutes to go when Anton Brown brought down Waite in the area and Elliott Whitehouse stepped up to send Donkin the wrong way from the spot.

Kettering Town’s slim hopes of reaching the Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division play-offs suffered a huge setback as they were beaten 3-1 at struggling Histon.

The Poppies had the better of things early on with Wilson Carvalho forcing the home goalkeeper Denzel Gerrar into a save before Rene Howe headed wide.

But it was Histon who took the lead against the run of play when Brett Solkhon’s clearance bounced off Nick Freeman and he ran on and slotted home.

Craig Hill saved from Ryan Auger but the Poppies should have drawn level when Spencer Weir-Daley got through on goal but his final effort was poor.

But Weir-Daley did find the net in the second half when he turned in a Carvalho cross.

Liam Canavan was out of luck soon after when his curling shot came back off the post and Weir-Daley was unable to convert the rebound.

But it was the hosts who regained the lead with 11 minutes to go when Matty Allan was sent clear he slotted home his first goal for Histon.

Solkhon should have levelled with a free header but Histon rounded things off late on when Hill dropped the ball and Allan was on hand to smash home his second.

AFC Rushden & Diamonds suffered a second defeat in a row as they went down 1-0 at Potters Bar Town in the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One Central.

Diamonds remain top of the table on goal difference from Kings Langley but they have a game in hand while third-placed Egham Town are four points behind with four extra matches to play.

Matt Finlay was forced into an early save before Tom Lorraine had a shot blocked.

But the hosts continued to pose the bigger threat and they sent an effort over before Finlay was forced into another good stop.

Jon Stevenson forced the home goalkeeper into a decent save but it was the hosts who took the lead on 36 minutes when Chris Doyle’s header looped over Finlay and into the net.

Finlay came to Diamonds’ rescue again early in the second half before Claudiu Hoban was denied at the other end and then forced the home goalkeeper into an even better save after cutting inside from the left.

But Diamonds were unable to find an equaliser.