Setchell delighted with derby day win over Diamonds, but brands Hayden Road pitch 'a disgrace'
An angry Gary Setchell launched a withering attack on the state of the playing surface at Hayden Road after his Corby Town side secured a 1-0 Pitching-In Northern Premier League Midlands Division win over AFC Rushden & Diamonds on Bank Holiday Monday.
Tyrone Lewthwaite scored the only goal of a low quality game on 62 minutes, producing a brilliant left-foot finish on the turn to seal the three points and get Corby back on track after they suffered a first defeat of the season on Saturday, going down 3-1 at home to Coventry Sphinx.
And although delighted with the win, Setchell was far from happy with the pitch his team had to play on, branding the surface 'a disgrace' and 'not fit for purpose', stating three or four of his team picked up injuries during the course of the game.
Asked after the match about how he felt his team felt about playing on an unwatered surface, Setchell told @corbytownfc: "That's not even a not-watered pitch, that isn't a pitch is it?
"I wouldn't pay to come and watch games here, that pitch is a disgrace.
"We have won, but if I had lost people would have said it would be sour grapes, but we have come here and won the game.
"I feel for their lads, I feel for their management, and I feel for their supporters, because this is a road. That is horrendous.
"We have picked up three injuries today, that is a lot due to the pitch, and that is not fit for purpose it is as simple as that.
"That is a great win for us, because we have run through brick walls, especially after Saturday's debacle, and we got out and showed some real steel, if you pardon the pun. But honestly, I can't explain how bad that pitch is.
"We have got lads injured, lads who have rolled ankles, and I think that is dangerous, but the players got on with it.
"I am whingeing about it now, but I didn't before the game because I didn't want to start on a negative and if we had lost then people would have just said 'oh, he's moaning and making excuses'.
"But we have won the game with a brilliant goal from Tyrone Lewthwaite, and that was a great moment in what was just a war of attrition.
"I think we probably wanted it a little bit more than them, and had that little bit of extra star quality and magic that has won the game.
"We have hit both posts as well and their keeper has made a couple of saves, where I don't think Jake Laban has had a save to make."
Diamonds boss Elliot Sandy didn't mention the playing surface in his post-match interview, and told @AFCRDTV: "I am gutted for the lads.
"The reaction from such a bad game on Saturday (Diamonds were beaten 4-1 at Mickleover) was exactly what I wanted, I asked for heart, desire, organisation, heart, intensity and the people at the game can see we have a team that will give everything for the shirt.
"I think the only shot on target ends up being the winning goal, and that was a bit of magic from Tyrone Lewthwaite, and it is a tough one to take to be on the losing end of that."