Match Report  |  Gresley Rovers vs Corby Town

Rovers were taught a very harsh lesson of the work needed to be able to compete with the teams who sit at the top of the table as they were comprehensively beaten for the second consecutive game at the Moat Ground.

Corby looked like a side full of confidence after shaking off an indifferent start to the season they have now clicked into gear and should be in the mix come the end of the season. They were ruthless in front of goal and against a side whose confidence levels are very low they took full advantage of some poor defending to register their third six goal away win something they can’t seem to do at home for some reason.

Rovers were still missing significant players Martin Smyth (injured) and Jon Guy (holiday) with Kane Lee (work commitments) adding to the list.

The game, played on a challenging surface, got off to the worst start possible for the home side with Connor Thomlinson racing down the right before cutting inside and beating keeper Howard Woodward at his near post with hardly a challenge made.

Rovers reacted well and were putting pressure on the visitors with Jon King hitting a shot from the right which fizzed wide of the near post.

The visitors went close on 21 minutes when a corner form the right was met by a header at the far post which Woodward spectacularly tipped onto the bar before making a brave block at his near post as the rebound was hammered back towards his goal.

Corby did extend their advantage on the half hour mark through a superb goal. The ball found its way to Joe Butterworth who hit a sweetly struck dipping shot from 20 yards which flew over the head of Woodward and into the net. A goal worth the entrance fee alone.

The first half was coming to an end when two goals came within a minute. The first was from Rovers. Some good play down the left involved Kieran O’Connell. Jack Tyson and finished by Jayden Cotterill.

O’Connell was working hard to defend the ball, he then cleverly backheeled the ball into the run of Tyson whose run went almost to the corner before sending over an inviting cross to the far post where Cotterill was running in to power his header into the net.

Rovers were close to ending the half back in the game, but some more slack defending allowed Corby to go in at the break with their two-goal lead restored as Harry Thomas raced down the left before cutting into the area, again unchallenged, before slotting the ball past Woodward.

The second half began as badly for Rovers as the first as they conceded a fourth goal with just two minutes on the clock. A run by Toby Hillard saw him go past Woodward and perhaps with Tuesday’s red card on his mind the keeper didn’t risk going down to try and collect the ball at the striker’s feet he allowed Hiilard to get to the byline unchallenged where somehow, he managed to backheel the ball back towards goal and into the net.

Goal number five came when Tominson raced in on goal before firing past Howard and goal number six followed three minutes later when Dilan Edges, also unchallenged, worked his way onto the area completing the move with a shot past Woodward.

Rovers looked very weary and leggy, but Woodward prevented the score from becoming even more embarrassing by making a superb double save from Tomlinson who threatened to rub salt into an already open wound by breaking through the home backline.

There was a slight glimmer for Rovers towards the end of the game with Cotterill hitting a shot across the face of Corby’s goalmouth but in all truthfulness Rovers had been well beaten by a good side.