Corby Town 4 Blyth Spartans 2 (Match Report)

Attendance - 771

Corby Town

Tom Cross, Dean West, Paul Mayo, Philip Watt, Philip Gulliver, Leon Hibbert, Gavin Strachan, Stephen Towers, Jack Defty, Leon Mettam, Stephen Diggin
Subs- Chris Hope, Jamie Mcghee, Liam Dolman, Chris Gray, David Deeney

Blyth Spartans

Jack Norton, Stephen Harrison, John Brackstone, Michael Tait, Stephen Foster, Gareth Williams, Neal Hooks, Stephen Turnbull, Paul Brayson, Ian Graham, John Alexander
Sub - Darren Craddock

Work commitments, injuries and a suspension meant that manager Mick Tait named only 12 players for last night's penultimate Blue Square North fixture at Corby Town.

Even so, the Northumbrians produced a good performance and with a little luck might have returned home with a point.

They should have taken the lead early on when a Paul Brayson free-kick was dropped by goalkeeper Tom Cross and with three players ready to pounce; the referee surprisingly awarded the home side a free-kick.

It was Corby who drew first blood. Gavin Strachan moved down the left and his cross was headed home by Jack Defty.

Worse was to follow and three minutes later Corby doubled their advantage. Defty was again involved and this time the provider for Steve Towers to turn the ball past goalkeeper Jack Norton from six yards.

John Alexander was close to reducing the arrears and on the stroke of half-time a Brayson free-kick rebounded off the inside of the post to safety.

Brayson was not to be denied, however, and early in the second half threw Blyth a lifeline. Stephen Harrison picked out Brayson who ran on befor firing across the goalkeeper into the bottom corner of the net.

Spartans though then gifted Corby their third goal with Stephen Diggin taking advantage of a defensive blunder but a minute later, a good move involving Harrison, Ian Graham and John Brackstone opened up the opportunity for Michael Tait to make no mistake.

Blyth pushed players forward in search of a deserved equaliser but left the way open for Diggin to seal the home side's victory.