British Gas Business Football League Premier Division Saturday 19 August 2006 - Rockingham Triangle Stadium - kick off 3.00pm

Report taken from by Richard Gadsby

City would have drawn this game last season for one simple reason - they did not have Mark McKeever. True, they were the better side and deserved the three points, but they had to rely on high-quality, dead-ball deliveries from their summer signing to grab the decisive goals. Chris Holland had already headed one McKeever corner narrowly over when Scott Partridge made absolutely no mistake with the winger's second set-piece - a close-range, bullet header that ripped out the corner of the net after just 14 minutes. McKeever's corners proved the key factor of the afternoon with Darren Watts forced to claw the ball off the line from a well-placed Jim Rollo header just ten minutes later, again from a dead ball. City's dominance grew as the half wore on with Mike Green spurning the clearest chance after the move of the match. A rare slip from Gethin Jones allowed Corby their only break of the half, but his under-hit pass was dealt with bravely by Paul Evans at the feet of Carl Holmes. The energetic Dean Clarke saw two ranged efforts go wide as the half came to a close and the only real criticism for Relish's side was that they were not further ahead at the break.

It was to prove a different story in the second half. Initially, City continued to look comfortable against a Corby side clearly lacking in class. But after just under an hours play Corby carved out their first clear shot and came within inches of equalising when Carl Holmes' header hit the outside of the post. The chance seemed to boost the home side's confidence and they went on to create a series of opportunities. Holmes went close again only to be denied by Evans, Kev Byrne bent a shot wide and then Scott Goodwin's in-swinging free-kick flew dangerously across the face of goal, eluding keeper, defender and attacker alike before curling narrowly past the far post. An equaliser looked on the cards but then City did something they struggled to do all last season - they killed the game. Another McKeever corner was met by the leaping Holland and the ball somehow found its way through a crowded defence and into the net. It was all over after that. The flow of the game, firmly in Corby's sway before the goal, was suddenly in City's hands and they never looked like letting go. Evans even managed to have a sit down outside his box for a few minutes as Partridge very nearly made it 3-0 late on only to be denied by a combination of defender and upright.