In the end, the outcome of this Blue Square Bet North game was not a surprise.

Telford are going for the title, Corby are merely building in mid-table for next year.

And there was no denying the Bucks deserved their win.

But there was also no denying that Corby again battled hard and that three of the goals came in the final 10 minutes as they simply ran out of steam after a massive defensive effort.

For the second time in a week, it looked like the Midlands’ motorway network might put a spanner in everyone’s works after the M6, the route of choice for most from Corby, was closed.

But while last week’s game with Alfreton was delayed by the visitors not arriving on time, the Steelmen showed more navigational resolve and ensured they made it to the New Bucks Head ready to start on time.

The Steelmen had two debutants in their starting line-up with Frenchman Alban Teixeira in goal and Paul Malone in defence.

And both men made good impressions in the first half as Teixeira saved well from both Yannick Salem and Greg Mills, while Malone headed another Salem effort off the line and got several key headers and blocks in as he and Phil Gulliver manfully led the Corby defensive effort against the Telford onslaught.

At times it was like the Alamo as the hosts piled on the pressure throughout the first half.

Sean Newton was inches away with dipping 20-yard volley just before the half-hour and only a desperate last-ditch block from Telford old boy Netan Sansara denied Carl Rodgers on 36 minutes.

The constant pressure from the hosts was not unexpected, given their need to win the game was pressing in the title race.

And Bucks boss Andy Sinton would have been frustrated at his side’s inability to break down Corby’s defence for most of the first half.

However, with the home fans on edge, Mills finally broke the deadlock with a fortunate goal on 41 minutes as his cross from the left eluded everyone and found the bottom corner.

Corby nearly levelled on half-time but Bucks keeper Ryan Young did well to parry Sansara’s stinging free-kick and then block Steve Diggin’s follow-up.

The second half started in the same vein as the first with Telford pressurising but meeting stern resistance, notably from Gulliver, although Rodgers might have done better when he shot wide on 57 minutes while Andy Brown sent a swerving shot over soon after.

However, Brown was not to be denied and finally doubled the Bucks’ lead on 62 minutes at the second attempt after his initial shot was blocked.

Brown was in again soon after but was denied by a combination of Teixeira and Gulliver.

Gregg Smith so nearly got Corby back into it on 68 minutes but his clever chip went over.

Instead, Salem got a deserved goal to make it 3-0 on 81 minutes with a close-range header from Newton’s cross.

That was the cue for Corby to finally collapse as Telford enjoyed a late feast.

Mills made it four on 85 minutes before Newton completed the rout with a free-kick in the final minute.

A 5-0 result is a beating, no denying that.

But the Steelmen are a skeleton of the side they were.

And if they can produce the sort of effort they showed for much of this game against the lesser sides in the league in the coming seasons, then the future remains a positive one.

By John Smith - Corby Evening Telegraph