A solitary goal from Captain Phil Gulliver was enough to see Corby Town edge past Vauxhall Motors on a foggy Saturday afternoon in the Blue Square Bet North.

Few could have predicted the lowly scoreline, especially since the skipper nudged the Steelmen in front as early as the 9^th minute. But despite their sparkling start, Corby just couldn’t escalate and find that elusive second goal.

The home side started brightly at Steel Park, continuing their Wednesday-night heroics and dominating from the off. Delroy Gordon was the first to test the visiting goalkeeper, but his shot from the edge of the area was well palmed away by Scott Tynan.

Nick Rogan followed Gordon’s long-range effort by smashing the ball into the roof of the net, but his effort was ruled out for offside.

But just mere moments later the ball was past Vauxhall’s line again, with Corby’s courageous Captain Gulliver grabbing the afternoon’s opener in the 9^th minute. Standing just five yards out, all the skipper had to do was poke the ball past Tynan in the Vauxhall goal.

Corby continued to comfortably dominate at Steel Park, with neither side posing much of an attacking threat. Mattie Burke was the sculptor of the Motormen’s first chance, but his long-range effort was well held by Chris Mackenzie.

Steelmen skipper Gulliver could have doubled his tally for the afternoon just past the half hour mark, finding himself head on with Tynan once more. But this time he could only smash the ball straight at the Vauxhall ‘keeper and was unable to add to Corby’s slender lead.

Paul Mayo, a scorer in mid-week against Kidderminster, nearly added to his own tally ten minutes later. A clever back heel from Matt Rhead sent the defender through on goal, but his powerful drive was pushed over the bar by the ever-present Tynan.

By this point, Vauxhall had verged their way back into the game and were enjoying large spells of possession in the Corby half. Striker Burke’s long-range effort bobbled past Mackenzie’s left post after the re-start as the Motormen drove in search of an equaliser.

James Ozmen grazed the Vauxhall crossbar in the 55^th minute, whilst debutant Lee Beeson, on for Nick Rogan, could have scored with his first touch of the ball but could only drill his shot wide.

Ozmen almost added his name to the scoresheet again ten minutes later, but his fizzing shot was well dealt with by Tynan.

Corby, content with their solitary goal, began to ease off the visitors towards the end of the match and were almost made to rue that decision in the 85^th minute. Kevin Holsgrove should have equalised with a headed effort after following a right-hand cross, but his flicked header popped just wide of the right-hand post.

The match then fizzled out, with neither side creating anymore clear-cut chances. It was hardly the haughty heroics of Wednesday night from the Steelmen, but as the old football adage goes, ‘a win’s a win.’

Corby Town: Mackenzie, Gordon, Mayo, Reynolds, Gulliver, Ozmen (sub Dossou, 69 mins), Hall (sub, Spruce, 73 mins), Towers, Rhead, Rogan (sub Beeson, 55 mins), Smith. Subs not used: Land, Ives.

Vauxhall Motors: Tynan, Fearnehough, Dames, Hannigan (sub Benn, 90+2 mins), Bennett, Beck (sub Lawless, 74 mins), Mahon, Mannix, McGivern, Holsgrove, Burke. Subs not used: Saxton, Wright, Martindale

Goals: Gulliver (9 mins, 1-0)

Referee: Anthony Horton

Attendance: 620