A chilly evening under the lights was in store for Shepshed Dynamo and Corby Town at the Dovecote on Tuesday. The Steelmen of Corby arrived in second position and riding high off the back of a 3-0 victory in the FA Trophy on Saturday at the expense of Sutton Coldfield Town. Dynamo, meanwhile, came into the game unbeaten in four league matches and were looking to make it five.

A change for Shepshed was made in midfield to the side that started against Rugby Borough at the weekend, Jack York moving into central midfield to partner Kyle Dixon. Callum Burkey was also restored to the lineup following a dead leg. Corby boss Gary Setchell made three changes from the weekend bringing in Aaron Nuttall, Jack Noble and Matthew Slinn to his starting lineup.

The visitors made a start as bright as their orange away strip. After just five minutes Connor Tomlinson took the ball on the bounce on the right edge of the 18-yard box and attempted to lob Dynamo ‘keeper Dan Wallis. The ball seemed to hang in the air for an eternity before clipping the post with Wallis finally able to gather.

Dynamo had their first sight of goal on 13 minutes. A ball into the area from Jack York contested by Jesse Friend managed to drop into the path of Callum Burkey 15 yards out. A good connection from Burkey sent the ball goalwards but just wide of the target in the end.

Shepshed’s tactic of firing the ball constantly at the Corby backline eventually paid dividends. Jesse Friend turned his man on the halfway line and then knocked the ball past the last defender. Friend’s one-on-one effort from just inside the penalty area, slightly on the angle, beat the dive of ‘keeper Jake Laban but not the far post. As luck would have it, winger Jude Collins was following up Friend’s effort and slotted home the rebound on 21 minutes.

Collins was causing problems again for the Steelmen down the right-hand side. A run to the byline produced a low cross, picking out fellow winger Jack Rogers. Connecting with a left-footed strike from 18 yards out, Rogers forced a superb save low down from Laban who conceded a corner on 39 minutes.

The resulting corner found the head of Jesse Friend. A towering header from the Dynamo striker, positioned in the centre of goal six yards out, thundered back off the crossbar. The spell of pressure from the home side was producing some promising openings.

As the first half entered the later stages of stoppage time, the visitors struck. An arrowed ball through the heart of the Dynamo defence was inadvertently cushioned into the path of striker Tyrone Lewthwaite by an outstretched leg. The big striker took his chance one-on-one with Wallis to finish high into the net from close range from the left side of the penalty area.

A crushing blow to the home side on the cusp of half time made for a muted start to the second half for Shepshed. A spell of pressure down the left for Corby resulted in Connor Tomlinson making a break for the byline and cutting a precise ball back for Matthew Slinn to tap home into an empty net. It had taken 61 minutes but the visitors were ahead for the first time in the contest.

Controversy then came about after Dan Wallis raced out of his goal to clear a Corby through ball 30 yards out. Striker Tyrone Lewthwaite’s 56th minute run was halted by Wallis as he took the Steelemen attacker out with a strong challenge with Lewthwaite having won the ball. The referee took mercy on Wallis and issued a yellow card with Corby’s players insisting that Shepshed should have been down to ten men.

All that hullabaloo was quickly forgotten as minutes later Wallis once again got acquainted with Lewthwaite, this time taking him down in the penalty area with an outstretched hand. Lewthwaite rose back to his feet and took the resulting spot kick. A cool strike down the middle enhanced Corby’s lead to 3-1 with 65 minutes played.

Jack Rogers then had an opportunity to pull a goal back for Shepshed. A superb run down the right flank veering into the box, Rogers ended up taking on one man too many instead of getting an early shot away. The Corby defence snuffed out the danger and with 78 minutes played, the hosts had it all still to do.

The home side’s efforts to chase the game began to leave gaps at the back. A long ball landing between Dynamo defenders on the edge of the 18-yard box caused temporary confusion on 89 minutes. The beneficiary of Shepshed’s indecision quickly stole possession inside the penalty area and slotted a cool finish past Wallis into the far corner - substitute Reuben Marshall with the goal.

Marshall wasn’t done there. Another lofted ball caught out the Shepshed defence on the left side of the penalty area. Marshall brought the ball down and lifted a deft chip over Wallis into the back of the net to compound a miserable evening for the home side. The 91st minute strike was the final act of a tremendous second half showing from the visitors.

The term ‘a game of two halves’ was most evident in this encounter. Dynamo were looking every inch the unbeaten-in-four outfit in the first half but the Steelmen put them to the sword in the second. An exhibition of devastating finishing brings Corby to the top of the league and leaves Shepshed attempting to get back on track at home on Saturday against bottom of the table Bedworth United.

Dynamo: Wallis, Samples, Peart, Timson (Bayliss 36’), Collins,, Friend (Reason 66’), Rogers (Allen 86’), Dixon (Dunkley 76’), York, Partridge, Burkey

Corby Town: Laban, Edwards (Tsvetkov 73’), Noble, Alban-Jones, Keeble, McAuley, Tomlinson (Marshall 77’), Nuttall (Kelly 84’), Lewthwaite (Taylor 91’), Slinn (Jones 68’)

Attendance: 240