Corby Town 3 Gloucester City 6

Gloucester City proved to be Corby Town's bogey team once again as they put the Steelmen to the sword in a nine-goal thriller.

City's die-hard fans have now seen 31 goals in six games as the Tigers' first foray into the Blue Square North continues.

Gloucester had been the last team to beat the Steelmen during their visit to the Rockingham Triangle in March and six months down the line the home side, sitting towards the top of the table, looked set to have the upper hand.

But the return of Tom Webb and Alex Sykes gave City strength and Dave Mehew's men played with renewed confidence, dominating in the soulless athletics track.

Lee Smith, playing on the left wing, was quick off the mark with the first goal on seven minutes, flying through the Corby defence to beat Mark Osborn. With Webb in midfield and new signing James Baldwin straight in at the back the Tigers were more solid.

A neat run down the right from Luke Ballinger saw him beat two defenders before slotting City's second goal on 16 minutes.

Paul Mayo's long-range effort for Corby five minutes later flew wide before Mike Green saved from Steve Towers on the half-hour mark as the home side battled to get back into the game. They should have scored on 34 minutes but Lee Marshall's quick reactions saw him save from the line after Stephen Diggin beat Green to the ball.

Smith, who had dominated on the left, set up the third City goal on 39 minutes crossing the ball into Mike Symons who glanced the ball onto the head of Tom Hamblin. The fourth came nine minutes into the second half when Sykes' picked up a deflected Smith shot and fired it into the top right of the net. Baldwin, showing strength in his first appearance, gave away a free kick on 57 minutes for a wayward tackle. Gavin Strachan stepped up to the mark and powered it over the wall and into the top corner of the net.

A minute later, Smith, on another forward run, grabbed his second of the afternoon and City's fifth.

Scrappy defending saw Leon Mettam flick the ball past Green for Corby's second on 68 minutes as the goals continued. Smith finally bagged his first City hat-trick on 88 minutes, converting a Ballinger cross. Corby netted a consolation goal from substitute Brett Solkhon in the final minute as the Tigers sealed their win.