Diggin Ready To Hit Top Gear

Steve Diggin is confident he can enjoy his best spell of the campaign in the coming weeks for Corby Town.

The striker has had a tough time of things this season and has been mainly used as a bit-part player.

Much of this has been down to the form of top scorer Ben Mackey and his own loss of form and confidence for part of the time.

But Mackey's season-ending broken leg at Vauxhall Motors opened the door for Diggin to return to the starting line-up at Stafford Rangers last week.

And he grabbed his latest opportunity with both hands with a fine display that saw him set up the first goal of Andy Hall's hat-trick and score himself as Corby won 5-3.

Now, as they prepare to face Eastwood Town at home tomorrow, Diggin is looking for more of the same.

"I don't know what the difference was at Stafford but it was like a weight had been taken off my back," he said.

"Getting the chance to start was a confidence boost and the gaffer just told me to go out there and play my natural game, play it as I saw it, not to worry about shooting and just go with it.

"It seemed to work well and I felt really good."

Against Stafford, Diggin looked more like the striker that has been a regular scorer for the Steelmen since he joined them in 2007.

But he knows the most important thing at Stafford was the win and that will be the case again tomorrow.

"The vital thing was three points for us because we needed the result and we need another one against Eastwood," he continued.

"Obviously, it was nice to get a goal last week. I should have got a lot more this year but hopefully that will be the start of a good run for me, just as it was last year when I ended the season well.

"I've had to wait for my chance and it was very unfortunate for Ben (Mackey) to get injured as he did.

"But at the same time, it's given me a chance to get back into the team and now I'm in I just want to keep scoring and stay there."

Diggin's improved display against Stafford was reflective of the Steelmen as a whole who looked more like the confident side that won their last six at the end of last season and less like the side that has stuttered and stumbled at times this year.

"To be fair, we played some good football at Stafford and we have been playing well in other games too but the results haven't come for us," said Diggin.

"Last week we knew we'd have to battle but we also knew that if we played as we can do, we could get the result and it will be the same against Eastwood.

"Games against them have always been tough in the past and I expect it will be again.

"But we're going into it with confidence."

As well as looking to get on the scoresheet again, Diggin will look to maintain the beginnings of what looked a good partnership with Adam Webster.

And, as he did last year with Jack Defty and Jason Lee in the Southern League title-winning season, Diggin showed that he seems to thrive in the role of the diminuitve striker playing off a big man.

"Webby (Adam Webster) is a clever player and he brings other players into the game well, just as Jack Defty did last year and Jason Lee the year before that," he said.

"It's a system and a tactic I like and hopefully it will bring us success again tomorrow."