Corby Town 1-6 Eastwood Town

Corby Town crashed to a humiliating home defeat as Eastwood Town tore them apart in this Blue Square Bet North game.

All the talk beforehand had been about the Football Match Officials Group's decision to take Sky Sports sexism row referee Sian Massey off the game.

It meant Miss Massey spent the day at home and most of the home fans probably wished they had done the same after this.

The visitors dominated the opening 20 minutes and probably deserved more for their efforts than just Lee Stevenson's 15th goal of the season when he headed home from close range after 10 minutes.

Both Stevenson and Lindon Meikle went close before Stevenson scored and the prolific midfielder forced a fine save from Chris Mackenzie soon after his goal.

With the Badgers almost picking their way through Corby's back line at will, the home team appeared set for a tough afternoon.

Instead, they equalised from their first shot on target on 22 minutes when Nathan Jarman smashed the ball home from a half-cleared corner.

Eastwood still carried the greater threat in front of goal though and the Steelmen had a let-off on 41 minutes when Matt Rhead hit the bar from Michael Simpson's pass.

But they were not so fortunate three minutes later as Adrian Hawes bundled home a scrappy header.

Corby came out with more purpose at the start of the second half and Steve Diggin was unlucky to see a clever back-heel go straight into the keeper's hands.

But the defence then fell apart again on 53 minutes as Peter Knox's through ball sent Rhead away to make to 3-1.

If the visitors were not in a comfort zone before that goal, they certainly were after it and Corby seemed to have little to offer in response.

Chris Hope almost woke them up again on 70 minutes when his header from a corner hit the foot of the post.

Instead, it was the cue for the Steelmen to completely cave in.

Hawes had a header tipped on to the bar on 80 minutes and, from the resulting corner, Knox bundled home Eastwood's fourth,

Their fifth came two minutes later as Knox again got through a paper-thin Steelmen defence to find the bottom corner.

And substitute Knox rounded off a brilliant afternoon when he completed his hat-trick with a far-post header in the final minute.

Corby: Mackenzie; West, Charlton, Gulliver, Sansara (sub Jaszczun, 60 mins); Jarman, Hope, Towers, Hall (sub Ruddick, 64 mins); Webster, Diggin. Subs not used: Dolman, White, Farden.

Eastwood: Danby; Cooke, Haggery, Hawes, Riley; Todd, Simpson, Stevenson (sub Duncum, 85 mins), Foster (sub D'Laryea, 81 mins); Meikle (sub Knox, 24 mins), Rhead. Subs not used: Muller, Bailey.

Referee: M Perry

Goals: Stevenson (10 mins, 0-1), Jarman (22 mins, 1-1), Hawes (44 mins, 1-2), Rhead (53 mins, 1-3), Knox (80 mins, 1-4), Knox (82 mins, 1-5), Knox (90 mins, 1-6).

Attendance: 418