Bedford Town 1-1 Rugby Town

Southern League Premier Division

Saturday, 29th April 2006

Attendance | 482

Photo Gallery | Farhad Afandiyev dives to deny Bedford

Midfielder Chris Tullin's fifth goal of the season late in the game secured his side a draw at the New Eyrie ground on Saturday to bring the curtain down on the Valley's topsy turvey campaign.

Hosts Bedford had already guaranteed themselves a place in the SLPD play-offs beforehand, and despite the prospect of a semi-final just two days later, their manager ex-Coventry City defender Nicky Platnauer - who was absent for the game checking out their play-off opponents - resisted the temptation of making wholesale changes to his side, choosing only to rest three of his normal first choice eleven.

Rugby boss Billy Jeffrey made just one change from the team which had started the week before in the home victory against Team Bath, recalling David Stone to the line-up in place of Matt Wells, who was unavailable through illness.

It was a surprisingly entertaining affair for an end-of-season encounter, with both sides willing to play attacking football, and as a result both created a string of goalscoring opportunities throughout the game.

The opening quarter of an hour saw a Craig Herbert header, and shots from strike duo Stone and Kevin Slinn all test Jordan Rigby in the Bedford goal, and with Stone looking back to his dangerous best and getting behind the Eagles' back-line on a number of occasions, Jeffrey's side were unlucky not to take the lead.

At the other end, Carl Williams released Matt Childs in a wide position, and his dangerous cross to the far post was just cut out by Tullin. Ian Draycott also had a couple of good opportunities for the home side, when first he stabbed a loose ball agonisingly over the bar, and then saw Farhad Afandiyev make a fine diving save to push his shot around the right hand post.

Rugby started the second half badly, and in the 46th minute allowed Chris Dillon and Draycott too much room and time, with the latter finishing off the move with a low shot into the net, despite Afandiyev getting hand to the strike.

Rugby finally woke themselves up for the second period of the game, and Rigby made another fine stop to deny Stone three minutes later. Bedford then countered shortly after and could easily have wrapped the game up as they again caught a sluggish Valley flat-footed at the back, but this time Dillon's touch let him down as he attempted to round Afandiyev.

The visitors continued to press forward in search of an equaliser, with substitute Steve Evans sending a shot narrowly past the post and Delroy Gordon's glancing header from a Tim Wooding free-kick also falling just wide of the target.

Rugby's leveller finally came in the 89th minute, when Stone once more broke through the Bedford defence and sent an inch perfect ball across to Slinn, who selfishly flicked it back into the path of Chris Tullin to stroke it home from close range.

Even in the dying moments of the game, both sides still had chances to clinch the victory. For Bedford, Dillon's lobbed volley would have beaten most goalkeepers, but Afandiyev's extended reach just allowed him to avert the danger.

Rugby skipper Herbert then saw his volley cleared off the line by Gavin Hoyte, and Wooding's follow-up effort rippled the side-netting.