Rugby Town 3-1 Tiverton Town

Southern League Premier Division

Saturday, 17th January 2006

Attendance | 202

Valley enjoyed a fine 3-1 win against perennial contenders Tiverton Town to climb up to tenth in the Premier Division table and just three points off a play-off place.

Rugby manager Billy Jeffrey had another selection problem with captain Craig Herbert out with a hamstring problem forcing versatile midfielder Chris Tullin to slot in at centre-back.  Jamie Kearns made his full debut in midfield as Kevin Slinn returned up front.

The game started slowly and with their first real attack, Rugby took the lead on eight minutes as Tim Wooding’s whipped free-kick was inadvertently headed home by Tiverton defender Danny Clay inside the six yard box.

Tiverton played some decent football and Chris Holloway fired over from twenty yards while the referee turned down a seemingly certain penalty as Kearns brought down Holloway in the area.

Striker David Stone was not quite his influential self, but luck seemed to be on his side as he broke through two tackles and found himself through on goal, but the youngster uncharacteristically sliced the ball just wide.

Both sides were unlucky not to score from crosses, which were well blocked before Stone was brought down in the area by goalkeeper Mark Ovendale but the referee waved it away.

Holloway’s audacious volley at the back post from Chris Bale’s cross was watched over the bar by Rugby goalkeeper Farhad Afandiyev before Stone shot just wide from twenty yards after running at the defence.

Both sides came out for the second half in more attacking fashion with Stone pushing up to join the frontline from midfielder more often.

Three minutes after the break, a neat exchange between Slinn and Robbie Beard resulted in the latter breaking down the left and skewing a cross into Ovendale with an unmarked Stone waiting in the centre.

Rugby utilised their throw-ins to double their lead on fifty-three minutes as Matt Green laid the ball onto Wooding, whose cross was fumbled by Ovendale straight to Delroy Gordon in the six-yard box who couldn’t fail to miss.

A minute later, top scorer James Mudge volleyed well at the far post but was more than matched by Afandiyev, before the striker miscued a half chance.

Robbie Beard as good as sealed the win with twenty minutes remaining, as he weaved in from the right hand side before sending a low shot into the net.

Goalkeeper Afandiyev made a terrific save from point blank range before the Azerbaijan-born stopper was eventually beaten by substitute Kurt Nogan with a free header.

The visitors applied plenty of pressure during the final stages but could not force a second goal, while substitute Rory Squire came closest to extending Rugby’s lead with a low strike which was kept out on the line by Clay.

Clay himself then almost added a second own goal to his repertoire forcing Ovendale into a full-stretch save from his back-pass, while Clay shot over in the last minute, this time at the right end.

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