| Rugby
Town 3-4 Hemel Hempstead Town |
| Errea
Cup Semi Final |
Tuesday
13th March 2007
Attendance
| 192
|
Entertainment |
|
Rugby
were dumped out of the League Cup competition by
a resilient Hemel side on Tuesday night, in a game
in which fortunes ebbed and flowed before Dean Brennan's
late winner put paid to Valley's first chance of
a piece of silverware in nearly seventeen years.
Having
survived an early Hemel onslaught, Town then enjoyed
a triple goal burst leading up to half-time, before
four second half replies from the visitors deservedly
sealed the tie.
The
game could have easily been out of the reach of
the Valley as early as the 15 minute mark, with
Hemel creating a string of good goalscoring opportunities
from the off.
In
that opening quarter of an hour, Delroy Gordon
had headed off the line twice - denying John Lawford
and Chris Herron in the process. Paul Edgeworth
blazed a volley over the bar and Shaun Byrne somehow
lifted the ball over the bar with just Farhad
Afandiyev to beat.
Gordon
made another fine saving tackle when Byrne was
free through the middle again, and Afandiyev also
stopped a low bouncing effort from Steve Sinclair.
Rugby
stunned their opponents with a quick break on
35 minutes, which saw David Kolodynski play a
neat pass onto Matt
Gearing, who cut inside and applied
a cool finish.
Shortly
after, with the tails lifted as a result of the
goal, Rugby created another good opportunity -
but this time Jason Taylor's powerful rising shot
was deflected away by a Hemel head for a corner.
On
42 minutes, Kolodynski was again the provider
and Gearing the benefactor, as Rugby took a 2-0
lead - with Matt
Gearing's finishing off the move
with a left-footed half volley.
Incredibly
Jason Taylor
made it three on the stroke of half-time following
up on his own shot, by looping his header over
Jamie Jackson and into the net.
Hemel
came out for the second period in search of an
early goal to fuel their comeback bid. However
Rugby appeared initially to cope with the dangerous
visiting attack, and apart from another fine block
from Gordon, they were relatively untroubled.
The
home side threatened a little on the break, but
usually lacked a telling final ball, although
Gearing did create a hat-trick chance for himself
on 51 minutes, but saw his shot comfortably saved
by Jackson.
The
game turned on the hour mark, when Paul Edgeworth
forced the ball home in a goalmouth scramble after
a corner from the left, and from that point on
the Valley's confidence quickly disappeared and
Hemel were a rampant force.
Anthony
Thomas made it 3-2, when he blasted home after
Andy Commander - skipper for the night in the
absence of Craig Herbert – had headed a cross
back across his box, and then the same player
struck his second of the night to bring the scores
level, when he curled a beautiful strike home
from the edge of the area in the 83rd minute.
Three
minutes from time, Brennan headed in after Afandiyev
had mishandled a cross in a crowded penalty area
- to the delight of the travelling supporters.
In
between this defensive mayhem, Rugby had created
little at the other end - apart from a long range
effort from Willis Francis, which failed to trouble
Jackson.
Late
on, the ball did bobble off Commander's thigh
at close quarters after it had flashed across
the box from a corner, but Rugby's late efforts
at grabbing an equaliser were in vein.
Links
>> Around
the League: Hemel Hempstead
>>
Previous
Meetings: Rugby v Hemel
|
