Rugby
Town 1-6 Rushden & Diamonds
Pre-Season
Friendly
Saturday,
5th August 2006
Attendace
| 335
| Entertainment |
|
Photo
Gallery
| David Stone takes on the Rushden defence
Town
suffered their second successive six goal defeat
at Butlin Road last Saturday, this time against
the experienced, first choice eleven of Nationwide
Conference side Rushden & Diamonds.
For the second week running though, Rugby had
a number of good opportunities to give the scoreline
a respectable look to it in the second half, but
were twice denied by some excellent goalkeeping
with the score at just 3-1, and then struck the
woodwork on two occasions with only one more goal
added to the Diamonds' tally.
Ex-Rushden player Delroy Gordon had given the
Valley a surprise lead after just three minutes
of the game, when he curled a delightful shot
into the top corner of the net from the right
hand edge of the penalty area.
Rugby's joy was shortlived when shortly after
Rushden struck back when Leo Fortune-West was
on hand to force the ball home from close range,
after a fine double save by Farhad Afandiyev from
Marcus Kelly and Michael Rankine.
The visitors continued to press forward, and on
19 minutes Fortune-West flicked on a long throw
at the near post leaving Chillingworth with a
simple finish to give the Diamonds the lead, which
was extended minutes later when Kelly's exquisite
chip from 25 yards caught Afandiyev off his goal-line
and he could only watch as the bail sailed over
his head and into the net.
Kelly tried a repeat performance on 28 minutes,
but this time was unable to deliver his chip with
the same accuracy, and then Rankine side-footed
a volley from close range over the bar.
Town ended the half playing some better football
and David Stone began to cause problems for the
previously unhurried Rushden defence. Shortly
before the interval he left his marker stranded
but was just unable to screw back his cross to
Mick Feely.
Rugby continued this confident form into the start
of the second half, and were unlucky not to gain
some reward for their efforts.
Stone's pace saw him break through the middle
of the Diamonds defence, and keeper Nicky Eyre
pulled off a fine low save to deny the striker.
Ryan Byrne's grass skimming goalbound shot was
blocked by Chris Hope, and Eyre was again in impressive
form when he denied another Stone effort from
a one-on-one situation.
Rushden cruelly punished the home side for their
lack of clinical finishing on 64 minutes when
Fortune-West flicked on a corner to give Chillingworth
his second close goal of the game.
To their credit, the young Rugby side were not
disheartened by this, and with Eyre finally beaten,
in quick succession Byrne and Stone saw their
well-struck efforts hitting the post and crossbar
respectively.
As Valley legs began to tire once more, Rushden
finished the game off in the dying minutes with
substitutes Greg Pearson and Simeon Jackson netting
their team's fifth and sixth goals with calm finishes
from the edge of the penalty area.
The final chance of the game fell to Rugby Jason
Taylor, but the striker was unable to score against
his old club, screwing the ball wide of the post.
Rugby : Afandiyev (Lynn), Herbert, Harris, Tullin,
Gordon, Feely (Byrne), Francis (Storer), Hall,
Gearing (Kolodynski), Stone (Orford), J.Taylor.
Subs not used : Hackett, Sawko, S.Taylor.
Goal : Gordon 3
Rushden & Diamonds : Eyre (Crane), Wilson
(Grainger), Watson, Ashton (Savage), Hope, Hatswell,
Shaw (Rigby), Rankine (Pearson), Fortune-West
(Jackson), Chillingworth (Tomlin), Kelly (Berry).
Goals : Fortune-West 7, Chillingworth 19 &
64, Kelly 23, Pearson 86, Jackson 88.
Referee : M.Dexter |
