Tuesday 3 April 2007

Attendance | 189

Goals from David Stone and Jason Taylor gave Rugby a just reward for their dominance from an impressive all-round team display, and despite a late consolation from the home side - a real cracker from on-loan Luton Town youngster Ryan Charles - they held on to increase the gap between themselves and the relegation zone to eight points.

Manager Billy Jeffrey opted to operate with three centre halves for the game, recalling Andy Commander to his starting line-up in place of Matt Gearing. Commander linked up well with fellow defenders Craig Herbert and Delroy Gordon to provide a solid rearguard.

Rugby opened the game with a surprising level of confidence considering their current plight, and Herbert headed over the bar from Hitchin old-boy Parys Okai's free-kick after just 9 minutes.

Just short of the quarter of an hour mark, another Okai set-piece - this time a corner - was helped on by Tom Breward and then squeezed through to David Stone, who forced the ball home high into the net at the far post.

Stone was clean through on goal later in the half after a mis-placed defensive header, but ex-Valley keeper Robert Beckwith smothered the ball at the striker's feet, after Stone had lost control of it momentarily on the bobbly surface.

Hitchin did make a mini-recovery towards the end of the first half, with Charles causing problems on the right wing before finding Jon Stevenson in the box - whose quickfire half-volley flew high and wide of the goal.

Rugby started the second half with equal confidence to that of the first, and extended their advantage just two minutes into the period after good interchange play between David Staff and Willis Francis saw Staff pick out Taylor just outside box. Beckwith should have subsequently done better with Jason Taylor's low driven effort, but somehow could only watch it bobble under his body and across the line.

Valley continued to push forward in an attempt to kill the game off, and Stone tucked his shot narrowly wide of the post after the impressive Aaron Stringfellow had fizzed the ball into the box.

Beckwith also pulled out two top-drawer saves to deny Breward - the first getting down well to beat out a 25 yard effort and then an equally good stop to deny one at closer range, after Okai had shown some good skill.

In a rare attacking highlight for the hosts, substitute Adam Lamacraft was unable to get a telling shot on goal after he had found some rare space in the Rugby defence.

Beckwith again had to be alert when he denied Stone once more, after Francis had found him with an excellent pass, and he then pulled out the save of the match on 83 minutes, flinging himself at Okai's long range effort to prevent it reaching the top corner of the net. Five minutes later he continued his good form when saving well from Okai's low drive.

Charles produced his moment of magic for the home fans in the final minute of normal time looping home his half-volley from the edge of the box - with probably his side's first real on-target effort of the match.

A nervous spell of added-on time for the Valley therefore ensued, with a couple of goalmouth scrambles from deep free-kicks leaving the travelling supporters with their hearts racing briefly, but any other result than a Rugby victory would have been a gross injustice - and fortunately, for once this season, they were not to suffer such a fate.

Report by Jon Venner.

Rugby Lineup:

	Farhad Afandiyev
	Aaron Stringfellow
	Andy Commander
	Delroy Gordon
	Craig Herbert (c)
	Tom Breward
	Parys Okai
	Willis Francis Booked
	JASON TAYLOR Scored 1 Star Man
	David Stone Scored 1
	David Staff

Used Substitutes

none