Monday 9th April 2007

Attendance | 326

	Stand-in captain Andy Commander celebrates the win at the end of the game

The Valley ground out a crucial single goal victory over King's Lynn at Butlin Road on Easter Monday, thanks to a brave team performance and a second half goal from the club's leading scorer Jason Taylor.

Taylor's winner came in the 52nd minute, and then the home crowd had to endure a nervous last half an hour to the game, with the Linnets desperate for an equaliser to maintain their pursuit of a play-off place at the end of the season.

Town were without the services of regular defenders Delroy Gordon and Craig Herbert through injury, and with Ross Harris also unavailable with flu, manager Billy Jeffrey sent out a makeshift central defensive unit consisting of Aaron Stringfellow, Chris Tullin and Andy Commander.

Commander, in particular, was in heroic form in that closing period in dealing with the aerial bombardment, and keeper Farhad Afandiyev also held firm to earn his seventh clean sheet of the season so far.

The first half of the game had been a relatively uneventful affair, with neither side creating much in front of goal, although overall Town did more than hold their own against their much higher placed opponents.

Ex-Nuneaton player Michael Frew had the visitors' best opportunity, when Afandiyev got his fingertips to his shot in turning it round the post, and David Stone's long range effort also bounced wide of the goal.

Stone though had at times threatened to break through the centre of the Linnets' defence in that opening period, and he then started the second one brightly too when dispossessing Greg Crane to play in David Staff, although Staff failed to trouble his old club with his wayward shot.

Town opened the scoring not long after when Stone beat King's captain Dean West in a wide position and then cut inside to unleash an on-target effort, which experienced keeper Scott Howie could only spill at the feet of the oncoming Jason Taylor, who forced the ball home from a couple of yards out.

Stone could have increased the margin on the hour mark, but he could only scuff his shot after Matt Gearing had first teased his full-back before squaring the ball across to him.

That miss signalled the start of the Linnets' fightback, and for a twenty minute spell, Rugby were mainly contained within their own half.

In that period, Commander made two particularly impressive clearing headers from virtually under his own crossbar, Willis Francis and Aaron Stringfellow combined on the line to block a goalbound effort from Frew, and Afandiyev was in dominant form when dealing with a number of high balls into the box, whilst also pulling off a fine save from Matt Nolan.

When substitute Charlie Defty sent his diving header wide from a dangerous position, it began to feel like it was Valley's day for a change, and with the away side throwing men forward in search of a vital equaliser and the introduction of the pace of substitute David Kolodynski, the game opened up a little more for Town.

As a result, Kolodynski was unlucky not to take advantage of quick breakaways on a couple of occasions, and at the other end Crane's header looped over the bar and Andrew Frisk pulled his shot wide, after Staff's weak defensive clearance had fallen kindly for him.

After a seemingly endless period of added-on time, to the relief of the home supporters referee Marvyn Amphlett finally blew his whistle ensuring a valuable three points for Rugby, and with it surely another year in the Southern League Premier.

Rugby Lineup:

	Farhad Afandiyev
	Aaron Stringfellow
	Andy Commander Booked
	Parys Okai
	Chris Tullin
	Tom Breward
	Matthew Gearing
	Willis Francis Booked
	JASON TAYLOR Star Man Scored 1
	David Stone
	David Staff

Used Substitutes

	David Kolodynski
	Akinwale Aladetoun