Saturday 3rd February 2007

Attendance | 207

Having shown some spirit after falling behind to an early Yashwa Romeo goal, a second Magpies' goal on the stroke of half-time knocked the stuffing out of Billy Jeffrey's young side.

Following this, the Valley's second half performance was a disappointment, and in the end the margin of defeat could have been much greater but for an impressive performance between the posts from Farhad Afandiyev.

Jeffrey recalled Aaron Stringfellow to his starting line-up in place of the unavailable David Stone, also choosing to keep loan signing David Blenkinsopp in attack in preference to the in-form David Kolodynski.

All three Maidenhead goals came from Town's inability to clear their lines properly from crosses into their box, and Romeo was the first to benefit on 7 minutes when Darti Brown's delivery from the right hand side fell at his feet, allowing him to steer the ball past Afandiyev.

Rugby had however started brightly before conceding this opener. Matt Gearing's deflected shot had hurried Chico Ramos in the Magpies' goal and then the same player was unlucky to be ruled offside, after Jason Taylor had released him down the middle.

On 13 minutes Blenkinsopp ran onto a Willis Francis through ball, but the young Nuneaton player's shot from just inside the box lacked power and was comfortably caught by Ramos.

Then Gearing again caused problems for the Maidenhead back-line with his pace, only to see his cross to the back post just a little too high for Jamie Williams.

At the other end, Afandiyev saved well from Dean Fenton and Neville Roach dragged the ball wide from a dangerous position.

With the half entering its final minute, Town squandered two gilt-edged chances to grab an equaliser when, from a Williams free-kick, Delroy Gordon's goalbound effort was somehow acrobatically blocked by Nathan Bunce and then Blenkinsopp slipped when shaping to strike the rebound - leaving the ball to spurt wide of the goal.

The home side counter-attacked immediately after this lucky double escape, and from this Roach finished off Fenton's ball into the box to double the host's advantage at half-time.

Rugby rarely threatened Ramos in the second period, and even before Ashley Smith followed up on his own crossfield shot to force home a third on 57 minutes, Afandiyev had made a string of superb saves to deny the home side.

In the space of just two minutes he made three particularly memorable stops, somehow managing to tip Romeo's header over the crossbar, and then saving with his legs from Brown's shot from the resulting corner, and rounded it off with another save from a header - this time from Roach.

The introduction of Kolodynski in place of a subdued Danny Hall saw the Valley switch to a 3-4-3 formation, but despite the urgency that the young striker then brought to their attacking play, Town still failed to trouble Ramos to any great extent - with the best chance seeing Kolodynski poke the ball wide on 65 minutes after a long range pass from Williams.

Afandiyev pulled off another couple of fine stops in the closing moments of the game, pushing away a Stephen Hughes shot and then a full-length diving save from a 30 yard strike from Smith.

Shortly after, Francis did put in a shot from a similar distance at the other end, but Ramos kept the ball out, preserving his clean sheet in the process.

Report by Jon Venner.

Rugby Lineup:

	FARHAD AFANDIYEV Star Man
	Aaron Stringfellow
	Chris Tullin
	Craig Herbert (c) Booked
	Delroy Gordon
	Danny Hall
	Matt Gearing
	Willis Francis Booked
	Jason Taylor
	David Blenkinsopp
	Jamie Williams

Subs Used :

	Ross Harris
	David Kolodynski