Tuesday 27 August 2007

Attendance | 163

Town's hopes of securing back-to-back away victories were shattered in the 62nd minute of a high tempo game played on a bobbly pitch at Cossham Street on Tuesday night.

Rugby had competed well in the first half, but then let their hosts dominate the start of the second - conceding a Jack Allward goal in that time. Once that advantage had been established, the home side successfully played out the game - giving the Valley little opportunity to snatch an equaliser.

Both sides had chances to open the scoring in the first half, with the Mangos the first to make an impression. Jon French and Dave Morrissey both had long range efforts saved by Farhad Afandiyev in the opening quarter of an hour, and then Morrissey went close again with a volley.

On 24 minutes, David Stone showed some nice skill on the edge of the box for Town, and found recent signing Parys Okai with his through ball. However this time, Alex Ball was on-hand with a crucial interception to deny Saturday's hero.

Morrissey then headed into the side netting with the home side's best chance of the half, after Darren Hawkins's deep cross from the right had picked him out from the far post.

Rugby ended the half in the ascendancy, with two successive double chances in the last five minutes. First David Staff's well-struck effort was saved at the near post by Steve Book, followed closely by Jason Taylor's header being cleared off-the-line from the resulting corner.

Then on the stroke of half-time, Staff's on-target volley was also blocked near the goalmouth, with Taylor unable to apply the finishing touch from the rebound ten yards out.

United opened the second half with a string of chances. Chris Lane showed good feet in the box, before curling his effort past the post, and Delroy Gordon blocked a Rob Claridge shot. Allward sent a 30 yarder against the upright, with Claridge and then Morrissey unable to capitalise on the loose ball.

In a rare moment of attacking play, Stone and Taylor played a neat one-two on the edge of the box, before Stone appeared to be pulled down, but the referee did not agree and waved away the appeal.

The goal came ironically from a Valley corner, when United broke upfield with pace from Staff's short delivery. In the resulting move, Gordon first managed to clear away Claridge's effort, but the ball eventually bobbled through to Allward, and the left-back lifted it over Afandiyev and into the net.

Claridge's poor attempted lob on 74 minutes went wide and Morrissey's poked shot was cleared on the line by Okai four minutes later, giving Valley a lifeline and hope of salvaging an equaliser.

Two decent opportunities did finally come their way in the closing minutes of play, when first David Kolodynski broke down the left - only to choose to shoot from an improbable angle when a cross was probably a better option, before another break saw Stone choose to cross when a shot was clearly on.

Unfortunately Stone's blew his attempted pass, and the referee's full-time whistle was not far behind it.

Rugby Lineup:

	Farhad Afandiyev
	AARON STRINGFELLOW Star Man
	Chris Tullin
	Craig Herbert
	Delroy Gordon
	Parys Okai
	Matthew Gearing
	Tom Breward
	Jason Taylor
	David Stone
	David Staff

Used Substitutes

	Willis Francis
	David Kolodynski