STAFF STRIKE PUNISHES OLD EMPLOYER

David Kolodynski capitalises on Tom Curtis' poor backpass and shows a cool head to give Rugby just before half time

Town's encouraging pre-season form continued last Saturday with a deserved 2-1 success over a virtually full strength side from Blue Square North team Nuneaton.

With longer term injury victims Andy Commander and Jason Taylor unlikely to make the beginning of the 2007-08 league campaign, Rugby's starting eleven was also very close to that likely to kick-off the season for real at Clevedon on August 18th. Young Brad Harris again partnered skipper for the day Delroy Gordon at the heart of the back four, and David Kolodynski played as an out-and-out striker for the first time in the warm-up campaign.

Valley more than held their own throughout against a side tipped for a good year in the second level of the non-league pyramid, and managed to sneak a 1-0 lead into the interval thanks to a 43rd minute goal from Kolodynski, at the end of an evenly-competed first half.

Having then probably edged the play in the second period, Town let their advantage slip with just five minutes remaining when Matty Collins netted for Borough.

However the home side gained just reward for their overall efforts three minutes later when David Staff stroked home a penalty after David Stone had been pulled down in the box by Nuneaton keeper Courtney Belford.

After having been totally outclassed and soundly beaten 6-0 the previous year, Town started the game the better side this time round, with Kolodynski and Stone both having shooting opportunities in the opening ten minutes - Kolodynski's effort taking a deflection before looping up into Belford's arms and Stone seeing his blocked away for a corner.

Borough old boys Tom Breward and David Staff both looked in particularly determined mood against their old club, with Breward twice halted in clinical fashion as he tormented his opponent.

For the visitors, Brian Quailey forced a fine low save from Farhad Afandiyev after Stefan Morley had lost possession on the left hand side, and had an even better chance on the half hour mark, when Morley again gifted him the ball - only to screw his shot wide well of the post.

Between those two Quailey misses, strike partner Gary Ricketts had headed wide after a pinpoint cross had found him unmarked at the far post.

Staff and Matt Gearing combined well on 39 minutes, with Staff ending the move by poking his shot just off-target. Valley took the lead two minutes before the half-time whistle, when Tom Curtis mis-hit a defensive pass and Kolodynski nipped in to coolly round Belford and ease the ball into an empty net.

Rugby started the second half as brightly as they had ended the first, with Gordon only just failing to make contact with an inswinging corner and substitute Stefan McGrath - another ex-Borough player - unlucky to have his shot blocked after Gearing and Kolodynski had broken with pace.

The ineffectual Quailey then squandered another opportunity for Nuneaton, and Afandiyev was nearly caught off-guard by Connor Franklin's swerving cross to the near post.

Chances continued to come for the Valley too, with both Stone and Mark Edge picking out Staff with superb deliveries on separate occasions - Staff's first shot went wide and second strike well-saved by Belford. Michael Skubala also saw his calmly finished effort struck off after the linesman ruled the midfielder to be offside.

The introduction of Danny Williams then provided the visitors with fresh impetus, and the one-time Valley player was at the heart of a series of attacking plays in a fifteen minute spell where Borough finally displayed the pedigree expected from them before the game.

Williams confirmed his threat when he breezed past Aaron Stringfellow on 83 minutes, and squared the ball back for the oncoming Collins to slot home the equaliser.

Valley claimed the win however after Stone had chased down what appeared to be a lost cause, and was taken out unnecessarily by Belford on the touchline. Staff, who had run himself into the ground on his first match back at Butlin Road this season, somehow managed to summon up enough energy to leave the keeper flat-footed with penalty kick - inflicting a first 2007-08 pre-season defeat on Nuneaton in the process.

Valley Lineup: Faz Afandiyev, Aaron Stringfellow, Stefan Morley (Stefan McGrath), Brad Harris, Delroy Gordon, Willis Francis (Mark Edge), Matt Gearing (John Carrington), Tom Breward (Michael Skubala), David Stone, David Kolodynski, David Staff.
Subs not used: Tristan Kabongo, Joel Young, Frederick Amougou.

Nuneaton line-up : Belford, Oddy, Franklin, Curtis, Moore, Cowan, Towers, Palmer, Ricketts, Quailey, Travis. Subs : Burgess, Williams, Hood, Collins, Brown, Pritchard, Brindley.

Report by Jon Venner.