VALLEY FINALLY ENSURE SAFETY

Rugby's players celebrate Tom Breward's second half equaliser against local rivals Brackley Town

Rugby Town secured their place in the BGB Premier Division next season with a 1-1 draw with mid-table Brackley Town.

With the way the results went, the result at St James' Park was in fact irrelevant to Valley's survival as both Bedford Town and Bromsgrove Rovers suffered defeats to take the final two relegation spots.

Valley took a large following to the game to cheer on the players and the Rugby support were delighted to have secured BGB status at the final whistle.

Rod made two changes with captain Craig Herbert forced out with a hamstring problem meaning a defensive re-shuffle and a return to the starting XI for winger David Staff. Walsall younsgter Cameron Jones was also given a wide birth in place of Kieran Fitzharris.

Rugby started characteristically well and could easily have been one or more ahead in the first twenty minutes.

Jones rattled Brackley's bar early on before he and then Staff forced goalkeeper Richard Knight into two excellent saves.

David Stone perhaps could have done better when he shot tamely at Knight after a good piece of footwork in the penalty area.

Jamie Paterson came closest for Brackley in the opening half hour as he vollied narrowly over from twelve yards while player-manager David Oldfield also fired over after good play from Chris Harper.

Five minutes before the break, Rugby won a penalty as Stone's run and cross was blocked by the arm of Patterson and the referee pointed to the spot. However, Knight continued to impress in the Brackley goal and he made a decent save down to his right to keep out Stephan Morley's spot-kick.

It was deja vu on the stroke of time, but this time at the other end as Brackley won a penalty but despite Richard Anstiss making the save low to his right from Danny Spencer, Paterson tucked home the rebound to Rugby's dismay.

Rugby's disappointment to be down at the interval was almost immediately remedied at the start of the second half as Neil King saw an effort well saved before Tom Breward showed good control and struck a sweet shot past Knight and into the net to equalise.

Chances in the second half were harder to come by and neither side could snatch the winner.

Brackley's Dave Savage came closest as he stabbed the ball wide after a goalmouth scramble while Rugby substitute Scott Musgrove hit the woodwork for Rugby for a second time with a well-struck effort.

Valley Line-up: Anstiss, Oddy, Morley, Scott, Gordon, Breward, Jones (Kolodynski), King, Curtis (Pearson), Stone, Staff (Musgrove).
Subs not used: Edge.
Booked: None.
Sent Off: None

Report by RTFC Online.