LATE PENALTY GIVES VALLEY FIRST WIN

Aaron Stringfellow celebrates his decisive late penalty to cap an impressive performance by the defender

The Valley finally got off the mark in the BGBL Premier with a late penalty enough to dispatch King's Lynn empty handed back to the Norfolk coast on Monday afternoon.

The visitors had undoubtedly held the advantage in terms of possession and pressure, but they rarely threatened Town's debutant goalkeeper Simon Lynn - who put in a confident first competitive game for the club and was rewarded for his efforts with a clean sheet.

The 89th minute spot-kick was converted by Aaron Stringfellow, capping an eventful week for the ex-Sky Blue academy player who had saved a penalty at the weekend whilst filling in between the sticks after an injury to Alessandro Barcherini.

Stringfellow's penalty was struck powerfully into the top corner giving keeper Scott Howie no chance, and the victory lifted Rugby off the bottom of the table - on the back of three defeats from their three opening games this season.

Valley boss Billy Jeffrey opted for a change in formation for the game, bolstering his midfield with an extra player to counter the perceived threat from one of the sides tipped to challenge for honours this season.

Linnets' striker John Turner had the best chance of the first half, heading narrowly wide from close range, and Lynn also pulled off a fine save with his legs from Danny Bloomfield's low effort.

Rugby's main threat came from their set-plays, with David Staff and Stefan Morley both troubling the visitors' defence with inswinging deliveries.

The second half was a particularly scrappy affair, with neither keeper being called into action for large passages of play. King's Lynn finally created something from their pressure when substitute Matt Nolan headed over on 71 minutes, and Michael Frew did likewise shortly after.

For the home side a long-range Morley free-kick was acrobatically punched away by Howie, and from the resulting corner Tom Breward's downward header almost sneaked through the crowded box.

With just a minute of normal time remaining Linnets' skipper Mark Warren was penalised for a clear handball in the box, giving Stringfellow his second moment of penalty glory of the weekend.

In the final attack of the game, Valley should have rounded things off when David Kolodynski and David Stone broke at pace against a single opposition defender. Unfortunately Stone somehow found himself in an off-side position when his team-mate released the ball to him, so the contingent of home supporters in a healthy crowd of 395 had to settle for a single goal victory.

Valley Line-up: Lynn 7, STRINGFELLOW 8*, Morley 6, Herbert 7, Gordon 7, Breward 7, Musgrove 6, Edge 6 (Francis 6), Aladetoun 6 (Kolodynski 7), Stone 5, Staff 5.
Subs not used: McGrath, Harris, Gearing.
Booked: Stone
Sent Off: None

King's Lynn Line-up: Howie, West, Smith, Warren, C.Defty, Camm, Frew, Melton, Turner (Lake), Bloomfield (Nolan), Francis (Fisk).
Subs not used : Spriggs, Murray.

Report by Jon Venner.