VALLEY KEEP MANGOES QUIET

Town kept up their good run of form in the BGB League by recording a third goalless draw on the road this season, in a game lacking real quality on a below-standard, tacky Cossham Street pitch.

The point edged them up a further place to fifth in the Premier Division, and also extended their away unbeaten stretch to six matches.

Manager Billy Jeffrey included his two new loan signings from Rushden & Diamonds in his starting line-up - giving a club debut to 19 year old keeper Martyn Margarson and also welcoming back young midfielder Alex Bolt to the club. Bolt appeared in one game in 2006-07 when on another temporary spell at the Valley, and both players have signed a three-month loan deal this time round.

Margarson put in a confident display in his first match, saving his best save until late in the game - getting down well to keep out a Darren Wheeler strike from close range.

Rugby started both halves brightly, but the home side fought back well in each period, ending both 45 minutes in the ascendancy.

David Stone twice burst through the Mangos' defence in the opening ten minutes of the match, but was unable to provide an end-product to his surging runs.

Valley's best chance of the first half fell to the 18 year old Bolt, but unfortunately he could only screw his shot across the face of the goal, after Akin Aladetoun had picked him out with a long diagonal pass.

The home side rallied well in the closing moments of the first period, with Aaron Stringfellow clearing a Alan Griffin header off his own goal-line, and David Staff on hand with an impressive saving tackle as the ball bobbled around the Valley box after Luke Ballinger's initial shot had been blocked.

Rugby again started well after the interval, but all too often just provided United keeper John Rendell with simple keeping practice from their attacking plays. Margarson was left reasonably quiet at the other end, although when called upon he safely gathered a number of potentially dangerous set-pieces.

Stone had two further opportunities to help render a breakthrough, and on 50 minutes should have done better with his pull-back across the box to Aladetoun after he had cut inside from the right.

Later in the half, he just failed to get on the end of an incisive Stephan Morley pass, with Rendell clearing the danger after Stone could not get the through ball under control.

The hosts enjoyed their best spell of the game in its closing quarter of an hour, with substitute David Morrisey just unable to get full contact on a deep cross, and then Margarson pulling out that clean sheet earning stop from Wheeler shortly after.

Valley Lineup: Margarson 7, Stringfellow 7, Morley 5, Herbert 7, GORDON 7*, Breward 6, Musgrove 6, Bolt 6 (Blake 5), Aladetoun 5 (Kolodynski 5), Stone 6, Staff 6.
Subs Not Used: Barcherini, Edge, Blake.
Bookings: None.
Sent Off: None.

Report by RTFC Online.