THREADBARE RUGBY GO DOWN AT LODGE ROAD

A threadbare Valley side competed well enough, but ultimately made another long trip home empty handed on a bitterly cold night in Gloucestershire.

A second half strike from David Staff had pulled Rugby back on level terms, after the hosts had taken the lead on 15 minutes. However two further goals in the final quarter of an hour of the game sealed the points for the home side, and saw Valley drop two places in the BGBLP table to eleventh.

Yate's opener came after Town's stand-in keeper Craig Jones had inexplicably punted the ball out to the feet of Josh Klein-Davies, who played a neat one-two, and then slammed home his 25-yard effort off the crossbar and the upright.

Staff went closest for Rugby in the first half, twice cutting inside before unleashing strikes from distance - the first of which flew just over the bar and the second bringing a fine save from Bluebirds' keeper Tony Court.

Staff's equaliser - just past the hour mark - was another long range effort, which he rifled into the top corner of the goal, and came five minutes after Akin Aladetoun had seen his shot in the box deflected wide for a corner.

Jones was again at fault for Yate's second, when he failed to claim a corner from the left, allowing a grateful Edd Vahlid to poke in from close range.

On 82 minutes Mark Edge got in down the side of the home defence, and with Dave Pearson in an unmarked central position, he instead chose to shoot - but his effort and Staff's subsequent follow-up of the rebound were both blocked.

Phil Waters killed off any hopes for Town, when he drove the ball home from the edge of the area, after the Rugby defence failed to close him down quickly enough.

Valley Line-up: Jones 5, Stringfellow 6, Musgrove 7 (Kolodynski 6), Harris 6, Gordon 7, Evans 6, Edge 8, Pearson 7, Aladetoun 6, Stone 6, STAFF 8*.
Subs not used: Kabongo, Hoppitt, Castleton,
Booked: None.
Sent Off: None

Report by Jon Venner.