RUGBY ROMP TO FA CUP TRIUMPH

Photo: Martin Pulley

Midfielder Neil King returned to form with his second goal in two games with a fine volley late in the game and was rewarded with the The Wheeltapper Public House Man of the Match award

Town earnt a place in the 3rd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup for the second time in three years after what turned out to be a comfortable victory over Northern Counties East Premier side Long Eaton at Butlin Road last Saturday.

However Rugby had been far from convincing in a generally quiet first half against a side who play two leagues below them, but still did go into the interval a goal to the good thanks to Scott Musgrove’s 6th strike for the club.

Valley dominated the second period though, and Eaton had keeper Ross Whalin to thank for keeping the score at a relatively respectable level – with a David Kolodynski brace, Neil King and Matt Gearing converting four of the many chances created.

Tony Dobson’s side showed four changes from the midweek Birmingham Senior Cup victory over RC Warwick.

Gearing and King were recalled to the Town midfield, and Dobson started with a completely new strike partnership for the third game in a row – this time opting for new signing Shaun Goodall and Dave Pearson up-front. Pearson only lasted 17 minutes on his return to action after a hamstring injury though.

It was an uneasy start against a Long Eaton side – who at least tried to play some neat football, unlike the more physical approach of Valley’s conquest in the first qualifying round - Friar Lane.

In fact, the visitors created the first two real chances of the game, with Kevin Mushambi curling one over from the edge of the area on four minutes, and Alex Steadman side-footing his half volley high of the target.

Musgrove’s opener came after Kolodynski’s jinking run saw him skip by a number of defenders before slipping the ball to allow the midfielder to coolly strike home from 20 yards.

The goal finally settled the home side, with Musgrove having a further goalbound attempt blocked by his own player, Kolodynski’s spectacular volley at the far post going wide and new signing Goodall’s shot from a wide angle pushed away by Whalin.

All too often in the opening period however, Valley were guilty of pumping high balls in the general direction of a front-line lacking height and physical presence – with a predictable lack of success.

Learning from this failing after the break, Rugby kept the game on the floor and as a result controlled proceedings in the second half, although keeper Dave Clarke did pull off one fine save – low down from Mick Allsop’s header – before the floodgates opened at the other end.

Danny Williams and King should have already extended the advantage early in the half, after they both broke free through the middle of the Eaton defence. From the resulting goal attempts, Williams’s finishing was awry, with King’s miss more down to inspired keeping from Whalin.

Whalin also made further good stops from Kolodynski and King ahead of Town’s second, but twice in six minutes his defence gave Kolodynski far too much room in the box to allow the youngster to take his 2008 FA Cup tally to four.

First Kolodynski finished off Gearing’s miscued shot from the right after it had fallen conveniently at his feet, and then did the same after Musgrove’s searching ball into the box had found Goodall, with the ex-Northampton Town striker seeing his effort rebound back off the keeper.

A frantic five minute spell of Long Eaton pressure did see Adam Newton’s low drive pull one back for the visitors, but Valley stepped up another gear in the closing quarter of hour of the game to ease to victory in the September sunshine.

Whalin saved low down from substitute Mark Edge, and Kolodynski had two good chances to complete a hat-trick, before consecutive short corner plays saw King convert with an emphatic volley at the far post and then Gearing tap-in to complete the scoring and secure a trip to Bishop’s Stortford in the next round.

Valley Line-up: Clarke, Gordon, Purton, King, Commander, Herbert, Gearing (Edge), Musgrove, Pearson (Kolodynski), Goodall, Williams (Ryan). Subs not used: Stevens, Taylor. Booked: None. Sent off: None.

Long Eaton Line-up: Whalin, Wheat, McGinty, Allsopp, Whiley, Steadman, Gamble, Hinds, Piliero (Holmes), Mushambi (Mason), Newton. Subs not used: Sutton, Parker, Wilinson, Bowles, Harvey.

Report by Jon Venner.