REPLAY ON TUESDAY AFTER CUP CLASSIC

Photo: Martin Pulley

Striker David Kolodynski challenges the goalkeeper during the second half at the Giant Axe, where Valley earnt a replay

A Jason Taylor added-time goal earnt Valley a second crack at the Dolly Blues in the club’s opening game in non-league football’s premier cup competition.

Taylor’s second strike of the week was the substitute’s first touch of the ball in a dramatic conclusion to a real cup classic in which all six goals came in the second half.

Town also struck the woodwork four times in the thrilling final period, which also saw Andrew Stevens pull off a great save from an equally impressive overhead kick by City front man David Foster.

Having fallen behind, Town battled back to take a 2-1 lead thanks to the two Davids – Kolodynski and Stone, before Lancaster equalised and then re-established a single goal advantage with just a minute of normal time remaining.

Having missed the last two games through being cup-tied, Tom Breward and David Stone were both recalled to the Valley side.

Andrew Stevens also started the game in goal, replacing Dave Clarke – who suffered a groin injury in the midweek Birmingham Senior cup defeat at Solihull.

David Kolodynski and Shaun Goodall were the two outfield players to miss out from the side cruelly put out of the FA Cup at Bishop’s Stortford a week earlier.

The first half had been a relatively quiet affair, although Rugby will count themselves unlucky not to have gone into the interval a goal to the good – after Delroy Gordon was ruled offside when he followed up on Scott Musgrove’s parried low free-kick.

Before Gordon’s disallowed goal, Town’s only opportunities of note had come from long range with both Neil King and Musgrove sending efforts over the target, although Stone had shown some signs of threat whilst being largely isolated up-front.

Lee Dodgson was Lancaster’s chief dangerman – although Gordon did handle the tricky winger particularly well in a first half which arguably saw the hosts create the better chances overall.

Lenny Reid’s speculative shot on 16 minutes was fortunately straight at Stevens, and later the ball just would not come down properly for Foster to allow a proper strike on target.

Reid should have done better when Stevens made a rare handling error late in the half, and at the other end Gordon nearly took advantage of a clever flick-on by Stone – with Dodgson applying a vital block tackle in the box.

The home side put in their best spell of the game at the start of the second half, and Mark Jackson gained just reward for this on 54 minutes.

After good work on the left by Dodgson, his ball to the far post found the unmarked Jackson, who glanced home from six yards.

The introduction of Kolodynski for the largely ineffectual Danny Williams just before the hour mark provided Valley with the spark they needed to get back in the game, and the substitute was soon in the action striking a post with his shot after being played through by King.

Stevens’s top drawer save from Foster on 66 minutes was pivotal though, with Kolodynski and Stone both finding the net in the next five minutes of the game.

Keeper Thornley’s rash challenge on Kolodynski in the box was correctly punished with a penalty. Kolodynski picked himself and drilled the spot-kick into the bottom left corner.

Soon after, Stone's first shot was beaten out by Thornley, only to fall kindly for Stone to follow-up and stroke home the rebound.

With the game now more open and swinging from end-to-end as a result, Foster equalised for City after a goalmouth scramble.

Dodgson and Reid combined well in the build-up, and when the ball finally reached Foster in the box, his neat strike on the turn was just out of the reach of Stevens.

Kieran Fitzharris was the second Valley player to hit wood, when his long range effort was pushed onto the post by the shaky looking Dolly Blues keeper Mark Thornley.

Stone’s 20 yard rocket also came back off the crossbar, and Kolodynski struck the post again – before Lancaster looked to have applied the recurring 3-2 curse on the Valley on 89 minutes.

Another fine Dodgson delivery was rewarded with a towering headed goal from Neil Marshall.

However, it was Rugby who saved the game in the dying moments as substitute Jason Taylor was the first react to King’s looping, deflected effort, and he poked in from close range

Fortunately Taylor’s late arrival and telling contribution saved Town from a fourth defeat by that score in less than a month, and set-up a re-run at Butlin Road – making the long trek back down the M6 for a once-more vocal away following a much more pleasurable experience.

Valley Line-up: Stevens, Gordon, Purton (Taylor), King, Herbert, Commander, Gearing (Fitzharris), Breward, Stone, Kolodynski, Williams (Kolodynski). Subs not used: Goodall. Booked: None. Sent off: None.

Lancaster Line-up: Thornley, Uberschar, Elderton, Haddow (Heliwell), Marshall, Stringfellow, Reid, Heffernan, Foster (Gurk), Jackson, Dodgson. Subs not used: Entwhistle, Greenwood, Price.

Report by Jon Venner.