BANK HOLIDAY BEDFORD BLUES

Photo: Martin Pulley

Debutant striker Daren Dykes meets a Matt Gearing corner with force but can't direct his effort on target

Valley's winless start to the season continued at The New Eyrie as Rugby produced a poor performance leaving Bedford with their first victory of the season.

Manager Rod Brown was left fuming by the performance of his side and will be sure to make changes to his side before Saturday's visit of Chippenham Town.

Brown did make one enforced change before the Bedford clash, with the unavailable Kevin Banner being replaced with debutant striker Daren Dykes, resulting in a change of shape to 4-4-2.

Neither side had tasted victory in the first three games of the season and the opening twenty minutes served as perfect evidence for this with a severe lack of quality in the play of both sides early on.

David Kolodynski was Rugby's brightest spark and had two half chances as he cut in from the left hand side in the opening exchanges.

Rugby failed to improve as the half went on while Bedford started to pick up and dominate the first period.

The breakthrough for Bedford came on 36 minutes as lively striker Andrew Phillips pounced on Ashley Walker's defensive hesitancy to get in behind the Valley defence before pulling the ball back for midfielder Aaron Cavill who smashed home via the crossbar in emphatic style.

The home side almost doubled their advantage just before the break when Phillips again found room in the box after Alaa Oujdi had evaded Delroy Gordon's challenge but ex-Eagles stopper Andrew Stevens made an excellent diving save to deny the young forward.

Brown was clearly not happy with his side's first half lacklustre performance and made a tactical switch with Ed Ryan replacing the ineffective Walker at half time.

Rugby did pick up the tempo at the beginning of the second period and put the hosts under a period of pressure.

Arguably the best chance came very early on as Mark Edge made a burst down the right and flashed the ball across the six yard box but Dykes failed to connect for what would surely have been a certain goal.

Kolodynski should have done better from the edge of the box when the ball broke to him from a corner but his low effort was scuffed allowing goalkeeper Mike Armitt to scramble across his goal to make the save.

From the resultant corner, an unmarked Daren Dykes powered a header just wide of the post from ten yards.

For all of Valley's pressure there was no reward and Bedford still looked dangerous on the breakaway and they secured their second and ultimately decisive goal with little under half an hour remaining.

Former Rugby full back Ashley Blake was allowed to roam free down the Valley left and float a ball into the box which Steve Gentle headed home past Stevens.

That goal took the wind fully out of Rugby's sails and the visitors reverted to their first half performance with poor passing and a lack of desire to win.

Bedford dropped back and mostly fended off Valley's attacks with ease although substitute Avun Jephcott saw a well struck 25-yarder comfortably saved by Armitt.

Valley Line-up: Stevens, Gordon, Scott, Herbert, Walker (Ryan), Edge, Gearing, King, Dykes (Curtis), Olaoye, Gearing (Jephcott), Kolodynski. Subs not used: Pearson, Martin. Booked: None. Sent off: None.

Bedford Line-up: TBC. Subs not used: tbc

Report by RTFC Online.