VALLEY DENIED AT DEATH

Photo: Martin Pulley

Steve Purton was on target with a tremdendous strike during the first half to put Valley 2-0 up during the first half.

For the second time in just ten days, Rugby shared the spoils from a six goal affair, and just as they had at Merthyr a week and a half ago, they surrendered a two goal advantage in the process.

Tuesday evening’s game was a real thriller, and whilst the final result was probably a fair reflection of the way it ebbed and flowed, Valley were left devastated by Brackley's last gasp equaliser - which came deep into added-on time.

Rugby had battled bravely throughout - especially in the final half an hour of the game, when the Saints threw everything at the hosts.

With numerous shots being blocked and cleared at close quarters, it appeared that luck was to be on their side on the night, until Tom Winters pounced with just seconds of the game remaining.

The point gained did lift Town out of the relegation zone for the first time since the opening day of the season though, and two more goals from David Kolodynski also lifted him clear at the top of the BGBLP scoring charts.

The opening twenty minutes had seen Rugby dominate proceedings, and they created a series of half chances as result.

Brian Woodhall had a header cleared away from a crowded goalmouth, and then Kolodynski stretched shot flew just over the bar. Woodhall's deep cross then almost fooled Richard Knight at the back post, and Steve Purton struck narrowly over from the apex of the penalty area.

Valley gained their just reward on 23 minutes when Woodhall's low drive was flicked on by the right boot of Kolodynski - who had his back to goal at the time.

Purton increased the advantage two minutes later with the best goal of the game, finishing off a glorious crossfield pass from Woodhall with a strike into the bottom corner of the net.

The home side's two goal margin was short-lived however, with Jon Gardner taking advantage of a mix-up between Andrew Stevens and Delroy Gordon to lift the ball back over the Valley keeper on 27 minutes.

The visitors ended the half strongly, with ex-Coventry City and Leamington striker Ben Mackey chipping one just over, and ex-Nuneaton defender Derek Brown having a strong shot blocked in a crowded box.

Kolodynski was almost through late in the half though, but Knight just managed to clip the ball away from him when the striker had got in behind the Brackley defence.

The second half was even more action packed than the first. The early chances fell to Rugby, with Woodhall's shot blocked at the far post and then Knight denying Kolodynski once more with a good save.

Jon Gardner's looping header brought the scores level on 57 minutes, although it was Valley who bounced back almost immediately this time when Kolodynski grabbed his eighth goal in just three games - clinically finishing off a through ball from Scott Musgrove.

The Brackley onslaught then begun, with Purton heading clear Tom Winters' on-target header and Mackey banging one against the upright shortly after.

Another Winters' effort somehow was diverted just past the post, and Stevens threw himself backwards to keep out substitute Elliot Sandy's close range strike.

Purton again cleared one off the line, before Stevens kept out another shot from Mackey and also made an acrobatic save to push behind Scott Hadland's header.

From the resulting corner, Rugby somehow twice blocked goalbound efforts at close quarters, and Delroy Gordon also made a superb saving tackle to dispossess Mackey near the penalty spot.

Rugby occasionally looked dangerous on the break, and - in search of what would have been a remarkable third hat-trick in a row - Kolodynski blazed one wide from a decent position. Musgrove then screwed his effort past the post from a similar spot.

Valley's best chance of the half had come earlier though - in the middle of that spell of desperate defending - when Purton's powerful foray forward saw him then pull the ball across the face of the goal and just agonisingly out of the reach of David Stone.

Rugby's resistance was finally broken at the death however when Winters found some space at the back post, and smashed home, with Stevens only able to get a hand to the powerfully struck shot.

Valley Line-up: Stevens; Nicell, Breward, Gordon, Morley; Woodhall (Gearing), Musgrove, King, Purton; Stone, Kolodynski. Subs not used: Dykes, Simpson, Fitzharris. Booked: None. Sent off: None.

Brackley Line-Up: Knight, Farley, Perpetuini, Blossom, Brown (Patterson), Cracknell, Gardner (Harper), Hadland, Spencer (Sandy), Mackey, Winters. Subs not used: Fontanelle, Pierson

Report by Jon Venner.