SINGLE GOAL ALWAYS LOOKED LIKE DECIDER

Photo: Martin Pulley

Tom Breward reverted to a central midfield position but his and his teammates' efforts were in vain against Evesham.

Rugby Town were condemned to defeat by a late Evesham strike after a dour game at St George's Lane.

A sandy, bobbly pitch and blustery conditions contributed to a poor spectacle for those in attendance with little chance for either side to attempt to play attractive football.

Valley worked hard defensively but ultimately found clear cut chances hard to come by against the league's best defence, who went on to record their fifth clean sheet in seven.

Neither side created many chances throughout the ninety minutes although it was the home side who looked most likely to threaten.

Tony Dobson made two changes with Tom Breward replacing Marcel Simpson with Neil King reverting to play full back while Craig Herbert returned to centre back. There was also a place on the bench for new signing Adam Sturgess from Grantham.

The first half was particularly uneventful with both sides cancelling each other out and the final ball almost always lacking in the final third of the field.

It took over twenty minutes for a shot to be registered on goal with Valley goalkeeper Andrew Stevens easily denying Anthony Robinson's effort.

An inconsistent refereeing display was tipified on the half hour mark when the referee turned down what looked like a stone wall penalty for the home side when Delroy Gordon clumsily fouled Robinson in the penalty area.

Rugby looked most threatening from set pieces and Breward was unlucky to see his goalbound header blocked by a covering defender.

Striker Jason Turner came close for Valley but could not direct Stephan Morley's centre on target.

The second half followed much the same pattern with the game seeming destined for a goalless draw.

Rugby's best chances came as Matt Gearing found space on the right side of Evesham's area but too long to get a shot away while Delroy Gordon threatened from a Scott Musgrove corner but saw his header cleared.

Evesham's Jamie Hyde and skipper Steve Lutz both saw efforts fly wide of the goal before winger Danny Lennon gave Rugby a firm couple of warnings when he twice got in behind the Valley defence but both times could not find a teammate to turn in his cross.

Lennon's threat went unheeded and it was he who proved what turned out to be the decider.

The winger found space down the Rugby left amid suspicions of offside and his looping cross was headed home by Robinson via the upright past a dispairing Stevens.

The goal gave Evesham a mini-boost and Stevens had to be sharp to deny Slack's and Robinson's efforts before Rugby tried to claim a point from the game in the final ten minutes.

Valley committed more men forward and as against Brackley, Dobson threw Gordon up as an extra attacker and it was he who had the best chance for Rugby.

Subsitute Neil Melvin picked up Stephan Morley's ball before slipping in centre back Gordon, whose rasping drive was superbly kept out by the excellent Evesham goalkeeper Nathan Vaughan.

Moments later Valley had another chance as David Kolodynski's cross was half cleared by the Evesham defence under pressure from Gearing but Melvin's stooping eight yard header lacked direction.

Ultimately, Rugby could not find the formula to break down the mean Robins' defence meaning they performed a disappointing 1-0 double over Valley this season.

Valley Line-up: Stevens; King, Herbert, Gordon, Morley; Gearing, Musgrove, Breward (Sturgess), Staff (Melvin); Pearson, Turner (Kolodynski). Subs not used: Purton, Simpson. Booked: Turner, Gearing, Herbert. Sent off: None.

Evesham Line-up: TBC. Subs not used: TBC.

Report by RTFC Online.