VALLEY'S WOES CONTINUE

Photo: Martin Pulley

Former Hemel winger Matt Gearing was one of Rugby's few bright sparks during the game

The eventful week off the pitch at Butlin Road was matched by that on it on Saturday, with Valley ultimately on the end of a five goal drubbing from Hemel.

Caretaker boss Craig Herbert made one change from the team that had acquitted itself well in the week at Hitchin, with Andy Commander fit again after a shoulder injury replacing the Bromsgrove bound Kevin Banner in the starting eleven.

All five goals came in the second half of a game, and the scale of the victory was no doubt accentuated by the 65th minute dismissal of Town keeper Andrew Stevens alongside the loss through injury of defender Delroy Gordon shortly before that.

However during a goal-less first half, Rugby had shown some promising signs and came close to matching a dangerous Hemel side – although the visitors did look threatening throughout, especially when they worked the ball from the wings.

The form of Stevens and some last ditch defending had helped fend off a number of crosses, with Tudors’ strike duo Chris Dillon and Gary Sippetts unable to take advantage of the regular service provided to them.

Stevens also did well to keep out Jon Stevenson’s wickedly deflected shot and beat away a powerfully driven effort from Chris Herron. The stop of the half saw a double save – with Stevens first keeping out a swirling cross before flinging himself at Herron’s follow-up attempt.

At the other end though, Rugby were creating problems of their own. Matt Gearing’s cross after just four minutes only just missed the head of Daren Dykes, and Gearing then almost squeezed his low effort past Ian Brown at the near post.

Delroy Gordon, Steve Purton and David Kolodynski all sent efforts over the crossbar, as Valley looked for the first goal of the season at Butlin Road.

In the best move of the half, Dykes, Kolodynski and Gearing then combined well but Brown was quick off his line to smother the final through ball.

Sippetts finally took advantage of the bombardment into the box with a headed goal three minutes into the second period, and the visitors were soon further in-front thanks to Adam Martin’s unstoppable effort shortly after.

Any hopes of an unlikely Rugby comeback all but evaporated when Stevens was red carded for handling outside of the box, giving a debut between the sticks for 17 year old James Martin.

As home legs tired and heads dropped, the Tudors twisted the knife into the ten remaining men with three goals in seven minutes – thanks to a tap in from Sippetts, a Dillon header and a speculative effort from substitute Steve Wales.

In reality the damage could have been greater in the closing minutes of the game – with Richard Scott clearing Sippetts’ hat-trick effort from the goal-line, Wales heading against the post and Martin preventing the same player from adding his second when he burst through the middle of the Town defence. Martin also got across the goal well to keep out Herron’s free-kick on 87 minutes.

Valley Line-up: Stevens, Gordon (Curtis), Commander, Scott, Herbert, Gearing (Martin), M Taylor (Edge), King, Dykes, Kolodynski, Purton. Subs not used: J Taylor, Jephcott. Booked: Commander. Sent off: Stevens.

Hemel Line-up: Brown, Sweeney, Coulson, Martin, Bowden-Haase, Deeney, Sinclair (Wales), Herron, Dillon (Marsh), Sippetts, Stevenson (Edgeworth). Subs not used: Yeboah, Perks.

Report by Jon Venner.