VALLEY LEAVE IT LATE

David Stone's 89th-minute goal earned Rugby Town a deserved point at Stourbridge to extend Valley's unbeaten run to three games.

Rugby had gone behind shortly after half time courtesy of a penalty before Valley passed up the opportunity to score from the spot themselves midway through the second half.

However, Rugby's late pressure eventually told with Stone grabbing his seventh goal of the season.

Preparations for the match could not have been any worse for Rugby, who arrived at the game ten minutes after the scheduled kick-off due to major traffic problems, meaning a pre-match warmup of no more than three or four minutes for a delayed kick-off.

The match generally lacked much quality in slippery, foggy conditions at the Memorial Ground and there was little genuine goalmouth activity during the first half.

Andrew Stevens made one excellent reflex save with his feet when a goal seemed certain while Scott Musgrove fired over on the stroke of half time.

The home side started the second half with a bang and got their reward when Delroy Gordon was harshly adjudged to have handled Leon Broadhurst's effort in the area and the midfielder rolled in the resulting penalty.

Valley had a couple of penalty shouts of their own before the referee finally gave the least likely appeal in the 65th minute when the industrious Liam Nicell was felled in the penalty area.

However, Rugby made it two spotkick misses in a row as Musgrove's weak effort was easily saved.

An off-colour David Kolodynski had a couple of near misses before manager Tony Dobson threw on Jason Taylor and Kieran Fitzharris and the switches proved to be positive as Rugby searched for a goal.

Valley's travelling support had to wait until just a minute remained of normal time for the previously elusive goal.

Nicell's deep ball into the box was flicked on by Gordon to Stone who took a touch before drilling the ball home from seven yards to earn a deserved point.

There was still time for Stourbridge to have a chance to win it but Nicell's tremendous goal-line clearance saved the point.

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

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

Report by RTFC Online.