TOOTHLESS VALLEY STILL CAN'T FIND CUTTING EDGE

Rugby Town fell to yet another defeat this time at the hands of an out-of-sorts Bedford Town who still found enough to see off Valley.

By RUGBYTOWNFC.

Photo: Martin Pulley

Midfielder Sam Youngs provided the only ruthless streak in front of goal with a well taken curling effort in the second half.

Rugby's miserable season continued on Tuesday evening at the New Eyrie ground with defeat against unimpressive opposition in a game played on a sub-standard surface.

Despite creating a series of half-chances throughout the game, Valley once more lacked a cutting edge and were again made to pay the price for their inadequacies.

A fairly even first half had seen the Eagles snatch a lead a minute before the break, and when they extended this just after the hour mark, the result was never really in doubt.

Sam Youngs - who put in an impressive ninety minutes - did give his side some brief hope however with a goal on 72 minutes, but when Craig Daniel rounded off the scoring shortly after, a seventeenth defeat of the season was confirmed.

Daniel's pace from the right wing had caused Rugby problems from the start, and he fired in two early shots from the edge of the area. At the other end, Karl Fellows put his shot over the bar and Greg Smith also sent an effort off target.

Youngs and Shawn Richards both sent poor deliveries into the box in quick succession, after Valley had got in behind the Bedford defence, before Andy Stevens was called into the game for the first real time on 37 minutes when he was down well at the near post to keep out Jamie Cole's low strike.

Chris Tullin then hooked one over the bar, after Smith had flicked the ball on to him, and for the home side Ian Draycott saw his shot well-blocked by Delroy Gordon.

With their sights set on a half-time stalemate, Rugby's concentration levels dropped with just a minute left in the period, and the experienced Junior McDougald was given far too much time in the box to side-foot the ball past the helpless Stevens for the game's opener.

Valley had the better of the play at the start of the second half, with both Richards and Matt Brown having chances. Daniel put one just over for the hosts, before Aaron Stringfellow cut inside from the right and curled a glorious effort onto the Bedford crossbar.

This yet another exampe of bad fortune for Lee Colkin's side proved to be a pivotal moment, as not long after ex-Coventry City defender Stuart Wall looped his free header past Stevens for Bedford's second.

Eagles' keeper Mike Armitt had to be quick to scramble across his goal to keep out a Fellows' free-kick, before Youngs somehow picked the ball out from under his feet to lift the ball into the top corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area for his second goal for the club.

Daniel finally got some reward for his efforts on the night, when - having got in behind Tullin - he poked his shot under the the body of Stevens to make it 3-1.

Valley mustered a couple of late efforts on goal through Fellows and substitute David Kolodynski, but neither troubled Armitt to any significant degree.

Valley Line-up: Stevens; Stringfellow, Tullin, Gordon, Birtwhistle; Richards, Gearing, Fellows, Youngs; Smith (Kolodynski), Brown . Subs not used: Bell, Oulton, Kwegyir. Booked: Birtwhistle, Fellows. Sent off: None.