MORE PAIN IN THE RAIN

It was another night to forget for Town on Tuesday at a very wet Butlin Road, with the home side suffering yet another defeat - this time to their apparent scoreline of preference of the season, after a fifth 4-1 reverse of the campaign.

By Jon Venner.

Photo: Martin Pulley

Midfielder Karl Fellows worked hard but, along with the rest of his Valley team-mates, found Brackley too strong

Whilst there can be no knocking Valley's endeavour on the night - despite the atrocious weather and the continual morale sapping nature of their win-less season - the stark reality is that second place Brackley were just too strong for a Rugby side all over the pitch.

Having conceded an early goal, Town then once more caved in either side of half-time to find themselves in an irreparable situation at 3-0 down not long after the interval. A fourth from the Saints followed quickly after, and to their credit Valley then battled on in search of scant consolation - eventually grabbing it through Matt Gearing on 76 minutes.

With manager Lee Colkin still absent on holiday, assistant Michael Love took a break from his playing duties to take control of the side.

There was a debut for young defender Geraint Price and a first start since his return for Josh Thompson. Midfielders Brian Bowles and Karl Fellows were also recalled to the opening eleven.

Brackley almost apologetically opened the scoring on 3 minutes when Tom Winters swung a leg at a loose ball on the edge of the box, leaving Andy Stevens motionless on his line as it ended up firmly nestled in the bottom corner.

Stevens was soon in sharper form to keep out a couple of strikes from Mark Rawle though, and ex-Coventry City striker Ben Mackey also flashed one wide - as the visitors stepped up the pace.

Rugby's lack of luck this season was perfectly demonstrated on 21 minutes though, with Matt Brown's strike from distance taking a wicked deflection and appearing to be looping into the top corner for an unlikely equaliser. However keeper Richard Morris quickly readjusted his position well to tip the ball over the bar.

Fellows had a good chance for Valley coming in from the left hand flank, before Mackey increased his side’s advantage going into the break finishing off a cracking ball over the top of the home defence by Simon Travis.

Mackey again sneaked in ahead of his marker Delroy Gordon on 47 minutes to flick home Jamie Gould's cross with his head, and then Rawle scored the pick of the visitors' goals eight minutes later showing good control before firing low past Stevens from ten yards out.

With the game well and truly won, Brackley inevitably sat back for the evening. The hosts plugged away in the driving rain, with Gordon twice going close with his head from set-pieces.

Sam Youngs also fired in a couple of efforts - with the first taken comfortably by Morris and the second just skidding past the post.

The introduction of Shawn Richards early in the second half had given Town an extra piece of impetus, and it was from his cross that Brown should have done better with a header.

Chris Tullin's long ranger was again tipped over by a full-stretch Morris, and then Gearing finally did the trick - running through on goal before slipping the ball through the keeper's legs for his first league goal of the season.

The two sides traded chances as the game drew to a close. Stevens saved from Brackley sub Ross Oulton and Rawle hit the crossbar. At the other end, Youngs drew another one-handed stop from Morris before another Valley debutant Ibrahim Kwegyir made a hash of his shot from a dangerous position after Richards had seen his original effort battered away by the Brackley keeper.

Valley Line-up: Stevens; Tullin, Price, Gordon; Nicell, Fellows, Gearing, Youngs, Bowles (Richards); Thompson (Kwegyir), Brown, Subs not used: Love, Bell. Booked: None. Sent off: None.

Brackley line-up: Morris, Travis, Duckett, Gould, McIlwan, Wilmott, Anderson, Joyce, Rawle, Mackey, Winters. Subs: Oult, Sandy, Burgess, Brady, Peyton-Bruhl.