VALLEY OPEN THEIR TALLY

Valley ground out their first point of the season at a sweltering Butlin Road against a Chippenham side that had gone into the game with a 100% record.

By Jon Venner.

Photo: Martin Pulley

Star man Delroy Gordon was solid at the back for Rugby as they collected their first clean sheet and first point of the season

Tony Dobson made one change to the side defeated by Bedford in midweek, giving a place at left-back popular Rugby stalwart Andy Commander. There was a first appearance in the squad for new signing Shawn Richards on the substitutes' bench.

Having conceded nine goals in their opening two matches, the home side's defence this time held firm in a first half which the visitors edged overall.

Andrew Stevens did well to pluck Ross Adams' curler out of the air in the game’s first shot on target after 15 minutes, before the visitors really turned the screw with a series of corners and dangerous balls into the box.

From one of these, Lewis Powell fired his first time shot just wide, before Ashley Williams wildly blazed a great chance over the bar from just eight yards out.

Valley came back into the game as the half drew to a close, with Steve Purton flashing a dangerous ball back across the penalty area and then David Staff's volley hurrying Chris Snoddy into a low save.

Rugby's best spell came at the start of the second period, when Snoddy was again down well to Delroy Gordon's header, and then Purton shot straight at the busy keeper not long after.

Purton's free kick from twenty yards drifted the wrong side of the upright, and Stephen Casey cut out David Staff's cross after good work on the right by Ben Twigger and Matt Gearing.

Stevens was again at his acrobatic best when he caught Charlie Clough's rising strike across the box, as Chippenham finished the game in the ascendancy once more.

However the hosts thought they had been rewarded with a penalty late on when David Kolodynski went down in a box after a challenge by Clough, but instead the 2008-09 divisional leading scorer was booked for simulation.

Valley Line-up: Stevens; Nicell, Commander, Herbert, Gordon; Gearing (Richards), Purton, Twigger, Staff; Kolodynski, Ramsay (Thompson). Subs not used: Davis, Melvin, Castleton. Booked: None. Sent off: None.