HITMEN PITMEN

Rugby were thrown another six on Tuesday evening at Butlin Road - with a devastating four goal blitz from the Pitmen in an eight minute period near the start of the second half doing the bulk of the damage

By Jon Venner.

Photo: Martin Pulley

Rugby's Matt Gearing scored a spectacular opener in the game against Hednesford but the visitors hit back in style

Town appeared to surprised even themselves by taking an early lead against their play-off chasing opponents, and then went into the break all square after an at-times encouraging first half performance.

The hosts self-combusted however once Hednesford had taken the lead on 51 minutes, with the visitors threatening to run even further amok in a totally one-sided second period.

With Karl Fellows suspended and Michael Love rested, Valley boss fielded surely the youngest ever side to represent the club in a Southern League fixture - with no less than eight teenagers featuring at some point during the game.

There was a first start for youth team player Kuda Chiseche and a first team debut from the bench for another youth teamer Jordan Richards - as well as return to the side for Chris Tullin and a place between the sticks again for Andy Stevens.

Chiseche made an early impression on the game when he set up the opening goal - picking out Matt Gearing in the box, who then executed an audacious overhead lob out of the reach of the stunned Hednesford keeper Stuart Brock.

The visitors responded well to the shock of conceding against the division's whipping boys, and both Adam McGurk and Tyrone Barnett blazed good chances over the bar.

Just before the half hour mark, David Kolodynski nearly played Gearing in, and then shortly after Kolodysnki screwed a shot of his own across the face of the goal - as Rugby went in search of unlikely second.

The dangerous Elliott Durrell grabbed an equaliser on 36 minutes, when he shrugged off the attentions of Sean Castleton to fire past Stevens from an acute angle. Stevens ensured that the two teams went into the interval level when he did well to keep out Tullin's heavy prod towards his own goal.

After the restart Durrell twice went close, as did Liam Francis, before the Valley floodgates opened when Ross Dyer flicked in Durrell's cross to the near post.

Three minutes later Barnett released McGurk - who fired home into the bottom corner, with Francis then heading Dorryl Proffitt's cross into the net on 56 minutes.

A fifth Hednesford goal followed shortly after, with Dyer providing Barnett with an easy tap in.

Rugby steadied themselves a little after this, and Sam Youngs picked out debutant Jordan Richards on the edge of the penalty area, but the youngster's first touch unfortunately let him down.

Durrell rounded off the rout with another simple close range finish on 69 minutes, after Dyer had once more got in behind a deflated home defence.

Stevens kept the score down with two excellent late saves - first tipping sub Josh Craddock's long ranger over the bar and then with a low stop to deny Barnett as yet another defeat drew to a close.

Valley line-up: Stevens; Birtwistle, Tullin, Castleton; Gearing, Hollist; Farrow, Youngs, Chiseche (S.Richards); Brown (J.Richards), Kolodynski. Subs not used: Kwegyir, Bell. Booked: None. Sent Off: None.