VALLEY RIDE EARLY STORM TO MAKE A POINT

Valley gained their second successive draw at a wet Butlin Road on Tuesday evening against their fellow strugglers from Hertfordshire.

By Craig Webb.

Photo: Martin Pulley

Full back Liam Nicell ended a strong run with the opening goal against the run of play in the first half at Butlin Road against Hemel.

Town went into the game desperately needing a win to close the gap on the team immediately above them, but had to settle for a point instead.

It was not a great performance on the night from Lee Colkin's side. To their credit however - having somehow survived a torrid first half an hour in tact and also having fallen behind mid-way through the second half - they plugged away and fought back for a draw, and could have even sneaked that much needed victory in the closing stages.

Manager Lee Colkin kept an unchanged side from the encouraging display at Merthyr at the weekend, with Michael Love and Ibrahim Kwegyir added to the substitutes’ bench.

The kick off was delayed by 10 minutes due to the visitors arriving late, but despite this, Hemel made by far the better start. Without home goalkeeper Andy Stevens being in fantastic form with a great reaction save from Daryl Robson within the first couple minutes it could have been a lot worse for Town.

Hemel continued to impress in the early stages Dean Brennan hitting the post on two occasions - forcing Stevens to save once again from the rebound shots.

Rugby were struggling to get a foothold on the game, and boss Colkin acknowledged this by taking off striker Matt Brown and bringing on Aaron Stringfellow, pushing Matt Gearing and Karl Fellows further up the field.

This switch nearly paid instant dividends with Ross Oulton having Rugby’s first shot, albeit tame and wide. Then - against the run of play - Liam Nicell put Town ahead on 35 minutes when a strong run into the Hemel defence forced him past a couple of defenders to find space on the edge of area to fire his shot past Mike McEntegart, to send Town into half time with a slender lead.

The lead only lasted nine minutes in the second half though, when Danny Charge equalised straight from a corner kick - the ball seemingly not touching anyone with the Rugby defence unable to defend the set piece.

This inability was also the downfall for Rugby for Hemel’s second goal, when another corner was not dealt with properly, with Matt McEntegart jumping highest to flash his header past Stevens.

Shortly after, the home side thought they had got back into it but Gearing’s goal was disallowed after the referee harshly deemed he had fouled McEntegart – after the keeper ended up in his own net.

Valley were still sensing an equaliser, and it came 12 minutes from time through substitute Shawn Richards.

The young striker collected a decent ball from Liam Nicell and from the 25 yards curled a beautiful shot into the top corner, leaving the keeper stranded.

Richards nearly got another goal soon after his equaliser, but his close range reverse lob went wide of the post.

Not for the first time this season Town then spurned a gilt-edged opportunity at the death, when the clean-through Oulton fluffed his initial effort to allow the keeper to save – with Gearing slamming the loose ball against the bar and Nicell’s subsequent effort crowded out.

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

Hemel Hempstead: Mike McEntegart, May, Solomon, Munday, Matt McEntegart, Granville, Martin, Akers, Charge, Robson, Brennan.