TOUGH START FOR COLKIN

New Rugby Town manager Lee Colkin suffered a defeat in his first game against Merthyr Tydfil at Butlin Road.

By RUGBYTOWNFC.COM.

Photo: Martin Pulley

Debutant Greg Smith struck with a sweetly hit left footed effort to make an instant impact in a Rugby Town shirt

After a even start to the game, a moment of inspiration from Scott Armitage gave the visitors the lead on the half hour mark when he deftly chipped in from the left hand side of the penalty box.

Colkin’s new charges responded well though, and two minutes later debutant Greg Smith’s crisply struck effort from the edge of the box levelled the scores once more.

David Staff could then have put the home side in front, but Andrew Delve pulled out a fine stop, before an unchallenged Andrew Thomas did the honours at the other end – heading home Tariq Kalil’s free-kick on the stroke of half-time.

Poor handling by Stevens on 46 minutes saw Rugby slip further behind, with Gary Shephard the beneficiary from distance.

The visitors rounded off the scoring when Stevens was again at fault to gift Armitage his second, with the Rugby keeper failing to deal with a deep cross – palming it into his own net instead.

A chance of late consolation for home side was missed, when keeper Delve redeemed himself for his original foul on Kolodynski by getting down well to the same player’s strike from the spot.

Valley Line-up: Stevens; Nicell (Simpson), Love, Herbert (Richards), Gordon; Gearing (McGhee), Staff, Bowles, Fellows; Kolodynski, Smith. Subs not used: Youngs, Castleton. Booked: None. Sent off: None.