VALLEY MAKE IT TWO ON BOUNCE

If only the season started in April! Rugby won successive games for the first time this campaign against relegation threatened Tiverton.

By Craig Webb.

Photo: Martin Pulley

Valley forward Matt Brown scored two goals in one first half minute against Tiverton at Butlin Road to set up an excellent victory.

The victory represented the first time Valley had secured consecutive league wins for over a year.

The game had a late start as the visitors had traffic problems on the motorway, and they were obviously still tired when the game started as Town scored two goals in one minute early in the half.

Rugby kept an unchanged side from the team that beat Didcot on Saturday, with Danny Bell keeping his place in goal, with regular keeper Andy Stevens on the bench, fresh from his scoring heroics.

Town had the perfect start when Matt Brown scored two goals in quick succession.

His first one in the ninth minute, came from a neat touch from David Kolodynski and Brown coolly slotted the ball past the stranded Steve Book.

The dream start continued barely a minute later when a long clearance from Bell found Kolodynski and again found his strike partner in acres of space and in a near carbon copy of the first goal quickly doubled Rugby’s lead.

Rugby at this point were beginning to look rampant with the impressive Kolodynski managing a shot after initially having his back to goal.

The visitor’s only real chance came midway through the half when Jamie Hatch hit the bar and from the rebound Alex Faux rebound shot went to safety.

Tiverton started the second period the much brighter, passing the ball around well but not threatening Rugby’s improved backline.

Town had the chance to further improve their lead when Matt Gearing under pressure from the centre back shot wide from Sam Young’s glorious pass, and youngster Jamie Farrow should have done better when his effort went straight to Book.

With twenty minutes left, Tiverton pulled a goal back through substitute Liam Head.

A scramble in the penalty area led to the ball fed through to Head who released a top class volley into the top corner leaving Bell with no chance.

Tiverton were now searching for the equaliser, but went further behind on 80 minutes when Matt Gearing was put into space by Brown and with his pace leaving the defenders in his wake steered his shot past Book.

An impressive goal, but Gearing got booked though by the referee due to him taking his shirt off to celebrate.

Despite the two goal cushion, Tivvy were still pushing for a goal and were rewarded with just two minutes left when Mike Booth scored from a low header from six yards out past Bell after good work from their midfield.

Tiverton thought they had won it just seconds later when Booth hit the bar but Rugby held on for another three points.

Valley line-up: Bell; Castleton, Love, Fellows; Gearing, Hollist; Tullin, Farrow (Stevens), Youngs; Kolodynski, Brown. Subs not used: Richards, Kwegyir, Glover. Booked: Gearing, Kwegyir

Tiverton Town: Book, Wannell, Faux, Booth, Rudge, Gardner, Hatch, Marshall, Bushin, Mortimer, Kington
Subs: Piotrowski, Saunders, Frear, Head, Pears.