SUPER SUB SINKS LOCAL RIVALS

Rugby Town made it back-to-back victories over a three day period thanks to another successful strike from the bench from forward Warwick Alexander.

By Jon Venner.

Photo: Martin Pulley

Valley forward Warwick Alexander again made an impact from the bench with his crucial winning goal

Until the substitute's 71st minute intervention, the game had followed a similar pattern to the weekend win over North Greenford, with Valley unable to convert their dominance into goals, and as a result it was another nervy ninety Butlin Road minutes.

Visiting keeper James Martin was in particularly good form throughout for Town’s local rivals, with Seb Hamilton in particular frustrated by a series of fine saves from the ex-Rugby Youth team goalie.

Martin Sockett made two changes to his starting line-up from the North Greenford game, and included Danny Edmond up-front against his old club instead of Joe Harris, and with Paddy Connolly once more unavailable, he opted to shift Nick Heath into a defensive midfield role – with Gary Moran starting at right-back.

Rugby started the game with pace and purpose, and as a result created chances from the off.

Andy Gundelach nearly helped home Richard Wesley’s dangerous free-kick into the box, and then with Wesley the provider again, Hamilton should have scored after just six minutes – but somehow scuffed his shot against the post from close range.

Hamilton then shot powerfully wide after Gundelach’s neat through-ball, before Bedworth mounted their first serious challenges on Dave Clarke’s goal with their skipper Jai Stanley shooting straight at him and then Jacob Blyth’s low header seeing another regulation save.

Gundelach’s flick-on almost saw Wesley and Melvin Gourlay squeeze the ball across the line in a goalmouth scramble and in the lead-up to the break, Ben Steane blazed over from a good position just inside the box.

Town’s tempo at the start of the second half was again fast and furious, and once more they had the visitors on the back foot.

Martin’s legs kept out Hamilton’s low strike, and shortly after the keeper got his fingertips to Gundelach’s long-range rising effort – touching it onto the bar and over for a corner.

When Hamilton finally finished off one around the hour mark, after Edmond had slipped the ball through the Greenbacks’ defence – it was the flag of the linesman that this time brought more frustration to the burly striker.

The introduction of United substitute Levi Ramsay had brought a little more purpose to his side’s play, and his strike into the side netting reminded the home fans of the potential for a slip-up at the other end.

Alexander calmed their nerves a little with a well-struck goal on the full, finishing off Moran’s deep cross, and Hamilton was denied a second when the stretching Martin turned his curling shot around the post.

Town held onto the victory though, playing out the final ten minutes or so with relative ease, and it was that man Martin again with a final impressive save late on - acrobatcially pushing another Hamilton goalbound effort onto the woodwork.

Valley Line-up: Clarke; Moran, Phipps-Hall, Charles, Gourlay; Steane, Gundelach (Fitzharris), Heath, Wesley; Edmond (Alexander), Hamilton. Subs not used: Sockett, Babington, Goodbody. Booked: None. Sent Off: None.

Bedworth Line-up: Martin, Orton, Reece, Rathbone, Cooper, Cartwright, Blyth, Greenway, Barlone, Stanley, Dainty. Subs: Scott, Wilkes, Withers, Ramsay, Nadat.