VALLEY FAIL TO FIRE IN THE BOX AGAIN

It was another frustrating afternoon for Town at Butlin Road last Saturday, after once more being in the ascendancy without producing the required finishing touch to their play.

By RUGBYTOWNFC.COM.

Photo: Martin Pulley

Rugby Town front man Tyrone Fagan battles for possession during the first half against Biggleswade

Aside from the first fifteen minutes when the visitors looked a competent unit and a couple of minor scares in the second period, it was pretty much all Valley’s game.

Despite this, however they again failed to fire in the box and therefore extended their win-less run to six games in the process.

Rugby boss Martin Sockett had recalled Paddy Connolly to his starting line-up in place of Luke Keen, although it was the Waders that made the better start with Stephen Smith’s low shot testing Dave Clarke early in the proceedings.

A similar height effort from Ben Steane signalled the start of Valley finally asserting themselves on the match on 18 minutes, but Will Viner was down well to gather it.

Gary Moran’s chipped pass then picked out Tyrone Fagan, whose shot on the turn bounced into the ground and went wide of the target.
Seb Hamilton then beat the offside trap and crossed for Fagan to fire in a shot which this time tested the keeper – drawing a full length save from him.

A strike from Hamilton flew the wrong side of the post and another break down the right from the centre forward saw a cross which was just too high for Richard Wesley, as Rugby piled the pressure on their play-off chasing rivals.

Steane’s curling effort from fully twenty yards also went agonisingly wide of the upright just before the interval.

Valley’s best opportunity of the game fell to Hamilton just after the restart, when Steane released him through the middle with a well-delivered through ball.

However finding himself one–on-one with Viner, Hamilton could only stroke the ball off-target.

At the other end, Smith’s cross was headed onto the base of the woodwork by Stuart Lockhead – as the visitors mounted a rare foray on Clarke’s goal.

A series of half chances followed for Rugby, with Fagan lifting one over the crossbar, Nik Preston having a shot blocked in a goalmouth scramble and Preston again heading over the target from a corner.

The introduction of Keen gave Town a little boost, and he did well to break into the box shrugging off two defenders before squaring the ball just out of the reach of Fagan.

Fellow sub Danny Edmond also saw his effort crowded out in the box, ensuring that Rugby registered a fourth stalemate of the league season to-date.

Valley Line-up: Clarke; Moran, Phipps-Hall, Preston, Gourlay; Steane, Wesley (Edmond), Heath, Connolly; Fagan, Hamilton (Keen). Subs not used: Alexander, Parsons, Goodbody. Booked: Heath, Preston. Sent Off: None.

Biggleswade Line-up: Viner, Gatti, Radcliffe, Folds, Gentle, Smith, Lockhead, Rydeheard, Barnes, Harman, Banks-Smith. Subs: Donnelly, Pemberton, Field, Reynolds, Webster.