RUGBY KEEP WITH EARLY PACESETTERS

Rugby Town extended their unbeaten league run to eight games and made it three wins in a week with a comprehensive win over struggling Soham Town Rangers.

By Craig Webb.

Photo: Martin Pulley

New striker Tyrone Fagan celebrates with his new team-mates after scoring a first half equaliser

Three second half goals during a confident second half display effectively won the game for Rugby after the home side had taken an early lead.

Manager Martin Sockett made two changes from the win over local rivals Bedworth with Nick Heath injured and Danny Edmond on the bench. In came the returning Paddy Connolly and a debut for the new signing from Romulus, striker Tyrone Fagan.

The home side made the better start and their opening play belied their position in the table with Scott Carter having a clear shot on goal from Luke Hipwell’s cross, but his effort was way over Dave Clarke's goal.

It was no surprise when the hosts took the lead through Louis Carr. An in-swinging corner from the far side eluded everybody in the box and Carr was on hand to tuck it in from five yards at the far post to the delight of the home fans.

Just five minutes later, Soham nearly extended their lead when former Rugby player Shawn Richards could not connect with Sam Mason-Smith's cross.

After this, Rugby started to get into the game, with Seb Hamilton turning in the six yard box but saw his chance go wide from Fagan's cross while Connolly should have found the net after excellent passing play from Rugby.

On the half hour mark, Town equalised through debut boy Fagan.

Man of the match Richard Wesley ran across a wall of Soham defenders on the edge of the area before sliding a perfect ball inside the full-back for Andy Gundelach. He had the easy task of rolling the ball along the six-yard line to an unmarked Fagan, who had the easier task of tapping into an empty net, leaving the match finely poised at the half time break.

Soham started the second half like the first half, the better side and had the first effort of the period when Rogan McGeorge released a vicious shot from twenty five yards that Clarke just managed to tip over for a corner.

However, it was the visitors who went ahead when Fagan failed to get a clean contact with an acrobatic effort following Gary Moran's cross leaving Connolly to drill the ball into the corner of the net from twelve yards for his second of the season.

Soham by this stage were starting to tire and seemlingly suffered a severe drop in confidence so it was no surprise when Rugby extended their lead to all but seal the points.

Hamilton got his name on the scoresheet after a scramble in the penalty area had ensued from Gundelach's centre.

Hamilton could have got his second when his initial twist and turn left the Soham defence bamboozled but Daniel Bircham in the home goal smothered his shot into safe hands.

Rugby though did have a slight scare in the 87th minute when Clarke misjudged a routine goal kick and Mason-Smith nearly capitalised when he hit the outside of the post.

In the third minute of injury time, Rugby rounded off a great team victory when substitute Ollie Babington capped his first appearance with a goal from a corner with the unmarked striker netted from six yards to send the many travelling fans home happy.

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

Soham Town Rangers: Bircham, Seymore, Turner, Bromwich, Carr, McGeorge, Hipwell, Carter, Benjamin, Mason-Smith, Richards