ALL SQUARE ON BUMPY SURFACE

Valley made it back-to-back draws to kick-off the new league season, after their short trip to Byfield Road on Tuesday evening saw the two sides play out a stalemate on a poor quality pitch.

By RUGBYTOWNFC.COM.

Photo: Martin Pulley

Valley striker Danny Edmond's dipping volley hit the bar early on but chances were at a premium for both sides

Martin Sockett went for an unchanged starting and bench line-up, and saw his side start brightly with Danny Edmond striking the top of the crossbar with his rasping drive from the edge of the area after just five minutes.

Edmond was again at the centre of the attacking action shortly after, when he could not get a decent connection to his shot from eight yards – following good build-up play down the left between Danny Hall and Ben Steane.

The home side generally employed a long ball strategy throughout the match, and Rugby’s defence – well-marshalled by the experienced Nik Preston – more often than not coped well with this, although Dave Clarke was quick to smother the ball at the feet of Nathaniel Liburd after one such Woodford punt created an opening.

Clarke’s opposing number Matthew Finlay produced a decent save to Seb Hamilton’s well-struck effort on 25 minutes, and then Hamilton should have done better with his pull back across the box after he had broke down the right hand side.

Woodford ended the first half in the ascendancy though, and twice in the closing ten minutes of the period Rugby had to scramble the ball away from a crowded goalmouth to keep the scores level.

The second of these plays had seen Clarke pull-off a good save when tipping Ricky Johnson’s deflected shot onto the post, before spilling the rebound.

The second half continued in pretty much the same vein as the first, with both sides now over-reliant on the direct approach – bypassing the bobbly, uneven surface in the process.

Richard Wesley’s dangerous ball to the back post was just clipped for a corner by a Woodford head, just before Valley created their best chance of the game after Hamilton had got the wrong side of his marker again down the right channel.

The resulting shot across the keeper by the burly striker hit the woodwork, but Edmond was unable to force home the rebound from close range after appearing to misread the direction of the bounce back off the post.

Former Rugby defender Ross Harris then saw his 20 yard effort blocked by Preston, after a quick break from the back, and Clarke was called into action again when saving an on-target header from Kai Ridley.

Hamilton’s flicked header lacked the pace to trouble Finlay at the other end, as both sides continued to search for that elusive winning goal.

The hosts came close to snatching it with just three minutes remaining of normal time when Chris Jackson header also struck the post, and from this Clarke rounded off a good personal performance by tipping a follow-up effort onto the bar and over for a corner.

Valley Line-up: Clarke; Heath, Hall, Burgess, Preston; Steane, Civzelis, Connolly; Wesley (Fitzharris), Hamilton , Edmond (Alexander). Subs not used: Thomas, Sockett, Charles. Booked: Burgess. Sent Off: None.