OUT-OF-SORTS
TOWN ON THE END OF RIGHT ROYAL BEATING
Rugby
Town went out of another FA competition at the
Preliminary Round stage - once more after a replay
– following a heavy defeat against Sutton
Coldfiled at Coles Lane on Tuesday evening.
By
Jon Venner
Having scraped a draw at the weekend to give themselves
a second crack at a trip to St Neots in the next
round, out-of-form Valley were then thoroughly
beaten on the artificial Sutton pitch.
Sutton made the early breakthrough, when Louis
Connor made a mess of a long throw into the box
after just eight minutes, presenting Luke Chapman
with an easy chance of a tap-in goal.
With a more clinical level of finishing, the home
side could have extended their lead in the first
half, with Connor twice denying Saturday’s
scorer James Quiggin and then similarly keeping
out an effort from Jonathan Jones – after
Richard Wesley had lost possession in a dangerous
position.
Robbie Banks was the one shining light in the
first half for a Valley side who had switched
to a 3-5-2 formation for the game.
Nice play from Banks released the recalled Andy
Gundelach from midfield, but Harry Harris skied
the resulting chance, and then shortly after a
direct run from him, Banks’s final poked
effort was scrambled away by home keeper Niall
Cooper.
Connor produced further saves from a fierce shot
from Craig Marshall, and then a double stop from
Chapman and Marshall in the closing minutes of
the first period.
After a turgid opening quarter an hour of the
second half, Sutton killed off the tie with a
scrappy second goal which saw substitute James
Reid’s deflected effort somehow bobble in
from an improbable position.
Rugby did then briefly enjoy their most threatening
spell of the replay, with the unmarked Tyrone
Fagan heading Ben Steane’s cross over the
bar and the same striker then dragging a shot
wide, after he had chased down a long ball.
However from then on, Valley were opened up far
too easily and the damage could have been greater
than the two more strikes that followed.
Reid missed an easy one-on-one chance after it
was Steane this time that was dispossessed too
easily, before Jones made it three with a low
shot from close range which squirmed in under
Connor.
Banks did go close again for the visitors though,
as did substitutes Luke Keen and debutant Luke
Leahy, before the Royals rounded off the scoring
on the counter attack when Ross Miller broke clear
before firing past Connor.
Valley
line-up: Connor; Moran,
Preston, Gourlay; Banks, Wesley, Steane (Leahy),
Harris (Cayless), Gundelach; Fagan, Hamilton (Keen).
Subs not used: Da Costa, Mullarkey.
Booked: Fagan.
Sutton
line-up:
Cooper, Lycett, Dodd, Jones, Booth, Costello,
Miller, Rathbone, Marshall, Quiggin, Chapman.
Subs: Reid, Milner, Fuller.
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