PLAY-OFF HOPES FIZZLE OUT AT HAYES

Rugby Town played out a draw at mid-table AFC Hayes but ultimately results elsewhere put paid to Valley's already slim play-off place hopes.

By Jon Venner Tweet

A late Hayes strike meant Valley rounded off their travels for the season with a draw, on the same day that their outside chance of a place in the play-offs were also finally extinguished.

Town twice took the lead during the second half of the game – having also missed a first half penalty – in a performance much improved from the previous week’s capitulation at North Greenford.

Rugby started brightly with Seb Lake-Gaskin's surge into the penalty area ending with a shot that was blocked.

The hosts threatened themselves a couple of times early on with Connor Duffy slicing a good chance wide and Michael Buckley curling one to force Dave Bevan into a full stretch save.

Nik Preston almost broke the deadlock when he the ball fell to him at the far post, but he lifted his effort over the bar from no more than six yards out.

Shortly after that miss, Lake-Gaskin played in Robbie Banks and he was upended for a clear penalty.

Top scorer Luke Keen – who had been recalled to the starting line-up for the game – stepped up to take the spot-kick, but his connection was a poor one and Hayes keeper Simon Grant made a comfortable save.

Lake-Gaskin continued to worry the Hayes back-line, and he created a good chance for Richie Allen ahead of the interval, but the midfielder also struck his low shot straight at Grant. Valley did take the lead five minutes after the restart though, with Lake-Gaskin again involved with deep cross which Charlie Defty looped over his own keeper.

Another long delivery from the wing led to the home side’s first equaliser, with Kevin Chakaodza nipping in between Bevan and Preston to nod in after 57 minutes.

The goal sparked Hayes into their best spell of the game, and Matt Woods wriggled free in the box before drawing an excellent point-blank stop from Bevan.

Defty replaced Grant between the sticks, after the keeper had bravely denied Preston from a corner, and the stand-in goalie was quickly in the action catching a Lake-Gaskin strike from twenty five yards.

Rugby regained the lead on 67 minutes when Tyrone Fagan tapped home Banks’s cross from the right, and with the introduction of sub Michael Williams, Town looked a more dangerous proposition for the closing third of the game.

However just when it appeared their mathematical chance of top five finish would remain for the final game of the season, Hayes punished them with just two minutes left on the clock when Douglas Kisuule fired home from the angle – after Town had surrendered possession far too easily at the other end.

Valley Line-up: Bevan; Moran, Leahy, Miller (Wilson), Preston; Banks, Blythe, Allen; Lake-Gaskin; Fagan, Keen (Williams). Subs not used: Da Costa. Booked: Williams, Fagan.