RUGBY
TAKE TWO STEPS BACK AGAINST ASHFORD
Rugby
Town suffered another heavy home defeat last Saturday,
this time at the hands of Ashford – who
therefore ended a poor run of their own on the
road at the same time.
By
Jon Venner
Once
more Rugby succeeded in making no-better-than
average opposition look a significant force after
another uninspiring Butlin Road display –
with the visiting keeper rarely troubled.
With
Richard Wesley unavailable, Town gave a debut
to Aaron James at left-back, pushing Luke Leahy
into a more advanced role in the only change from
the side that had been victorious at Marlow the
previous week.
It
was a quiet opening to the game, although Valley
did edge things in terms of territory, possession
and fluidity.
Early
chances for the hosts saw skipper Nik Preston’s
shot blocked at the back post and Leahy head well
wide, before Ashford opened the scoring on twelve
minutes when keeper Pete Smith failed to deal
with Ed Thomas’s inswinging corner –
allowing Dan Brown to bundle the ball home with
his head.
The
same combination almost fashioned a second shortly
after, but this time Brown’s header to the
winger’s free-kick cannoned back off the
crossbar.
Harry
Harris’s low shot was gathered by keeper
Paul McCarthy, before Thomas made it two when
he followed up on Pietro Palladino’s initially
smothered effort to fire in from the edge of the
penalty area.
Ashford
coasted towards the half-time interval, with Russell
Canderton going close to adding to their tally
with a volley, which brought a good diving save
from Smith.
Just
three minutes into the second period the game
was all-but dead for Valley when Thomas again
fed Brown from a wide position – whipping
in a cross which allowed the striker to nip in
ahead of a static Valley rearguard to head home
for the second time
The
home side then put in their best spell of the
game, with Seb Lake-Gaskin driving wide from the
angle, after Robbie Banks had stolen possession
and Luke Keen twice went close too – first
volleying over on the turn and then forcing McCarthy
into fine one-handed stop.
Ashford’s
fourth came moments later though, when Palladino
played in Brown – who applied a cool finish
under Smith to secure his hat-trick.
Town’s
best chance of a consolation came after James
and Leahy had combined well down the left, leading
to an accurate cross from the former which Lake-Gaskin
stooped to head over the bar – with the
whole target to aim at.
Brown
had two further opportunities to add to his impressive
personal tally, before Rugby finally had the ball
in the net on 85 minutes – but unfortunately
substitute Seb Hamilton was adjudged to have strayed
into an offside position.
An
acrobatic effort from Keen represented the final
shot of the game, but unfortunately it was directed
straight into McCarthy’s arms.
Valley
line-up: Smith; Williams, James, Moran,
Preston; Harris (Hamilton), Leahy, Steane (Gundelach),
Banks; Lake-Gaskin (Fagan), Keen. Subs
not used: Wilson, Austin. Booked:
Williams, Keen, Preston.
Ashford
line-up: McCarthy, Knock, Takahiro, Canderton,
Mann, Mullan, Graham, Lodge, Brown, Palladino,
Thomas. Subs: Andrew, Curtis, Bitmead, Luckins,
Tobin.
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