BEACONSFIELD
EDGE WINNER AT BUTLIN ROAD
Rugby
Town were left empty handed from an even game
at Butlin Road after a 78th minute Beaconsfield
penalty settled proceedings.
By
Jon Venner
Photo:
Martin Pulley |
 |
 |
Valley
f orward
Seb Lake-Gaskin was
again a constant threat in attack. |
|
The two sides had initially traded goals within
three first half minutes, and on the whole Valley
put in another encouraging performance building
on the one against another of the top teams from
the division - Biggleswade - in the previous fixture.
Dave
Stringer made three changes from the Waders victory,
giving a debut to recent signing Ed Booth at centre-half
and a first start for midfielder Richie Allen.
Tyrone
Fagan was also recalled to the opening eleven
in place of the injured striker Seb Hamilton.
Lee
Barney’s early chance confirmed the threat
of the visitors, and the opening goal was not
long away, when Anthony Page headed home Tyron
Sealey’s cross to finish off a free-flowing
move after just ten minutes.
Rugby
were soon level though when a Luke Leahy corner
was bundled in at the second attempt by skipper
Nik Preston – after he had first hit the
crossbar.
The
hosts were the better side for the remainder of
the first half, but unfortunately they could not
convert this into a second goal.
Fagan
squandered a couple of good opportunities, first
slicing a shot way off target after Ross Miller
had shown vision and precision to release him
and later heading wide from relatively close range.
Aaron
James also shot over after a quick Valley counter
attack, and Rams’ keeper Michael Power-Simpson
pulled off one particularly impressive save from
Miller’s low strike on 25 minutes.
The
second period was a far tighter affair, with the
more clear cut chances this time falling to the
away side.
Substitute Ryan Upward fluffed his strike from
the edge of the area and Charlie Mpi sent one
high of the goal from an awkward angle.
Power-Simpson
again did well to deny Miller at the other end,
and Michael Williams ran three quarters of the
length of the pitch before firing over not long
after he had replaced Allen.
The
warning signs were there for Town though when
Barney struck the upright with crisp shot, although
Seb Lake-Gaskin then worried Beaconsfield with
a powerful run and cross from the right, which
Power-Simpson just gathered ahead of Fagan.
Another
Rugby sub Alex Austin had not long been on the
pitch when he clipped the tricky winger Sealey
in the box after a short-corner, and Barney made
no mistake from the spot – sending Pete
Smith the wrong way.
The
visitors saw the game out well effectively, snuffing
out any Rugby threat and even creating a couple
of further chances of their own for George Saunders
and Barney.
Valley
line-up: Smith; Moran, Leahy (Austin),
Preston, Booth; Allen (Williams), Miller, James;
Keen, Lake-Gaskin; Fagan. Sub not used:
Da Costa. Booked: Moran, Preston
Keen.
Beaconsfield
line-up:
Power-Simpson, Grayley, Carby, Yeboah, Burgess,
Sheehan, Osobu, Page, Barney, Mpi, Sealey. Subs:
Upward, Saunders, Oshitola, Dodge.
|
