LUKE SPOTS OPPORTUNITY TO SECURE KEENLY SOUGHT VICTORY

A Luke Keen penalty settled a generally dour encounter against Biggleswade at the Carlsberg Stadium on Tuesday evening to give Rugby Town a second vital win over a play-off rival in just three days.

By Jon Venner Tweet

Photo: Martin Pulley

Rugby striker Luke Keen netted the only goal of the game from the penalty spot with his 17th goal of the season

In a game of few chances, Dave Stringer’s side put in a determined and controlled performance to reduce the gap between them and Biggleswade to just a point.

Stringer made one change to the starting line-up from the weekend victory over Uxbridge, preferring Tyrone Fagan to Seb Hamilton as Keen’s strike partner.

Both teams struggled to get any real control in the opening period, with a particularly greasy playing surface not helping their respective causes. Keen put in a couple of speculative efforts early on, but neither troubled Waders’ keeper Anthony Elder.

For the hosts, Steve Gentle shot wide with arguably the best chance of the half, and Craig Rydeheard also had an opportunity to break the deadlock after a Luke Leahy defensive error – but his touch let him down when through on goal, and Dave Bevan was able to gather the ball comfortably.

A Michael Williams run which ended with a twenty yard shot squirting narrowly past the target, was the closest the visitors came to scoring before the interval.

The game’s crucial moment came just two minutes after the restart when Keen was adjudged to have been pushed in the back after the ball had been floated in towards him in the penalty area, and the striker then stepped up himself to send Elder the wrong way with his spot-kick.

From then on in, the home side became increasingly more and more direct in their attempts to get back on level terms.

Valley were rarely troubled defensively though – with Ross Miller and Ed Booth forming a steadfast partnership in the centre of defence, and Bevan comfortably coping with the many high balls that were slung into the box.

In fact it was Rugby that came to the closest to striking again, with Richie Allen heading at the keeper after he timed his run well to meet Richard Blythe’s pass, and a couple of Allen corners also creating confusion in the Biggleswade defence.

Hamilton had a great chance to seal the game with five minutes left on the clock, after Blythe had again created the opportunity, but the substitute was caught in two minds after he rounded Elder and his ultimate effort was cleared by a defender.

Valley Line-up: Bevan; Austin, Leahy, Miller, Booth; Banks, Williams, Blythe, Allen; Keen (Hamilton), Fagan. Subs not used: Moran, Preston, Palmer. Booked: None.