SOLID
VALLEY KEEP UP 100% START
Rugby
Town chalked up a third straight win to keep up
their 100% start to the Evo-Stik League Southern
Division One Central with a hard-fought win at
Burnham.
By
Craig Webb
Photo:
Martin Pulley |
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Playing
in the new claret & sky away strip,
Valley's player celebrate Richard
Wesley's fifth minute opener |
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Manager
Dave Stringer had to make one enforced change
from the win against Leighton, with striker Lewis
Haycock making his first start in place of Seb
Hamilton who had work commitments.
Town
made the perfect start, taking the lead in the
fifth minute.
Richard
Wesley is in a rich vein of form and he scored
for the third successive game when he turned well
on the edge of the area to meet Andy Gundelach's
cross as his effort left home keeper Jamie Jackson
stranded and took Rugby into an early lead.
Burnham
woke up after the early setback and in the space
of a couple of minutes had half chances with both
Adam Dickens and Ryan Bird having efforts saved
by Louis Connor.
The
chances continued to come and Wesley hit a tremendous
free-kick heading for the top corner but was slightly
over.
Rugby
had most of the possession with intricate passes
being played all over the bobbly pitch.
Haycock
nearly made his mark on the game just before the
half hour mark but could not direct his header
from Dominic Reece’s cross.
Their
best chance to increase the lead came from Ben
Steane whose goalbound shot forced a corner from
Jackson’s cracking save.
With
Rugby looking comfortable, Burnham made a significant
change for the second half when they moved their
central defender into attack.
The
home fans were quite surprised that their 26-goal
man, Bird from last season was not upfront from
the start.
And
with this change, they were playing much better
with substitute Ben Gladwin having the best chance
for Burnham, and his rasping shot forced a great
save from Connor.
Burnham
were trying hard but just could not penetrate
the Rugby defence who were flinging their bodies
towards the ball keeping it away from danger.
Valley
had a huge chance to finish off the game before
they did, when sub Adam Khan on for the injured
Haycock took advantage of a defensive mix up in
the Burnham back four, but scuffed his shot which
Jackson easily saved.
They
finally killed the game off in the 90th minute
when Tyrone Fagan scored his first goal of the
season.
With
Burnham committing players forward, Fagan found
himself in space and comfortably took on Khan’s
pass and he unleashed his shot low and hard past
Jackson.
With
confidence high, Aylesbury are the next opponents,
with Rugby hoping to make it four wins from four.
Valley
Line-up: Connor; Moran, Reece, Preston,
Gourlay; Steane, Wesley, Gundelach,
Steane, Cole; Fagan, Haycock (Khan). Sub
not used: Isherwood, Smith, Wilson, Da
Costa. Booked: Fagan, Steane,
Wesley.
Burnham:
Jackson, Riley, Elsegood, Dunlop, Bird, Dickens,
Smith, Togwell, Henney, Dowdican, Seedal.
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