VALLEY OVERCOME TRICKY CHERTSEY FOR OPENING DAY WIN

Rugby Town started the new league campaign with a victory against a spirited Chertsey side making their debut at this level.

By Jon Venner Tweet

Photo: Martin Pulley

Rugby born-and-bred winger Richard Wesley struck a 21st-minute winner for the Valley against newly-promoted Chertsey Town.

It was a solid – if not spectacular – opening performance from Dave Stringer’s men, and the points were secured by a 21st minute strike from Richard Wesley.

Rugby’s starting line-up contained three players making a first competitive appearance for the club in keeper Louis Connor, Dominic Reece and JJ Cole, and the team started brightly – although it was newly promoted Chertsey that threatened the goal first, when their captain Phillip Page's shot was deflected for a corner after just four minutes.

At the other end, Wesley's effort shortly after stung the visiting keeper Craig Ross's hands and Seb Hamilton also stabbed one wide.

The same two Valley players were then involved in what turned out to be the game's only goal, when Wesley followed up on Hamilton’s initially blocked shot to fire past Ross.

For Chertsey, Page continued to be a handful up-front though, having lobbed one just over the bar before Wesley's goal and then shooting wide just after it.

The home side’s best chance of a second came on 28 minutes, when Tyrone Fagan’s acrobatic overhead effort was saved by Ross and then Hamilton saw his follow-up smothered by the keeper.

Melvin Gourlay flashed the ball across the face of the goalmouth ahead of the half-time break, as Valley finished the opening period on a high.

The second half began scrappily, and in rare attacking highlights both Wesley and Page traded headers over the bar.

Rugby finally appeared to get a grip on the game after the hour mark, and started to impress with their neat passing play.

Ben Steane’s shot was blocked, leading to another acrobatic near miss – this time by Wesley, and Ross then denied Fagan from a tight angle after Hamilton had flicked on Steane’s searching free-kick.

The game's defining moment came on 73 minutes, when a ball over the top of the Rugby defence saw a rare moment of hesitancy between Connor and the impressive Gary Moran, allowing Page to nip in and start to round the keeper.

Connor clipped Page's heels however, bringing the forward down in the box, and referee Neil Pratt had no hesitation pointing to the penalty spot.

However somehow Connor was only shown a yellow card, when a red was expected, allowing him to be able to stay on the pitch to beat away Page’s resulting spot-kick – much to the annoyance of the visiting bench.

Connor produced another good save to keep out Page’s low strike, and also denied substitute Daniel Bennett twice late on to confirm the victory for the hosts.

Valley Line-up: Connor; Moran, Reece, Preston, Gourlay; Steane, Wesley, Gundelach, Steane, Cole; Fagan (Haycock), Hamilton. Sub not used: Da Costa, Evans, Wilson, Khan. Booked: Connor.

Chertsey Line-up: Ross, Lawrence, Treacher, Johnson, Boswell, McGarry, Ferguson, Burgess, Page, Gyimah, Crossley. Subs: Bennett, Saku, Ochea, Galbraith, Shipperley.