VALLEY COME OUT TOP IN TOUGH CLASH

Two first half strikes secured Rugby Town victory in the top of the table clash against Slough Town at Butlin Road.

By Jon Venner Tweet

Photo: Martin Pulley

Rugby's impressive custodian Louis Connor kept a clean sheet helping towards the deserved victory for Valley

Boss Dave Stringer made two changes from the previous game – the shock FA Cup defeat at Gornal – giving debuts to new signing Robbie Banks and the returning Luke Keen as part of an adventurous 3-4-3 formation.

The visitors began the game a place ahead of Rugby, and they threatened from the off – with Dave Woozely heading Stuart Swift’s free-kick wide from a good position after just three minutes.

However Seb Hamilton’s powerful run and neat finish against the run of play gave the hosts an early lead, which both Keen and Hamilton could have added to from the good chances that followed the opener.

Slough rallied again, and Louis Connor pulled off an excellent double save – first parrying another Swift set-piece before smothering Sean Sonner’s rebound.

As part of an extended spell of Slough pressure, Connor saved a further Sonner effort, before Keen added Valley’s second on 37 minutes with a clinical strike from the edge of the area after he had chased down a long ball from Hamilton.

Deubutant Banks’s goal-bound shot from distance after the interval saw a fine one-handed save from Slough keeper James Warrington, as the two goal cushion saw the home side grow further in confidence as the second half progressed.

Good build-up play involving Richard Wesley and Ben Steane saw Rugby find the net again, but Keen’s effort was ruled out for offside, and the influential striker then fired one over on the turn.

Substitute Charlie Mpi had a couple of opportunities of a late Rebels’ consolation, but found Connor once more in resolute form with a low block with his legs and then was denied by a well-timed tackle in the box by Lee Miveld.

Valley line-up: Connor, Moran, Wilson, Banks, Gourlay, Keen (Khan), Steane, Miveld, Fagan (Gundelach), Hamilton, Wesley. Subs not used: Evans, Da Costa, Isherwood . Booked: Miveld, Banks

Slough line-up: Warrington, Sweeney, Murphy, Martin, Logie, Woozely, Sinclair, Coyne, Burnell, Sonner, Swift. Subs: Mpi, Abbey, Marsala, Byrne, Perkins.