SLOPPY
TOWN THROW AWAY VICTORY
Valley
twice threw away a two goal lead to ultimately
end up sharing six goals with Woodford at Butlin
Road on New Year’s Bank Holiday Monday.
By
Jon Venner
Photo:
Martin Pulley |
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Valley
striker Tyrone Fagan
was on target with two excellent goals
against Woodford United at Butlin Road. |
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Having
been barely troubled by their near neighbours
as part of a comfortable first half 2-0 scoreline,
the hosts then started the second far too complacently,
inviting United to mount a comeback – which
could have even seen the visitors snatch all three
points towards the end.
Town
boss Dave Stringer was without the injured full-back
Craig Reid, with a hamstring strain also ruling
out Seb Lake-Gaskin from the starting line-up.
This
meant a recall for Andy Gundelach in midfield
and a place up-front again for Luke Keen.
Rugby
started well, with Seb Hamilton having an early
chance. However the front man rushed his effort
from the right hand side, sending it way wide
of the target.
It
was not long before Valley took the lead though,
when Keen threaded the ball through for Tyrone
Fagan to apply a clinical first time finish past
Matt Finlay on fifteen minutes.
Ten
minutes later, Town went further ahead after Keen
dispossessed ex-Valley man Ben Milner before lofting
his early strike past Finlay into the roof of
the net from twenty yards.
Both
Fagan and Hamilton went close, as Rugby threatened
to finish the game off before the interval, although
Glen Hawkins volley on turn just before the break
– which drifted just wide of the post -
should have signalled alarm bells in the home
dressing room.
Woodford
pushed hard straight from the restart, with Nathaniel
Liburd’s effort well kept out by Pete Smith,
and then Hawkins stabbing one wide from close
range.
United
substitute Jamie Wright also went close before
Hawkins’s close range finish to Lewis Travers'
cross reduced the arrears on the hour mark.
Town
responded well though, restoring the two goal
advantage within sixty seconds when Fagan turned
home another cross from Keen.
Again
Hamilton and Fagan had chances to put the match
out of the opposition's reach, before Travers
made it 3-2 with another close range finish after
good work on the right by Wright.
Another
ex-Rugby man Ross Harris then blocked Ed Booth’s
goalbound effort on the line to keep his side
in it, before the game’s critical moment
unfolded on 79 minutes when Luke Leahy was adjudged
to have caught a third one time Town-ite Ross
Oulton in the box – providing Woodford skipper
Chris Jackson with the opportunity to stroke home
a penalty to level the scores.
The
game ended at a frantic pace, with both sides
clearly pushing for a late winner.
The
visitors went the closest, with Smith getting
down well to smother Liburd’s effort representing
the best of the late opportunities.
Valley Line-up: Smith; Moran,
Leahy, Preston, Booth; Banks (Steane), Gundelach
(Miller), Allen; Hamilton (Lake-Gaskin), Keen;
Fagan. Subs not used: Wilson,
Wesley.
Booked: Keen, Preston, Allen.
Woodford
Line-up:
Finlay, Burke, Travers, Harris, Jackson, Milner,
Pearman, Fountain, Liburd, Hawkins, Oulton. Subs:
D.Stewart, N.Stewart, Kostoik, Wright.
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