ANOTHER EXTRA TIME CUP DEFEAT

Valley suffered more extra time cup despair on Tuesday evening at Stafford’s Marston Road stadium, after Rangers’ substitute Danny Quinn settled the FA Trophy fixture from the penalty spot.

By Jon Venner Tweet

The two games between the sides were closely contested throughout and also somewhat eventful, with three red cards in total, as well as two penalties and a number of further contentious talking points – even if goalmouth action was in relatively short supply.

The replay followed a similar pattern, with Stafford offering the early threat - Carr heading just wide and Everall missing the target from close range, after Bevan had parried Peter Heler's shot.

Town’s best opportunity of the opening period fell to Saturday’s scorer Koriya, after he had cleverly rounded the keeper and cut back towards goal before stumbling at the crucial moment.

Carr was booked twice in just three minutes ahead of the break, first when he guided Turner's corner into the net with his arm and then for a rash tackle from behind on Richie Allen – giving Dumitru-Ravel Cheosiaua no option but to dismiss him, with Stafford assistant manager Dorrian Garner following him to the stands for his protests on the half-time whistle.

Allen’s low strike saw Alcock in fine form again, after Miles had picked him out with his pull-back from the right, and Alex Gudger headed just wide as Rugby looked to secure the victory in normal time.

Despite superior levels of possession, Town lacked incision and they gave themselves a mountain to climb when Kelly tripped Turner in the box in the first attacking play of extra time, and this time Rangers took full advantage from the spot when Quinn beat Bevan to his left.

Stafford's Karl Espley was the next to make an early retreat to the dressing room for a second yellow, ensuring the remainder of the game would be one-way traffic in Rugby’s favour.

Nine man Rangers held on though, with the visitors never really threatening Alcock’s goal to any great extent.

Miller, Steve Palmer and Tyron Amory all had chances but failed to test the keeper, whilst Kelly’s whipped-in cross just evaded the lunging efforts of two Valley players.

Town did finally get the ball in the net in the closing minutes of the second period of extra time, but sub Nik Evangelinos’s finish was ruled out after Ed Booth was adjudged offside from Seb Lake-Gaskin’s initial shot.

Valley Line-up: Bevan, Myles, Kelly, Miller, Booth, Gudger, Palmer, Allen (Austin), Lake-Gaskin, Koriya (Evangelinos), Banks (Amory). Booked: Miller, Allen, Booth.

Stafford line-up: Alcock, Espley, Davies, Walshe, Dicker, Carr, Turner, Downes, Everall, Heler, Pitt. Subs used: Quinn, Sheldon, Forde, Newman, Read.