SECOND HALF SUBS SPARK EIGHTH SUCCESS

Rugby Town fought hard to secure a club record-equalling eight successive win against AFC Hayes to remain top of the Evo Stik League Southern Division One Central.

By Jon Venner Tweet

Photo: Martin Pulley

Substitute Richard Blythe neatly chips the ball into the net to get Rugby on their way to a tough victory at Hayes

It was far from a classic performance by Dave Stringer’s men, but - as with all good teams – they were clinical when chances came their way, with the hosts were left rueing a string of missed goalscoring opportunities of their own.

All four of the game’s goals came in the second half, with Town sparked into life by the introduction of substitutes Richard Blythe and Seb Lake-Gaskin just before the hour mark.

Stringer had opted to keep with the same starting eleven that had heroically taken down previous league leaders Royston four days earlier, meaning the returning Blythe, Lake-Gaskin and Sam Youngs all warmed the bench at kick-off.

Rugby started well enough on a heavy pitch, with Fazel Koriya having a right foot shot parried away by Ben Goode, and Robbie Banks’s cross just out of David Kolodynski’s reach - after a great crossfield pass from Sam Belcher in the build-up play.

However, at the other end Town looked open at the back, and Jack Buckle almost took advantage of this when he broke far too easily down the middle before shooting just wide.

Valley’s best chance of the half then came when Craig Kelly’s deflected cross fell to Kolodynski, but after beating his defender, the club’s top scorer put his effort the wrong side of the upright.

The home side ended the half on top, with Dave Bevan twice saving from Hayes’s Lawrie Shennan, and Tony Mendy missing a great chance when he somehow steered the ball wide - after he had found himself in loads of space when one-on-one with Bevan.

Ahead of the crucial substitutions, the second half had started slowly.

Blythe was soon in the action though, heading just off target, before he and Lake-Gaskin played a neat one-two on the edge of the penalty area on 61 minutes – ending with Blythe applying a neat dink over Goode to open the scoring.

Lake-Gaskin then fizzled one just past the post, before Town received a massive let-off when Bevan was only shown a yellow card after he appeared to have illegally denied Mendy a clear strike on goal.

Tashan Jordan also went close for Hayes, before the visitors stretched their lead on 82 minutes when Koriya’s powerful header to Kelly’s near post cross gave Goode no chance.

Town’s two goal advantage was short lived though, as Jordan pounced on hesitancy from Youngs to fire home a good goal. Bevan then produced a potentially game clinching save shortly after, when he excellently tipped over a powerful rising effort.

With the hosts stretched at the back in search of an equaliser, Rugby really sealed the game with a minute of normal time remaining, when Lake-Gaskin broke quickly onto Banks’s long clearance – before beating two defenders and striking the net from eight yards.

It was therefore a ninth away victory of the season to celebrate for the travelling faithful – who totalled half of the attendance on the day.

Valley Line-up: Bevan; Myles, Kelly, Rowley, Gudger; Banks, Koriya, Belcher (Youngs), Palmer (Blythe); Evangelinos (Lake-Gaskin), Kolodynski. Subs not used: Booth, French. Booked: Bevan.