SIX MORE FOR RAMPANT VALLEY

Rugby coasted to a ninth straight home win after establishing a six goal advantage at Butlin Road, before two late consolation goals from the visitors reduced the final margin of victory.

By Jon Venner Tweet

Photo: Martin Pulley

Seb Lake-Gaskin was back to his best eventually getting his reward for his performance with Rugby's sixth goal against Uxbridge at Butlin Road

Town raced into a six goal advantage – including four in the first half, before the visitors responded with two late consolations.

With Sam Belcher suspended and Craig Kelly and Robbie Banks injured, boss Dave Stringer recalled Seb-Lake Gaskin, Alex Austin and Fazel Koriya to the starting line-up with Andy Stevens continuing to cover for Dave Bevan between the sticks.

After a slow start, Rugby took the lead on 15 minutes, when Lake-Gaskin played in Sam Youngs, and the midfielder showed good touch to create space for himself – before firing the ball low past Matt Elston-Bull.

Lake-Gaskin’s swerved one straight at the keeper, before Town made it two when Koriya’s free-kick into crowded box ended up in the net – with Alex Gudger claiming the final touch.

David Kolodynski was then upended in the box by Elston-Bull to win his side a penalty, and Kolodynski himself stepped up to drill home the spot-kick down the middle of the goal.

Uxbridge’s Mark Dennison then headed over from a good position in a rare attacking highlight for the visitors, before Valley grabbed their fourth just before the interval when Koriya rolled the ball across the line from close range after Kolodynski had done well on the right.

Another neat finish from Youngs on 53 minutes stretched the lead to five, before Stevens made his first real save of the game when he was down well to keep out Nike Kabamba’s low header.

An excellent strike by Lake-Gaskin made it six after Lewis McBride’s through ball had picked him out, and then McBride was denied a seventh by Elston-Bull shortly after.

The now-coasting Valley side twice switched off in the closing ten minutes of the game though, and both Kabamba and fellow substitute Matt Woods got in behind the Rugby back-line to fire home low shots.

Youngs squandered a great chance for a second hat-trick in Town colours late-on, when he fired a close range effort straight at the keeper after Kolodynski had rolled the ball across the face of the goal to him.

Valley Line-up: Stevens; Austin, Myles, Gudger, Rowley; McBride, Koriya (Evangelinos), Youngs, Blythe (Palmer); Lake-Gaskin, Kolodynski. Subs not used: Miller, Booth. Booked: None.

Uxbridge line-up: Elston-Bull, Ottra, Dennison, Fitzgerald, Howell, Carter, Smith, Madigan, Julienne, Farrell, Tomkins. Subs: Kabamba, Murray, Woods