VALLEY REGISTER THEIR BIGGEST EVER SOUTHERN LEAGUE VICTORY

Rugby Town kept up the pressure at the top of the table with their best ever win in the Southern League structure at basement side Woodford United.

By Jon Venner Tweet

Photo: Martin Pulley

Debutant Andrew Spencer gets away from his marker during Rugby's record Southern League victory at Byfield Road

Rugby’s seven goal destruction of a Woodford side still looking for their first point of the campaign beat their previous best back in 1983 - their first year in the league.

The final tally could have been even greater had Town been more clinical in front of goal in the first half, with young United keeper Daniel Frayne also pulling off a series of inspired saves in the second.

The tone was set when Sam Belcher struck the crossbar with a great strike early on, and then Rugby took the lead when Lewis McBride neatly finished off Belcher’s pass in the tenth minute.

The hosts only real chance of the game followed this opener - when Dave Bevan did well to deny Josh Crawley, before Alex Gudger made it two-nil with a close range header from Ellis Myles’s cross.

Fazel Koriya spurned a trio of opportunities in quick succession, ahead of David Kolodynski’s successful 25th minute strike from the right side of the box.

Koriya grabbed Valley’s fourth with a close range effort after Myles had looped the ball towards the goal, and Koriya and Belcher missed further good chances, before Kolodynski struck again just before the interval after Mason Rowley’s head had connected with a Belcher corner.

Town continued to dominate the game in the second period, although the chances created were generally less clear cut. Kolodynski did strike the upright though, and Andy Spencer and Myles both put their efforts wide.

Frayne also kept out Sam Youngs’ deflected shot and then he turned another one from the same player onto the post.

Youngs finally struck the back of the net with ten minutes remaining though, before Frayne twice more denied the midfielder – the second time representing the save of the match to another deflected shot.

Craig Maisiri then marked his debut as a late substitute with a goal from virtually his first touch when he bundled the ball home from close range with just four minutes remaining.

Valley Line-up: Bevan; Austin, Myles, Rowley, Gudger; Koriya, McBride, Belcher (Palmer), Youngs, Spencer (Evangelinos); Kolodynski (Maisiri). Subs not used: None. Booked: None.

Woodford: Frayne, Lorraine, Inwood, Kightley, Merrey, Brunero, Oddy, Lyons, Chambers, Crawley, Bailey.