VALLEY BEAT BRACKLEY

Valley put in an excellent performance in their second Butlin Road pre-season outing against Conference North side Brackley Town to secure a 1-0 win.

By Jon Venner Tweet

The trialling Greg Kaziboni smashed home the only goal of the game to secure a late winner and there was more good news for Valley with influential midfielder Sam Belcher also making an unexpected return to action from the bench.

Belcher was expected to be a long term absentee with knee ligament damage sustained in April at Burnham but scans have come back with positive news and the midfielder hopes to be fit in time for the start of the season.

Brackley had finished third in their division in 2012/13, narrowly missing out on a place in the Conference Premier after a 1-0 play-off defeat against FC Halifax.

The majority of that squad were on show at Butlin Road, but it was Stringer’s side that dominated from the off – with Michael Williams and Alex Gudger both going close early on, and Kaziboni also drawing a fine save from experienced keeper Billy Turley.

David Kolodynski then struck the woodwork for the first of three occasions with a bobbling effort from the edge of the area, a feat he repeated shortly after when he lifted the ball onto the post from close range after Gudger’s initial goalbound header had been blocked.

The visitors threatened rarely, although Rugby’s stand-in keeper Ross Etheridge did have to be on his guard to keep out a well-struck shot by Marvin Robinson.

The second period continued with the same pattern, with the hosts creating a number of good chances.

Seb Lake-Gaskin and Williams both tested Turley, before Kolodynski again somehow hit the frame from in front of an empty net after Lake-Gaskin had done particularly well on the right-hand side.

All Town’s good work looked as if it had been in vain when Brackley were then awarded a penalty, after Belcher was dispossessed on the edge of the box and Etheridge brought down Adrian Schab as a result.

Etheridge was down well to his right though to keep out Eddie Odhiambo’s spot-kick, with Sam Youngs then unable to apply a clinical finish at the other end after good work by Kaziboni.

In the final few minutes of the game Valley got their just rewards though, when Kaziboni finished off a neat passing move with an excellent strike into the corner of the net.

Valley Line-up: Etheridge; Myles, Kelly, Rowley, Gudger; Kaziboni, Williams, Mardsen, Youngs; Lake-Gaskin, Kolodynski. Subs used: Belcher, Bishop, Palmer.