RUGBY CHALK UP ANOTHER FRIENDLY WIN

A Sam Youngs penalty settled this Butlin Road friendly fixture, with the hosts proving good value for the victory after a impressive overall display.

By Jon Venner Tweet

Photo: Martin Pulley

Midfielder Sam Youngs was on target with the only goal of the game from the penalty spot against Northern Premier side Stamford.

Town were good value for another win over higher level opponents, and the margin of victory could easily have been greater had they made more of the chances they created – notably during a particularly dominating first period.

Keeper Niall Cooper and full-back Lewis Bishop made first starts in a Rugby shirt, and midfielder Sam Belcher continued his unexpectedly speedy rehabilitation with another appearance from the bench.

Seb Lake-Gaskin, Justin Marsden and Youngs all went close in the first half – the latter’s great long-range strike denied by an excellent fingertip save by Stamford keeper Alex Lynch.

Mason Rowley then should have done better with his header from the resulting corner, but he guided the ball wide of the target instead.

The visitors looked a slightly stronger proposition in the second half though, with the introduction of Jordan Smith and ex-Rugby man Richard Wesley seeing them offer more threat in attacking play.

Wesley actually had the ball in the net just after the restart, but was ruled offside.

The ultimately decisive moment then came after Lewis McBride’s jinking run into the penalty area was halted illegally, and Youngs stepped up to stroke the spot-kick past Lynch.

Stamford put in their best spell of the game after this, with Ashley Robinson's free-kick from the left only just out of the reach of a number of his team-mates and Andy Burgess's low effort kept out by a full-length Cooper.

Town ended the game on top again though, with David Kolodynski tapping one into Lynch’s arms after a good break by Michael Williams, and the keeper pulling out another impressive stop to McBride's strike late-on.

Rowley again headed the resulting corner wide of the post.

Valley Line-up: Cooper; Bishop, Myles, Rowley, Gudger; McBride, Mardsen, Blythe, Youngs; Lake-Gaskin, Kolodynski. Subs used: Belcher, Williams, Dodd, Palmer.