Alex Gudger netted a stoppage time winner as nine-man Rugby Town returned to winning ways at Holloways Park.
Valley lead at the interval thanks to an own goal, before the second half included two penalties, two red cards and ultimately a stoppage –time winner from skipper Alex Gudger.
Richard Morris made his debut in goal for Rugby, with Sam Youngs recalled to the midfield in place of Kyle Bishop.
Town started brightly, and David Kolodynski had an early good chance when he cut in from the left to unleash a powerful shot from twelve yards – which was saved by Sam Bunting.
Morris then did well to keep out Lee Togwell’s deflected effort, before Kolodynski carved out another decent opportunity – only to again be denied by the fingertips of Bunting.
Justin Marsden miskicked one from close range and Will Grocott volleyed at the busy SYCOB keeper as Rugby continued to create chances, with the deadlock finally broken just before half-time when Seb Lake-Gaskin’s squared cross clipped off home defender Tom Gant to leave Bunting stranded.
It was the hosts that made the first real impact on the new period though, and Aaron Berry should have done better when clean through on goal, but instead he lifted the ball over the bar with Morris bearing down on him.
Rugby’s Ben George then became the first man to receive his marching orders, when he was adjudged to have committed an off-the-ball elbow on Ollie Jones in the penalty area - as the home side prepared to take a free-kick.
Beaconsfield’s Alex Murray slid home the consequential penalty to level the scores.
The loss of a player did not seem to affect Valley too negatively though, with Kolodynski nodding Grocott’s centre wide of the target and Lake-Gaskin also threatening with his header.
Kolodynski scuffed one wide, before he was given the chance to restore Town’s lead from the spot after the referee spotted a shirt pull on him in the box – however Bunting was equal to his strike from twelve yards.
This miss failed to dampen the ten man visitors’ spirits though, and they twice struck the bar in search of a goal – with Kolodynski’s curler from nearly twenty yards coming back of the woodwork and Gudger also heading a Sam Youngs’ corner against it.
Hopes of a winner seemed to evaporate after Youngs picked up two needless bookings within the space of a few minutes to join George in the dressing room, with Morris then pulling off a good stop to keep out Omari Patrick’s powerful strike.
However there was to be late drama when Kolodynski did well to block an attempted Beaconsfield clearance from a corner – giving Gudger the chance to fire his low shot into the back of the net.
Valley
Line-up: Morris; George, Kelly, Rowley, Gudger; Blythe, Grocott, Youngs, Marsden (Bishop); Lake-Gaskin (Austin), Kolodynski. Subs not used: Banks. Booked: Youngs, Lake-Gaskin, Blythe. Sent Off: George, Youngs.
Beaconsfield line-up: Bunting, Gant, Gray, Togwell, Munday, Murray, Kim, Carey, Berry, Thompson, Jones. Subs: Willment, De Souza, Vincente, Patrick, Kelynack. |