Rugby's Communications Park hoodoo continued with another disappointing local derby reverse, impacting significantly on Valley’s play-off chances in the process.
For the fifth season running, Town were deservedly beaten at Daventry, and whilst the margin of defeat was not as great as some previous match-ups there, they still failed to put in a decent account of themselves in what was a must-win encounter for them.
Valley boss Dave Stringer made two changes from the previous game at Hayes, with Alex Gudger making a first start since his ankle injury and Seb Lake-Gaskin also back in the opening line-up. Mason Rowley put a header over the bar from Will Grocott’s corner early on, but generally both sides struggled to create much of note to threaten the two keepers.
Daventry probably had the best chance of the first half when Simon King’s long range snapshot volley was palmed away by Neil Collett, with former Rugby youth player James Weale also testing Collett with a speculative effort.
At the other end, Richard Gregory put one into the side netting in a rare attacking foray by the visitors. Things improved marginally for Valley in the second period, and there was a little more urgency to their play.
Seb Lake-Gaskin helped Grocott’s cross from the right wide from close range, and Sam Youngs also dragged the ball dangerously across the face of the goal – but agonisingly out of the reach of sub Mitchell Piggon.
The danger signs had been there earlier in the half when Anthony O’Connor drew a good reaction stop from Collett, and another ex-Valley man Aaron King also had a shot saved, and it was O’Connor that broke the deadlock with nine minutes remaining when he slammed the ball across the line after a goalmouth scramble following Ricky Hill’s long throw.
Rugby's fate was sealed four minutes minutes later when a misplaced clearance from Collett fell to Simon King, who craftily lifted the ball over the back-pedalling Rowley into an empty net.
Home keeper Ronnie Carroll ended the game having not made a save of note throughout, as the hosts comfortably saw out the final exchanges in front of a despondent away following.
Valley
Line-up: Collett; Austin, Kelly, Rowley, Gudger; Grocott; Burns (Rankin), Blythe (Koriya); Youngs; Lake-Gaskin, Gregory (Piggon). Subs not used: George, Banks. Booked: None. |