Rugby Town endured another frustrating afternoon in Lincolnshire when they dropped more league points at Pinchbeck United.
The bulk of the game was played in the Pinchbeck half, but Valley only had a late Liam Francis equaliser to show for this - having fallen behind to a rare attacking highlight from the hosts in the seventh minute.
Carl Adams made two changes to his opening line-up from the previous weekend's defeat at Loughborough University - giving first league starts of the season to Fazel Koriya and Francis.
Rugby started brightly enough, but soon fell behind when Pinchbeck's Tyrone Burton finished off a move down their right hand flank when he steered the ball home after he had been given the space to turn in the box.
Ryan Seal nearly grabbed an equaliser though, after he had first combined well with Charlie Evans and then with Caine Elliott, before drawing a decent save from United keeper Rick Lovelace.
Francis headed the resulting corner from Seal straight into Lovelace's arms - one of a number of set-pieces that resulted from the superior possession and territory the visitors experienced in the lead-up to half-time.
Evans should have done better with Town's first real chance of the new period, when his first-time volley to a long through ball from keeper Matt Hill was also kept out by Lovelace.
However the biggest miss of the game saw Koriya somehow head wide sub Sam Lockley's cross from the left with the goal gaping just a couple of yards in front of him.
The goal did finally come for Valley though with ten minutes of normal time remaining, when Pinchbeck failed to clear a Loyiso Recci long throw, leading to Lockley's initial stabbed effort coming back off the woodwork for Francis to force the ball over the line.
Evans fired one wide from an angled position as Rugby pushed for a late winner, with Jazz Luckie also sending his effort from a tight angle wildly off-target.
For the home side, Jordan Nuttell headed one just over in the closing minutes too.
Valley
Line-up: Hill; L Recci, Francis, Clarke; Thomas (Lockley), Koriya, Elliott, White, Seal; Evans, Luckie. Subs not used: Bako, Kavanagh, Padmore, Alexander. Booked (Sin Bin): Luckie.
Pinchbeck line-up: Stallan, Ferrinho, Davis, Sackey-Mensah, Turner, Le Rougetel, Smith, Wilson, Akpobire, Dawes, Silva. Subs: Shores, Kacirek, Gaukroger,Bishop, Dunn. |