Rugby bowed out of the FA Cup after defeat at Basford United in the Second Qualifying Round at Greenwich Avenue.
The two-level higher hosts were ultimately good value for their victory thanks to a goal just before and just after the half-time break, but the travelling Valley faithful left Nottingham aggrieved by a trio of potentially match deciding decisions in the final few minutes of that opening period.
Town's starting line-up showed one change from the side that had deservedly navigated its way through a replay victory over Grantham in the previous round, with Ryan Seal in for Justin Marsden.
The visitors were under pressure from the off, with United skipper Matt Thornhill's free-kick deflecting over and one-time Valley striker Gregg Smith three times clearing the target with headers.
For Rugby, a misdirected Loyiso Recci header to a Seal set-piece represented a rare foray forward for them, although despite this, they were enjoying a reasonable share of possession and generally were coping well with Basford's attacking endeavours.
Anthony Dwyer then struck one straight at Town keeper Matt Hill, before Ben Starkie dragged his shot wide from the edge of the penalty area.
Hill gathered a further effort by Dwyer, ahead of the first two of the contentious decisions by the match referee, with Valley first punished for a foul on Starkie just on the edge of their box and then Recci was adjudged to have handled the resulting free-kick inside of it after Dwyer had blasted the ball into the Rugby wall.
Dwyer stepped up to drill home the penalty to give United a 42nd minute lead, despite Hill diving the correct way.
However there was still time for further controversy - at the other end this time, when after a neat move involving three consecutives Caine Elliott one-twos between him and Dan Summerfield, Madundo Semahimbo and David Kolodynski respectively, Elliott appeared to be taken down as he shaped to shoot from eight yards out.
Rugby's appeals for a spot-kick of their own were waived away though, and the home side left the field shortly after with their one goal advantage still intact.
There was nothing to debate about Basford's second though on 50 minutes, when a neat move involving Smith, Thornhill and Starkie ended with a composed close-range finish for United's debuting Notts County loanee Luther Munakandafa.
Dwyer fired one over as the hosts nearly grabbed a third shortly after, with Smith once more missing the target with a subsequent strike.
Town then put in their best spell of the game, although had little to show for their efforts - aside from a speculative looping shot by Seal from distance, which failed to trouble keeper Kieran Preston.
As the game drifted to a close, Preston was called into action to gather a low strike by Barry Fitzharris after Seal had a rolled a free-kick into his path, with Seal's rising effort - also from a free-kick - which sailed over the bar representing Rugby's final opportunity for a consolation.
Valley Line-up: Hill; Rosser, Francis (Thomas), Recci; Kear, Summerfield, Fitzharris, Elliott, Seal; Semahimbo (Ahenkorah), Kolodynski. Subs not used: Lock, Bodycote, English. Booked: Semahimbo, Summerfield.
Basford line-up: Preston, Betts, Barnes, Chapman, McGowan, Irvine, Starkie, Thornhill, Smith, Dwyer, Munakandafa. Subs: Roma, Grantham, Palmer, Dunn, Musson. . |