Football
Lights go out on cup clash

Rugby Town 2 Daventry Town 2

Red Insure Cup Round Three

Match abandoned after 68 minutes due to floodlight failure

RUGBY and Daventry will have to battle it out all over again next week after Tuesday’s clash was prematurely halted due to a problem with the Butlin Road floodlights.

There were 22 minutes left when the ground was plunged into darkness and with little prospect of a quick resolution, referee Mike Bingham took the decision to abandon the match.

All four goals scored in the aborted game had come in the first half, with Tyrone Fagan twice on target for Valley.

He opened the scoring after five minutes when his looped effort deflected off a Daventry defender and over the head of Joe Mellings after Luke Keen had provided him with the chance.

It was a short-lived lead though as six minutes later Josh O’Grady speared a shot into the bottom left hand corner of the net after Nathan De Monte rolled the ball into his path.

Daventry went ahead in the 22nd minute when Joe Cobb’s free kick deflected off the back of Scott Cross’ legs to trickle past Pete Smith.

Rugby responded well though with Richie Allen having a good chance saved by Mellings whilst Fagan’s speculative effort from 25-yards skidded just wide of the post.

The goal of the night came from Fagan three minutes before half time when the striker finished well after Keen found him with an impressive through ball.

Valley had the better chances of the curtailed second half with Seb Lake-Gaskin going close just after the restart and Fagan squandering a chance of a third after Allen had released him through the middle.

However, it all proved immaterial after the electrical fault forced the players to leave the pitch, meaning they will return on Tuesday to start things all over again.