Football
Town battle hard to secure eighth straight victory

AFC Hayes 1 Rugby Town 3

Southern League Division One Central

RUGBY were made to fight hard at Hayes on Saturday for a club record-equalling eighth successive victory that leaves them two points clear at the top of the table.

It was a scrappy contest throughout on a difficult pitch and despite going 2-0 ahead in the second half, Rugby had to ride their luck to hold out for the victory.

Valley started well with David Kolodynski missing the best chance of the first half but the hosts came back strongly towards the break and only poor finishing prevented them taking the lead.

The start of the second half proved quiet until Dave Stringer's double substitution introduced Richard Blythe and Seb Lake-Gaskin.

The newly-introduced pair combined superbly as Blythe played a great one-two with Lake-Gaskin with the former dinking the ball over the oncoming goalkeeper and into the net.

Rugby were unusually exposed in defence and again had to ride their luck as a combination of David Bevan's excellent goalkeeping and woeful finishing cost Hayes.

Valley doubled their lead against the run of play with another well worked goal as Lake-Gaskin was again involved, feeding Craig Kelly down the left whose near post cross was powerfully headed home by Fazel Koriya.

Hayes did get their goal soon after as substitute Sam Youngs lost possession on the edge of his own area and Jordan fired the ball into the corner from the edge of the area.

Rugby stood up to the pressure late on and got another goal on the break with Lake-Gaskin outstripping his man from the half way line before tucking the ball home from close range.

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