Market Drayton Town 2-3 Rugby Town
Evostik NPL –
South Division
FOOTBALL: VALLEY recorded only their second league win on the road this season, thanks to a three goal blitz within ten first half minutes at the Greenfields Sports Ground, reports Jon Venner.
The Shropshire hosts twice managed to reduce the deficit after the restart to provide a unnecessarily tense conclusion, but ultimately a David Kolodynski brace and Trey Brathwaite’s strike gave Town three extremely valuable points.
Rugby boss Gary Moran made four changes to his starting line-up with keeper Louis Connor, Warren Brooks and Levi Rowley back in for the unavailable/suspended trio Dan Jezeph, Ryan Quinn and Mitchell Thomson, and Moran himself replaced the recently-departed Callum Westwood at full-back.
A relatively even opening first ten minutes of the game saw William Whieldon and Glyn Coney miss chances for the home side, whilst David Kolodynski, Levi Rowley and Chris Sterling all failed to finish off a flicked-on Kyle Rowley long throw, with Levi Rowley also just heading over Brathwaite’s free-kick.
The visitors did take the lead though on the quarter of the hour mark, when Kolodynski nipped in on Market defender Tyrell Payton’s header back towards his own goal, before steering the ball over the line at the second attempt.
Drayton keeper Ashley Rawlins was soon somehow spilling Brathwaite’s low free-kick into his own net for Rugby’s second, and then Kolodynski grabbed another on 24 minutes by smashing home after Brooks’ powerful challenge had fallen to him in the box.
Joe Cuff smashed a shot against Town’s bar, with Whieldon and Coney also going close as the hosts looked to cut the lead ahead of the interval, and at the other end Levi Rowley’s dangerous cut-back across the goal was also cleared away to safety before the half-time whistle.
Levi Rowley volleyed wide of the target with the second half’s opening opportunity, but the Gingerbread Men did manage to pull one back on 59 minutes when Whieldon finished off a Judd Ellis’ assist.
The home side’s hopes of an unlikely comeback appeared to diminish shortly after though, when Andrew Hartlebury was dismissed for a second yellow card, and Valley should then really have put the game to bed after they created a string of decent chances.
First Kolodynski was denied at the far post by a good save from Rawlins after Brathwaite had done well to pick him out, and then Danny Campbell found Sterling in the box, but he flashed his shot just wide.
Kyle Rowley also hit the woodwork with a looping header, with Sterling and Campbell both unable to force home the rebound, before Connor pulled off a fine save to tip over Whieldon’s well-struck free-kick.
Rugby sub Tevin Shakespeare’s diving header then went the wrong side of the target, but Coney set up a nervous final few minutes for the travelling fans when he followed up on another fine stop by Connor to Ben Osei’s strike to score.
