Football:
Fightback fails to save the day

Redditch United 3 Rugby Town 2

Red Insure Cup Round Two

REDDITCH avenged the Birmingham Senior Cup defeat Rugby inflicted on them earlier in the season with a narrow victory on Monday night.

Despite falling 3-0 behind with little more than 30 minutes on the clock for the second successive game, Valley were unlucky not to take the tie to a penalty shoot-out after staging a gritty comeback.

After half chances for Seb Lake-Gaskin and Josh O’Grady, the hosts took an eighth minute lead when Omari Sterling-James capitalised on Mason Rowley’s hesitancy before executing a fabulous lob to beat Niall Cooper from 20-yards.

Town responded well to the early setback though and Alex Gudger’s great volley on the turn was matched by Sam Hornby’s equally impressive diving save.

Hornby was also alert to save a low shot from Sam Youngs before Cooper was called into action at the other end, pulling off a fine save to deny the dangerous Sterling-James.

The visitors suddenly found themselves three goals behind when Redditch struck twice within a couple of minutes.

Edwin Ahenkorah make it 2-0 when converting in the 32nd minute and Harvey Headley was given too much space in the box shortly afterwards to add a third.

Youngs soon gave Rugby hope when heading Craig Kelly’s deep free-kick past Hornby before Mitchell Piggon and Youngs again went close to reducing the deficit further before half time.

Rugby pulled another one back three minutes into the second half when Aaron Moses-Garvey fed Youngs to curl an effort into the top corner, meaning it was game on again.

The visitors were the better side for the remainder of the contest but just could not find the finishing touch to their build-up play.

Lake-Gaskin’s rising shot from the edge of the area was saved, O’Grady’s long range effort flew over the bar and Youngs missed out on a hat-trick after his great surging run from the halfway was ended with a shot that lacked power.

Redditch were still creating chances of their own at the other end though and Cooper did well to tip Ashley Sammons’ low shot round the post and then deny Headley when the striker was clean through on goal.

The two sides traded further good chances with Youngs slicing over from 12-yards and Cooper again showing good reflexes to keep out Jermaine Hylton’s low effort.

Despite their attacking intent, it just was not going to be Rugby’s evening and Justin Marsden saw the final chance go begging, being denied by another Hornby save.

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