Football:
Triumphant Town hit back in style

Rugby Town 3 Uxbridge 1

Southern League Division One Central

RUGBY fought back from behind to win for the second game running on Saturday as they made it seven league successes on the spin.

Both teams eased themselves into the match with little of note to report until visiting keeper Rourke Pickford pushed Sam Youngs’ in-swinging corner onto the woodwork after 15 minutes.

Craig Kelly’s long range effort was easily taken by Pickford with Uxbridge then threatening at the other end when Niall Cooper pushed away Kieran Knight’s effort from distance.

Before that Town had been lucky to escape a penalty when Alex Gudger’s clumsy challenge on skipper Wayne Carter went unpunished.

Rugby debutant Greg Kaziboni had a good shot blocked and then he got in behind on the right, but was unable to find a team-mate with his cross, before David Kolodynski struck the base of both posts with his low strike.

The visitors responded immediately to this close escape with Kelly executing an important saving tackle on Knight when the striker was poised to hit the target.

The second period also started slowly with clear cut chances at a premium - although Seb Lake-Gaskin and Kolodynski almost combined to break the deadlock, but the former’s pull-back was just too high to allow the latter to make a telling contact.

Instead it was the always dangerous-looking Uxbridge who struck first after 57 minutes when Craig Tomkins outmuscled Alex Gudger on the right before picking out Lewis Wallace - whose first time finish beat Cooper from close range.

Rugby were level within ten minutes though when a well-worked move - including contributions from Kolodynski and Lake-Gaskin - was rounded-off successfully with a carefully placed finish from the edge of box by Youngs.

With the game evenly poised Valley pushed hard to seize the initiative as Youngs headed Kelly’s cross over the bar.

Town’s second goal came when Kolodynski showed good control and composure after he had chased down a long pass before rolling the ball across to Lake-Gaskin - who helped it home with just nine minutes of normal time remaining.

Shortly afterwards, Kolodynski got on the end of another long ball - this time by Mason Rowley - and from his subsequent run at goal, keeper Pickford’s clearance bounced back off him and over the line to make it 3-1.

Substitute Mitchell Piggon could have added a fourth in added-on time but he scuffed his effort after he had skipped around Pickford.

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