RUGBY Town’s faint hopes of making the Northern Premier League Division One South play-offs were extingushed with a 3-1 defeat away at Chasetwon on Saturday, reports Jon Venner.
Other results went against Dale Belford’s side and to make matters worse they played the whole of the second half with only ten men after defender Tom James was sent off just before half-time after receiving two yellow cards in as many minutes.
Belford made two changes from the thriller defeat against Coalville with Sam Andrew returning in goal after injury and Kevin Thornton also returned in place of David Kolodynski.
Town nearly made the perfect start when in the first minute, Andrew pumped a cracking ball forward into the opposite half and Mitch Piggon turned the defender who brought him down.
A freekick was awarded in a dangerous area and Thornton produced a thunderous shot which hit the underside of the bar and kicked away from goal. Rugby made the brightest start with both Callum Powell and Piggon having decent but off target efforts.
Rugby took the lead in the 33rd minute when Steve Towers reacted first to a punch clear from home keeper John Bateman. His sweetly struck lob had the keeper backpeddling towards his goal, but it was too late and Town were in front.
However the lead lasted less than a minute when Chasetown equalised through striker Paul Sullivan. He slotted home from close range after a decent pass from Nick Turton.
The game turned though in the 44th minute when James was sent off, making him the first player for Rugby this season to receive his marching orders. The ink was barely dry on his first yellow when he brought down Stan Mugisha deep in the Rugby half and the ref had no hesitation in bringing out a red card.
Rugby were up against it in the second half and Chasetown made Rugby pay with two goals to take the initiative in the match.
O’Sullivan bagged his second in the 66th minute when he found space in the centre and unleased his shot from 20 yards out, and the bounce deceived Andrew in the Rugby goal and went past him into the net.
This goal was coming after Sullivan and Mugisha both had chances to score. The third goal which won the match for Chasetown came ten minutes later, with Sullivan the provider this time for James Dance who did a perfect move on the edge of the area to score with accuracy past Andrew. Susbstitute Luke Delaney had a decent chance right at the end but should have done better rather than shoot straight at Bateman.
