A LATE spectacular strike from David Kolodynski rescued Rugby Town a point from their visit to the world’s oldest independent football club in the Evostik NPL – South Division, reports Jon Vennor.
Sheffield FC were celebrating their 158th anniversary on Saturday and were looking like marking it with the three points until Kolodynski lashed one home from 25 yards out deep into stoppage time to earn Valley a 1-1 draw.
With Seb Lake-Gaskin making a first start of the season and Ryan Walker back in the starting line-up for the first time in five matches, Valley started brightly enough, and Kolodynski had the ball in the net early on – but saw his effort disallowed for offside.
Lake-Gaskin then almost released Kolodynski, but home keeper Tom Dunn was out quickly to gather, and Lake-Gaskin was again the provider when he played Callum Powell clean through, but the striker’s high shot was strongly parried away by Dunn.
For Sheffield, Temi Raheem floated one wide of the target from the edge of the area, before Kevin Thornton and Kolodynski combined well to create another gilt-edged chance for Powell, but this time his heavy touch saw Dunn able to smother the ball.
Powell had one further decent opportunity ahead of the break, when Dunn tipped his near-post strike around the upright, whilst at the other end Liam Roberts pulled off a fine one handed save to deny Benny Igi-Ehon’s header with the hosts best opening of the period.
The second half was a different story though, with Town struggling to keep the ball and the home side gradually increasing the pressure as a result.
Igi-Ehon had headed one just over, before Sheffield took the lead after Jon Adams lost possession in his own half leading to substitute Bruno Holden cutting in from the left to finish low past Roberts.
Powell saw two further efforts pushed over the frame by Dunn, but Sheffield should really have put the game beyond the visitors when Igi-Ehon headed another off-target and Ahmed Ali then somehow ballooned over from six yards after Raheem had shown quick feet to skip past a couple of Rugby defenders.
However with the clock running down, Liam Roberts launched the ball upfield for Steve Towers to nod on to Kolodynski, who struck it first time to finally beat the inspired Dunn for a welcome equaliser.
