Rugby Town 0–3 Wellingborough Town
The Valley were without a win since Boxing Day before the visit of playoff-chasing Wellingborough- and the gap in quality was clear from the off
A chilly Saturday afternoon had me wrapped up and walking over to Butlin Road, home of Rugby Town FC. To say The Valley are in poor form would be an understatement. Four wins from 27 heading into this one concerned fans, and the chatter from the stands reflected this.
The walk from Rugby town centre across the ground is around 30 minutes, and you can take advantage of some very decent pubs before heading out that way. I had a pint in The Crown and caught some of the Nottingham Forest v Brighton game. With the score already at 3–0 when I arrived I didn’t expect to see much, but I was there long enough to see the fourth and fifth.
Halfway towards the ground, I checked the score to find it was 7–0. It was a bad day at the office for The Seagulls, surely my match wouldn’t be as one-sided. It wasn’t, but the ease at which the visitors took the points wasn’t far off.
I emerged from the clubhouse pint in hand as the players came out onto the pitch. Wellingborough’s red and white checked shirt made it look as though Rugby were welcoming Croatia to this corner of Warwickshire, and their forwards moved the ball around like a prime side at times.
The visitors had more of the ball in the opening exchanges, but Rugby were quick to win the ball back on occasions and momentum was with them. Just past the 20-minute mark any of this momentum was lost, however. A loose ball was pounced on by Jessi Obeng who broke clear of the host’s defence, and he slipped it through to Doughboys debutant Tyler Winters. He found the bottom corner despite Rugby keeper Paul Hathaway’s best efforts. 0–1 and a familiar feeling for Rugby fans with a few grumbles rising from the couple of hundred watching on.
This led to a shift where Wellingborough were happy to sit with the ball. A series of corners paid off for the visitors. Standing in line right behind Danny Draper as he put the inswinging ball into the box, it looked as though it would cause bother from the moment it left his boot. George Barnell got the crucial touch as the ball crossed the line before being cleared. 2–0 Wellingborough and there were no complaints about this being an unfair scoreline.
A stand out player was Wellingborough’s number nine Neo Richard-Noel, the forward linked up well with his midfielders and was a constant threat through the first half. The visitors went in at the break in a comfortable position.
Rugby did have their chances, but the lack of confidence in front of goal was telling. 22 goals in 28 league games this season is one of the reasons why relegation is a genuine possibility this season.
Half time came and an exodus to the clubhouse for some warmth. The Six Nations was in full swing, and catching a bit of the rugby whilst enjoying a pint in the town where the sport was invented was a nice break from the February weather, the second half would be an uphill battle for the hosts.
Wellingborough looked in control and Rugby failed to get going in a half where they probably needed to come out with far more effort. There was a sense of the visitors having already got the job done, and halfway through the second half the icing was applied to the cake.
Chris Clements was dispossessed outside his penalty area and Will Jones, who had been on the pitch as a substitute for barely a minute, finished into the bottom corner. The game was done and dusted for the visitors, and they were comfortable in seeing the game out with a clean sheet to keep the pressure on those above them.
As for Rugby, they are seven points adrift of safety with sides above them having games in hand on them. With 12 games remaining, they’ll need to look at taking points off teams near them, with a trip to AFC Rushden and Diamonds up next being a good place to start. It looks set to be a case of Deja Vu if The Valley are to stay up this season, with last year’s brilliant end-of-campaign run being miraculous.
Lye Town, Grantham, and Bedworth United are all around Rugby in the table, and Rugby still need to play them. Wins in these games are what will help them stay up, but it’s no secret that time is running out.
It was another enjoyable visit to Butlin Road, and having this club as a local side is a real joy. The side might be struggling on the pitch, but off it, Rugby Town FC remains a welcoming club with a friendly set-up.
