Last gasp leveller denies Rugby Town the win at Desborough

United Counties League - Premier Division South

Desborough Town 2 Rugby Town 2

Town conceded a stoppage time equaliser to share the points on a bobbly Waterworks Field surface.

It had looked like a Caine Elliott double would see a patchwork Rugby side through a tough encounter, until home sub Thomas Gudyer popped up with his 94th minute leveller.

With a number of injuries and other unavailabilities to their squad, Valley's assistant boss Justin Marsden - deputising for the suspended Carl Adams - sent out a starting line-up showing four changes from the previous outing at North Shields, with Liam Francis, Alex Lock, Josh Thomas and Adam Shaw all on from the off.

The game started quietly, with the first real chance of it falling to the hosts, when Barnes Gladman took advantage of defensive hesitancy by Town to fire in a decent effort which brought a good save from Ash Bodycote.

A potential run on goal by Shaw was then illegally curtailed by a Desborough defender, whilst a Max Johnson free-kick was comfortably taken by home keeper Chris Jones, as the visitors looked to gain a foothold on proceedings.

Desborough had their moments of threat too though, with Dan Summerfield doing well to clear the danger after Jake Bettles had rounded Bodycote in a wide position.

Shaw blazed one over, before Valley ended the half with the opening goal when Danico Johnson was played in down the right hand side, before squaring the ball for the oncoming Elliott to add a composed finish from six yards.

The home side started the new period impressively, with Alvin Magagada having a good strike blocked by Barry Fitzharris and Bodycote pushing away a curling effort by Bettles.

Bodycote was back in the action shortly after, when he was off his line quickly to again thwart Bettles, but he could do nothing to stop Thomas Mills's near post header to Gladman's cross on 72 minutes which restored the state of parity.

Rugby stepped up a gear after this setback, with Shaw denied by a well-timed tackle from Aaron Davies and Elliott almost adding his second after the midfielder had surged through the middle of the Desborough defence only to see his shot saved by Jones.

Desborough continued to find space in behind the makeshift Rugby defence though, and twice Gladman found himself with runs in on goal, but both times Bodycote was alert to the situation - although Town were fortunate to escape the second opportunity when the striker almost followed up on the loose ball to score.

At the other end, Thomas's header to Max Johnson's cross was well-saved by Jones, with Lock sending the rebound volley onto the bar, but the next passage of play saw Valley regain the lead when Elliott completed another cool finish by guiding Danico Johnson's delivery from the left into the bottom corner.

Jones kept the margin down to a goal with a neat low save to Shaw's shot on the turn, although immediately following this he was sinbinned for ten minutes for dissent.

Rugby were unable to take advantage of the period of numerical supremacy though, with the closest they came to testing stand-in gloveman Davies coming when Max Johnson's effort drifted wide of the target.

With Desborough back to their full complement, they pressed on for another equaliser.

Town had fortunate escapes when Gudyer helped Betts's cross wide and then Betts himself was denied by a good blocking tackle by Fitzharris, but Gudyer had the last laugh when he nodded in Bodycote's parry to a shot from Liam Boath in the dying moments of the game.

Rugby line-up: Bodycote, J.Thomas, Ahenkorah, Francis, Fitzharris, Summerfield, M.Johnson, Lock (Semahimbo), Shaw, D.Johnson, Elliott. Sub not used: Marsden, Rosser

Desborough line-up: Jones, Magagada, Lashley, Boath, Davies, Bradshaw, Bettles, Konteh, Gladman, Blaikie, Mills. Subs: Johnson, Archer, Gudyer

Rugby Star Man: Caine Elliott