Non-League Football Forum

NUNEATON Town’s youth team graduates showed their massive value to the team as they proved to be the deciding factor in a hard fought derby clash.
Rugby Town might be bottom of the Zamaretto League Premier Division table, but they did not roll over and make life easy for their promotion chasing opponents.
The home side started well but 18-year-old Eddie Nisevic provided his regular moment of magic to set up 20-year-old James Armson on 13 minutes for the first of his two goals, which took him to 12 for the season.
Valley dug deep and could have scored an equaliser with the game’s pivotal moment when Matt Gearing was denied by a fantastic piece of defending by the other member of the trio Gareth Dean.
Kevin Wilkin’s side made them pay for the miss when Armson made it 2-0 and settled the game with a classy finish after 71 minutes.
The scoreline was given extra polish when last season’s top scorer Rob Foster came off the bench to finally net a first league goal of the campaign in stoppage time to round off a lively appearance.
Wilkin sprung something of a surprise by leaving left wing-back Simon Forsdick on the bench as Nisevic retained his place following good performances in the previous two games.
Guy Hadland made a solid return to the heart of the defence following a hamstring strain, while loan signing, midfielder Michael Jacobs, remained on the bench.
Rugby were without former Boro winger David Staff, although Michael Love continued in defence after an excellent performance in the 1-1 draw at Liberty Way two weeks ago.
Rugby made a flying start to the game and had a penalty appeal turned down when Nisevic slid in on Chris Tullin in the box.
But Boro slowly rallied and were the stronger team by the ten minute mark as Rob Oddy beat keeper Andy Stevens to a loose ball and clipped it into the box, but Love was there to clear.
It was 1-0 Nuneaton on 13 minutes when Stuart Pierpoint played a good ball down the left for Nisevic and his first touch took him inside two defenders.
He went for the byline and smashed the ball at Rugby keeper Stevens. His parry was met by Justin Marsden and the ball eventually dropped for Armson tapped in an 11th of the season.
Boro were having something of a purple patch as Kyle Storer flighted a free-kick comfortably wide. Stevens then felled Marsden outside the box and was booked, but Nuneaton could not find the second goal.
Marsden then hammered a shot over the bar before Stevens beat away an Armson drive with Chris Dillon putting the rebound wide.
Rugby could easily have gone under after the first goal but they dug in and looked lively until they reached the final third.
Their only shot on target was Gearing’s effort which Darren Acton saved easily. The first chance of the second half fell to Gearing on 56 minutes as he skipped around Acton, only for Dean to get back and make a brilliant goal saving block.
The second half had been an even affair but Boro got the crucial second goal after 71 minutes when Dillon crossed for substitute Foster.
He did well to hold the ball up and play in Armson. The 20-year-old cut inside and passed the ball into the bottom corner with his left foot - the finish of a confident player.
Dillon missed a decent chance to add a third when he was well picked out by Oddy down the left. He cut inside his man but shot wide from the edge of the box.
Armson came close to a hat-trick with five minutes to play when he turned Liam Nicell inside out on the edge of the box but he shot a yard wide.
Dillon was then denied a glorious chance when Nisevic was played in down the left but failed to pick out Boro’s leading scorer, who was unmarked in the middle.
Jacobs came on for Mark Noon late on and shot wide before having a free-kick tipped over by Stevens.
Foster finally had his first league goal of the season when Dillon got the ball on the edge of the box and teed up Oddy.
He scuffed his shot terribly but it dropped for Foster to turn and finish from eight yards with virtually the last kick.
GOALS: BORO — Armson (13,71) Foster (90+3)
VALLEY: Stevens, Tullin, Commander (Richards 59), Fellows (Thompson 80), Gordon (c), Love, Gearing, Oulton, Brown (Kewgyir 80), Nicell, Youngs; subs not used: Stringfellow, Bell
BORO (3-5-2): Acton 7; Dean 8, Hadland 7, Pierpoint 7; Oddy 7, Noon (c) (Jacobs 77) 7, Storer 7, Armson (Moore 88) 8, Nisevic 7; Dillon 7, Marsden (Foster 66) 7; subs not used: Spacey, Forsdick
REFEREE: Paul Hobday (Tipton) 8
ATTENDANCE: 612
YELLOW: BORO — Storer (foul on Fellows 57) VALLEY — Oulton (Persistent fouling 68), Nicell (throwing the ball away 76), Love (Foul on Moore 90+1)
RED: None
MAN OF THE MATCH: James Armson