WIN SEES RUGBY TOWN KEEP PRESSURE ON LEADERS

KIRBY MUXLOE 1 RUGBY TOWN 4
UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION @ RATBY ROAD
3 NOVEMBER 2018 --- 2PM

EARLY EFFORT FOR RUGBY TOWN AND RICHARD BLYTHE

A brace from substitute Harry Holloway helped visitors Rugby Town secure a reflective victory on their overall ninety minutes and it complemented nicely Danico Johnson who secured the other two goals for the visitors against a lowly Kirby Muxloe.
A 2pm kick off for a game with floodlight issues so an arrival in the village of Kirby Muxloe just to the west of Leicester around 1 hour before start time.  The sleepy village finds the football club on the extreme end of the hamlet down Main St off Station Road I failed to locate a chippy although it did seem the sort of village that would fight tooth and nail to avoid having one and was clearly a well to do smart area throwing a complete opposite to Leicester city centre.  It would have been the sort of village that would have welcomed a Waitrose local if such a thing existed.  Sadly the villages star attraction its castle was closed today and seems to have very limited opening hours so I was unable to get a picture or wax lyrically, if I could, about its moat and history.

SMART SET UP AT KIRBY MUXLOE WITH THE BUSTLING M1 JUST BEHIND

Turning onto Ratby Lane the football club and cricket ground soon appears to the sports fanatic and with a smart clubhouse this added to the nice little set up.  Sadly it seems the club is in a little bit of an interchange between committees and there would be no programme, something I guess that has been for this season so far a reality, a great shame for a step 5 club.  But as ever a small band of elderly volunteers are keeping the village side going and with a ground that looks good, with talk of 4g arriving, I could thank my lucky stars that on the travel down for once I get a seat on the train from base station and believe it or not on the way back too.

HERES DIFFERENT ROOFED ONLY STAND

With the clubhouse behind the entrance goal and walking to the right over the far side of this is the cricket club first we reach a stone extended shed like stand with two or so rows of moulded plastic and bench seats, further on is a smart Atcost stand with 'KMFC' within its seating structure.  Behind the far goal is a strange roofed only stand with no sides that sits directly behind the goal offering a surreal view.  Coming back towards the entrance are the two dug outs which are relatively unique made of the strengthened roof type material of old style conservatories.  With hard standing all the way around the pitch its a smart little set up and after gaining the teams with thanks to todays referee Mathew Paul it was time for proceedings to begin.

FIRST HALF RUGBY ON THE BALL

Rugby Town were just off the top and seeking a quick return to headier heights and you have to say for a club like The Valley its a rude awakening with their superb Butlin Rd ground and a selection of smartly attired officials it was a club I enjoyed visiting a few years ago and after catching up with a few of their supporters today I'm eager to do a re visit.

LETS ALL CELEBRATE WITH DANICO JOHNSON [R] DOUBLE SCORER FOR RUGBY TOWN

It was a scruffy and frustrating opening but with Rugby in the ascendancy their first chance came on 25 minutes with Richard Blyhte seeing his shot come back off the post and then the back of the Kirby keepers head to safety.  On the stroke of the half hour Kirby created a superb chance from Jamie Merriman who forced the visiting keeper Mathew Hill into a double save before Andre Williams fired over.  Just as it looked likely to be goal less at the break Johnson got his first with an edge of the box shot that crept in by the left hand post and then moments later Home got in a mess in the visitors goal and Johnson crashed a great opportunity against the post.

RUGBY CAUTION THE BENCH CANT LOOK

Having purchased a small tray of chips for a pound mind you so not too bad, it was time to get back outside for the second period which started with the visitors very much looking to extend their lead and so they did within two minutes of the re start when Johnson got his and the visitors second with a shot across the keeper into the far corner of the net.  It was livewire Johnson who was denied by a great save from Hill before home defender Joe Morrall cleared off the line on 55 minutes and with Rugby looking rampant for more goals something strange happened.  You see it so many times whether instructions went out or players made their own call they slowed the game down taking an age on one corner, all advising one another to 'slow it down' and overplaying the game the gears had visibly moved down. I never understand why, they were so far ahead and looking to extend their lead which was only a matter of time had the same tempo been kept up.

VIEW FROM THE RUGBY END AS TOWN ATTACK THE STAND WITH NO SIDES END

The change of pace gave Kirby Muxloe hope and they were getting a foothold in the game and reduced the deficit on 64 minutes when Morrall crashed a 20 yard effort off the underside of the bar for Adam Parry to tap home the loose ball.  For a selective few minutes there was a possibility of the home side pulling level but the changing moment came with a double substitution on 71 minutes and when 90 seconds later with his first touch of the game Harry Holloway converted from close range Rugby had got the two goal cushion back in place.  With five minutes remaining the tricky sub had his second when he converted a low cross from fellow sub Simeon Tulloch to make it 4-1 for the visitors who were now finishing strong and in the closing stages Home saved well from Blythe.

KIRBY KEEPER PALMS AWAY FROM CHARLIE EVANS

It all finished how Rugby Town had wanted the pace keeps going fast at the top of The UCL but that relaxing period of the second half could have seen more pressure on the visitors who always had you felt more than enough in the locker to win this encounter.
Return journey into the city went well with time for a large food chain break before boarding the train to base which 50 minutes later would see me depart roughly on time with a set of journeys that today, whisper it quietly, would see seats secured on every leg of travel!