EASY DOES IT FOR RUGBY

Rugby kept up the pace at the top of the table, running out easy winners at Butlin Road against mid-table Barton Rovers to maintain their eleven game unbeaten league run.

By Jon Venner Tweet

Photo: Martin Pulley

Sam Youngs & captain for the day Mason Rowley look to add a sixth Rugby goal in the second half against Barton

Town were in rampant mood as they cruised to victory in a one-sided affair.

The final tally could have been greater had Rugby not taken their foot off the gas in the game’s final twenty minutes or so, with the visitors restricted to just one shot at goal throughout.

Dave Stringer rested skipper Robbie Banks, giving recent signing Lewis McBride a first start on the right of midfield instead – with Mason Rowley handed the captain’s armband.

Valley dominated from the off, and they scored with their first clear chance of the game on twelve minutes - when an exquisite forward pass from Sam Belcher picked out Fazel Koriya’s run and he applied a low finish into the corner of the net.

Sam Youngs’s near post flick went straight into the arms of Rovers’ keeper Richard Wilmot, and Ellis Myles shot over from the edge of the box, before the hosts made it two-nil when Seb Lake-Gaskin ran onto Dave Bevan’s long upfield punt and then lifted the ball over the oncoming Wilmot’s head.

Not long after, David Kolodynski grabbed Rugby’s third when Wilmot could only parry his effort into his own net after good work from Koriya on the left.

Town could have twice added to the total in the closing minutes of the first half, with McBride having one cleared off the line, and Wilmot pulling off a fine reaction save to Koriya’s close range strike.

After the restart, Rugby carried on from where they had left off and stretched their lead to five within just nine minutes of the second period.

First Alex Gudger flicked home Belcher’s lofted free-kick to score for the second consecutive match, and then Kolodynski got his second of the game when he showed nimble feet to skip round Wilmot and squeeze the ball over the line from a tight angle.

Minutes later, Kolodynski wasted a great chance for another Valley hat-trick - lifting his effort way over the bar after he had got in behind the Barton back-line.

Wilmot then injured himself twice denying Town’s leading scorer a further opportunity of a treble, and was replaced between the sticks by Rovers’ skipper Tommy Hull.

Rugby did not really test the emergency keeper from then on though, with only a Banks’ strike drifting just wide of the frame to show for their attacking forays.

Despite their predicament, the away side did at least show some commendable pride as the game drew to a close.

After subs Phil Smeaton and Bilal Hassan had both blazed shots way off-target, fellow replacement Jonny McNamara finally provided Bevan with some action with a low strike - which the Valley keeper got down well to turn around the post for a corner.

Valley Line-up: Bevan; Myles, Kelly, Gudger, Rowley; McBride, Koriya, Youngs (Palmer), Belcher (Blythe); Lake-Gaskin (Banks), Kolodynski. Subs not used: French, Booth. Booked: None.

Barton line-up: Wilmot, Maltay, Edgerley, Hull, Andrews, Leach, Hoenes, Bent, Blackwood, Dance, Hall. Subs: Smeaton, James, Hassan, McNamara, Vaughan.