Valley’s stuttering start to the season continued last Saturday, with pre-season title favourites Slough inflicting another heavy defeat on Dave Stringer’s side.

Returning to league action for the first time since a 5-0 reverse at Daventry, Rugby were virtually singlehandedly destroyed by Slough striker Ed Smith – who grabbed all four goals in an incident-packed game at Butlin Road.

With Lewis McBride unavailable and Sam Belcher injured, there were recalls for Michael Williams and Richard Blythe, and Williams almost marked his return to the side with a goal in the second minute – but was denied by a brave stop from Rebels’ keeper Jake Somerville.

Smith also tested Niall Cooper early in the game, before both sides were reduced to ten men within the opening half an hour. Rugby’s Craig Kelly was sent off for handling on the goal-line - before Michael Blount also saw red for denying David Kolodynski a goalscoring opportunity.

Smith’s penalty following the Kelly dismissal was well-saved by Niall Cooper, but following Blount’s departure, Valley had their best spell of the game - with Sam Youngs fizzing one just the wrong side of the upright and Kolodynski almost forcing Ed Booth’s header home.

However right on the stroke of half-time, the visitors took the lead when a poor pass by Alex Gudger was intercepted and Smith was released through the middle – before rounding Cooper to score.

Seb Lake-Gaskin twice caused the Slough defence problems in the early exchanges of the second period, before Smith struck again on 52 minutes, skipping past Booth before finishing off the rebound from his initial strike.

Smith’s hat-trick came not long after, when he coolly stroked home Darren Wheeler’s pull-back, and the on-fire marksman saved the best until last when curled one past Cooper from twenty yards to make it four nil.

Valley were denied a late consolation when substitute Steve Palmer’s chip was capably taken high up by Somerville, with the last chance of the game falling to Slough’s Warren Harris – after more shoddy defending from the home side – but he put his effort over the bar.

Valley Line-up: Cooper; Myles, Kelly, Gudger, Booth; Williams, Marsden, Blythe, Youngs; Lake-Gaskin (Spencer); Kolodynski (Palmer). Subs not used: Rowley, Bishop. Booked: Booth. Sent Off: Kelly.

Slough line-up: Somerville, Fraser, Harrison, Blount, Woozley, Edwards, S.Harris, McClurg, Smith, Wheeler, W.Harris. Subs: Hollis, Lake, Burgess, Dyer, Foulser.