Rugby Town kicked off their pre-season with a warm up win over Alvis on the Butlin Road 3G last night.
Just before Germany inflicted Brazil with their worst ever defeat in the World Cup Semi Final, Rugby were dishing out a footballing lesson of their own - albeit slightly less profile one against their Midland Combination counterparts.
Alvis have provided Rugby with a pre-season warm up game for the last few seasons but on this occasion Valley proved too strong on this occasion and ran out 8-0 winners.
David Kolodynski (3), Seb Lake-Gaskin (2), Jamie Towers, Justin Marsden and Sam Youngs were on target in a familiar looking line-up to the one that finished runners-up in the Southern League Division One Central Division last season.
There were some returning faces featuring in the game including midfielder Youngs, ex-Daventry centre back Marcel Simpson, and defender Lewis Bishop who was also joined by his brother Kyle Bishop who plays down the left.
Goalkeeper Joe Mellings, formerly of Histon and Daventry, featured for Rugby and there was also an appearance between the sticks for Louis Connor who played for Valley back in 2011.
Craig Kelly and Lewis McBride were unavailable due to work commitments while returning defender Mason Rowley was on holiday.
Returning to the squad and making an appearance last night were Richard Blythe, Nathan Fox, Alex Gudger, Justin Marsden as well as goalscorers Kolodynski, Lake-Gaskin and Towers.
From the squad which finished last season at Butlin Road winger Greg Kaziboni (Brackley), defenders Nathan Haines (Daventry), and Ellis Myles (Stamford) and midfielders Aaron King (Bedford) and Steve Palmer have moved onto pastures new.
Midfielder Sam Belcher will miss the majority of the season as he requires anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery while Jared Cunniff is currently in Australia until later in the year. |