Ex-Valley boss Dave Stringer completed the double over his old side with victory at Church Street last Saturday, killing off Valley’s outside chance of a place in the end of season play-offs in the process.
The visitors had taken a 33rd minute lead through skipper Steve Towers, but the Scholars were soon level.
The dismissal of full-back Tom James just before half-time meant a short-handed Rugby faced an uphill task in the second period, and the hosts took full advantage with two further strikes.
Town manager Dale Belford made two changes to his starting line-up from the thriller defeat at Coalville, with keeper Sam Andrew and Kevin Thornton both returning from injury in place of Courtney Belford and David Kolodynski respectively.
Valley nearly made the perfect start to the game when in the first minute Andrew pumped a searching ball forward into the opposition’s half, which led to Mitch Piggon being brought down on the turn by his marker – giving Rugby a free-kick in a dangerous area.
Thornton thundered the set-piece onto the underside of the bar, with the loose ball then hastily cleared away from the goal-line.
Rugby’s fine opening to the match continued and both Callum Powell and Piggon had decent - but off target - efforts.
Town were finally rewarded for their bright start when Towers reacted first to a punch clear from home keeper John Bateman with a sweetly struck lob over the backpedalling keeper’s head and into the net.
However the lead lasted less than a minute, when Chasetown equalised through striker Paul Sullivan, who slotted home from close range after a good pass from Nick Turton.
The game turned though in the 44th minute when James became the first Town player to receive his marching orders this season for two yellow cards within as many minutes.
The ink was barely dry on his first booking, when he brought down Stan Magisha deep in his own half, and the referee had no hesitation in bringing out the red.
Sullivan and Mugisha both went close after the restart, before Sullivan bagged his second in the 66th minute when he found space in the centre, before unleashing a shot from twenty yards out which deceived Andrew on the bounce on its way past him.
Chasetown rounded off the scoring with thirteen minutes of normal time remaining when Sullivan turned provider this time for James Dance, who showed good feet before sending his accurate strike past Andrew.
Rugby sub Luke Delaney had a decent opportunity to reduce the arrears near the end, but put his effort straight at Bateman instead, whilst at the other end Andrew did well to keep out Henry Eze’s goalbound header.
Valley
Line-up: Andrew; Curley, James, Tullin, Ryan; Revan (Kolodynski), Powell, Parker, Towers; Thornton (Willis), Piggon (Delaney). Subs not used: C Belford, Healy. Booked: James, Ryan. Sent Off: James
Chasetown: Bateman, Williams, Thompson, Slater, Eze, Brown, Mugisha, Dance, Sullivan, Edwards. |