Valley finally banished the demons of Communications Park - ending a run of five consecutive defeats there in style by strolling to victory on Boxing Day.

It was an outstanding all-round team performance by Dale Belford’s side in testing blustery conditions, with a brace apiece from David Kolodynski and defender Tom Ryan doing the damage whilst the hosts failed to stretch Rugby keeper Sam Andrew at all across the entire ninety minutes.

Belford was forced into one change from the previous week’s comfortable home win against Market Drayton, giving a first start to Kurtis Revan on the wing in place of the unavailable Jake Healy.

With a strong wind at their backs, the visitors looked determined from the off.

They went ahead on the quarter of an hour mark when Kolodynski broke free down the right hand channel and saw his initial cross cut out, before then following up on this himself and sending a deflected shot past Ben Heath.

Chances continued to come for Valley after the goal, with Steve Towers heading over Kevin Thornton’s corner, Revan putting a cross just beyond the reach of Callum Powell and Kolodynski shooting wide after Ryan’s headed clearance had released him behind the Daventry defence.

Rugby continued to press for a second though, and it came four minutes before the interval when Thornton showed quick feet in the box to skip past a couple of defenders before squaring the ball to Ryan to power home.

Town were straight back on it after the restart, with Powell’s snapshot centre appearing to catch Kolodynski by surprise, meaning the striker could only help it wide, and then Powell himself tested Heath with a stinging strike.

Revan had a couple of further attempts ahead of Rugby’s third, which came when Ryan rose highest to head home Thornton’s swirling corner into the six yard box.

This goal signalled the end of an unlikely Daventry fightback, and even with the wind at their backs the home side had looked toothless – with Andrew only having to deal with one Mitchell Piggon header from distance and a tricky cross by Jason Lee throughout the entire second half.

Rob Parker and Revan both sent strikes off-target in the game’s closing stages, before Kolodynski rounded off the scoring with a simple tap-in after Thornton had once more broke free to lay the ball across the goal to him.

Valley Line-up: Andrew; Curley, Warburton, Tullin, Ryan; Parker, Towers; Revan (Esso), Powell, Thornton; Kolodynski. Subs not used: Rowley, Smith, Opoku, Woods. Booked: None.

Daventry line-up: Heath, Hartley, Bukasa, Hill, Lee, Deacon, Fitzgerald, Prinzel, Shariff, Piggon, Curtis. Subs: Childs, Panzo-Antonio, Creaney, Champelovier.