Valley returned to action after a two week break last Saturday and secured a deserved victory over play-off chasing opposition thanks to a quickfire first half treble.

Dale Belford’s side struck three times in just seven minutes to see off Drayton at Butlin Road, although the visitors did then at least make a game of it with a goal ahead of interval, before a much less eventful second period was played out.

Rugby started the game brightly with some decent free-flowing football. In the early exchanges, the reinstalled Rob Parker twice put efforts off-target and Jake Healy also tested Ash Rawlings with a rising strike – which the keeper tipped over the bar.

Healy stabbed another chance from Kevin Thornton’s assist into Rawlings; arms, before David Kolodynski finally broke the deadlock on 26 minutes with a powerful finish to Steve Towers’ excellently threaded through ball.

Town’s leading scorer was soon grabbing his second of the afternoon helping home Thornton’s free-kick to the near post, before Rawlings was again in the action to deny Parker’s volley on the turn.

Thornton made it three for a buoyant Valley with a curling shot from the edge of the area on 33 minutes, although the away side then pulled one back when Will Whieldon scored from a similar distance with a low strike past Sam Andrew.

Thornton’s whipped set-piece was well kept-out by Rawlings shortly after the restart, and with the hosts returning to the action showing no sign of the jitters, Healy displayed good pace to get a cross in from the by-line from which saw Kolodynski narrowly missed the target with his acrobatic effort.

Drayton skipper Paul McMullen’s downward header skidded up off the greasy surface, but it was gathered by a watchful Andrew, before another Healy cross again gave Kolodynski the opportunity to complete his hat-trick – but he directed his header from close range over.

Andrew’s best save of the game came next, when he kept out Niall Flint’s powerful effort, but a restructured Valley defence generally coped well with anything the visitors’ front-line had to offer, with the only further moment of concern seeing Sam Warburton across well to head clear Cohen Bramall’s searching centre.

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

Drayton line-up: Rawlings, Hedley, O’Reilly, Green, McMullen, O’Neill, Bennett-Tindall, Whieldon, Everall, Ryan, Bramall. Subs: Flint, Wellings, Street, McFarlane, Garratt.