Valley were given a resounding beating by promotion-hopefuls Coleshill Town at a snowy and freezing Pack Meadow.

After a relatively even first half an hour which saw both sides strike the woodwork, the hosts took a 34th minute lead and then struck twice more within ten minutes of the start of the second period to extinguish any chance of an unlikely Rugby comeback, before grabbing a fourth later to comfortably round off their victory.

Stuart Hendrie returned to Town’s starting eleven in place of the injured Craig Kelly in the only change from the victory over Quorn against a Coleshill side captained by Joe Halsall – who had a two month spell at Butlin Road last season.

The home side were very nearly gifted an early lead, when Valley keeper Niall Cooper presented Ryan Edmunds with a chance, but he could only drag his shot wide of the target.

However Ruben Wiggins-Thomas then struck a post in what turned out to be the closest the visitors went all game, after Sam Belcher had set him up by winning good possession in the middle of the park.

Cooper was soon making amends for his previous error by showing good reflexes to tip Robert Evans’ stabbed effort over the bar, with a further Coleshill strike cleared off the line from the resulting corner.

Another outstanding Cooper stop denied Matt Gardner’s well-struck shot as the hosts began to get into their stride, and therefore it was no surprise when they broke the deadlock with Edmunds’ ball from the right picking out an unmarked Gardner to head home from six yards.

The first opportunity of the new half saw Wiggins-Thomas steer the ball into the side netting from a wide position, after David Kolodynski had done well to play him in.

The game was soon out of Rugby’s reach though, after they were cut open far too easily again to concede twice more in just over two minutes.

The home side’s second once more came from a cross from their right wing, with Joe Smith the provider this time and Reece Leek on hand to apply the finish.

Gardner made it three with his second of the game on 55 minutes – a powerful strike past Cooper – after he had got in behind the Town defence.

The Coleshill striker then almost secured a hat-trick, but Cooper saved his one on one attempt.

Substitute Gio Dainty’s close range finish to another delivery from the right hand side completed the hosts’ tally, before Town had two late chances for a consolation – with Wiggins-Thomas lifting one over after his deft first touch had given him the opportunity and then Conor Wright chipped into Paul Hathaway’s arms in the closing minutes.

Valley Line-up: N Cooper; Wright, Beasley, Dance, Castleton; Belcher (Mills), Ruff; Hendrie, Ashby (Holloway), Kolodynski (Lockley); Wiggins-Thomas. Subs not used: Print, Rowley. Booked: Belcher.

Coleshill line-up: Hathaway, Gonzales, Cole, Evans, Geohaghon, Tymon, Edmunds, Halsall, Gardner, Leek, Smith. Subs: Dainty, Cotter, Hicks, Grandison, Molesworth.