Town striker Ruben Wiggins-Thomas helped himself to a hat-trick as Valley completed an easy win at Hillsfield.

In a game played in torrential rain, Rugby scored twice in each half to extend their unbeaten run to four games.

With Sam Belcher unavailable and Josh Thornton ruled out injured, there were first starts of the season for Trey Brathwaite and Tevin Shakespeare, with captain James Dance moving back to take up an unfamiliar role in the centre of the Town defence.

The visitors were soon ahead, when Wiggins-Thomas had initially done well to dispossess a defender before ultimately skipping past Rocester keeper Charlie Wood to set up David Kolodynski for a close range finish.

Jamie Hall could have extended the advantage on seventeen minutes after he found himself clean through on the angle, but his final shot was weak and Wood was able to comfortably save.

Martin Smyth’s long range effort was parried by Rugby keeper Lewis Gwilliams, but it was a rare moment of attacking threat from the generally benign hosts, and Town were soon regaining the initiative with Kolodynski just unable to lob one over Wood after Brathwaite had played him in.

Wiggins-Thomas opened his tally for the evening on 39 minutes by sliding in on Shakespeare’s deep cross to the far post to convert for Rugby’s second.

A decent double save by Wood to close range efforts from Wiggins-Thomas and Kolodynski eight minutes after the restart set the tone for the new period, with Wiggins-Thomas again going close shortly after this when he shot wide.

The hosts then briefly threatened to make a game of it, with Rob Ritchie-Smith looping one over the bar and Oliver Roome also lifting over from a great position after he done well to surge into Town’s box.

However Valley were soon back on top, with Kolodynski having a goal chalked off due to a debatable offside decision.

Sustained Rugby pressure did lead to a third goal though, when Hall’s in-swinging cross found the head of Wiggins-Thomas to nod home.

Within five further minutes, it was four-nil with Hall again the provider from the left with a cross that was helped on by Chadd Birch to allow Wiggins-Thomas to complete his treble with a shot on the turn past Wood.

Harry Holloway had a further great opportunity late in the game, after Kolodynski had set him up with a low cut-back, but the substitute’s effort lacked power and was cleared from the goal-line.

Valley Line-up: Gwilliams; Print, Hall, Dance, Castleton; Brathwaite, Ashby, Ruff (Holloway); Shakespeare (C Birch), Wiggins-Thomas (R Birch), Kolodynski. Subs not used: K Rowley. Booked: None.