Valley romped to their biggest league victory in more than three years at Butlin Road, with Sam Lockley’s hat-trick a particularly noteworthy highlight of the demolition of the struggling Derbyshire visitors.

The teenage striker came off the bench to smash home a treble within twenty five second-half minutes after David Kolodynski and Josh Ruff had given the hosts a two goal advantage at the break, with Kolodynski also on target again in the post-interval blitz.

New signing Sam Beasley made his debut in midfield in the one change from the previous weekend’s win at Loughborough University, with Brad Harris back on the bench after a five match absence.

Jack Tyson headed over the bar for the visitors in the game’s first play, but Kolodynski was soon giving Town the lead when he lifted the ball neatly over the head of keeper Darren Keeling after Sam Belcher’s pass had picked him out just inside the box.

The next twenty minutes or so were a quiet affair, although Dave Leigh did whip in a dangerous cross for Normanton, whilst Jeff Woodward and Belcher both put in off-target efforts.

Rugby did get into their stride as half-time approached though, and Belcher went close after a neat move involving Craig Kelly and Kolodynski.

Sean Castleton then headed over and Keeling pulled off a decent save to deny Stuart Hendrie, before Ruff gave Valley the vital two goal cushion when he surged onto Ruben Wiggins-Thomas’s knock down to spear one home on 41 minutes.

It was pretty much one-way traffic after the restart, and Lockley announced his arrival for the second period with a low finish under Keeling after Town had broke quickly with Belcher releasing Hendrie to provide the assist.

Hendrie and Kolodynski got in each other’s way when a fourth looked likely shortly after, but it was not long coming when Woodward’s marauding run down the right ended with a low cross that Kolodynski converted from close range.

Lockley made it five with a clever lifted finish after Hendrie had again set him up, with Hendrie then missing a good chance for a deserved goal of his own after Kolodynski’s cross had picked him out.

Lockley’s hat-trick came after he showed his blistering pace to run onto Belcher’s long ball, before striking the corner of the net.

Belcher poked another effort just wide of the target, before the visitors finally came out of their shell in search of a consolation.

Marcus Tudgay set up Shiners’ sub Kevin Hemagou for what should have been a straightforward finish, but somehow Niall Cooper got across his goal for an excellent one handed save, before the one-time Derby and Sheffield Wednesday man Tudgay managed to score at the far post from John King’s cross with ten minutes remaining.

Valley Line-up: Cooper; Woodward, Kelly, Dance, Castleton; Belcher, Beasley; Ruff (Harris), Hendrie, Kolodynski (R Birch); Wiggins-Thomas (Lockley). Subs not used: Wright, Print. Booked: None.

Normanton line-up: Keeling, Leigh, Dodds, Jellyman, Strzyzweski, Ilsley, Leighton, Tyson, Tudgay, Rae, King. Subs: Hemagou, Cronin, Kirk.