Rugby Town recorded their first double of the season in comfortable style against Anstey Nomads at Butlin Road.
Defender Liam Francis had given Valley a deserved half-time lead, before further strikes from Danico Johnson and Lee Thomas within three second half minutes sealed the victory.
Loyiso Recci returned from illness to replace the suspended Charlie Evans in the only change from Rugby's narrow defeat at Deeping the previous weekend, but the game made a relatively slow start - with the visitors arguably shading the opening exchanges.
However Town nearly took the lead with a spectacular strike against the general run of play, when Dylan Parker smashed a half-volley onto the inside of the post with a shot from an angled position.
Johnson then had an effort blocked by a defender, after the Valley spearhead had combined well with Ryan Seal and Parker, with another good chance soon following when Francis headed over Seal's corner.
Francis went close again shortly after, as Rugby began to turn the screw a little tighter, and it was third time lucky for the Town centre-half when he met another Seal dead ball delivery to powerfully head past Nomads' keeper Taylor McMillan on thirty minutes.
McMillan did manage to keep out a rasping shot from Lee Thomas in the run-up to the interval though, after the wing-back had made some space for himself inside the penalty area.
The new period also started slowly, although Cain Thomas had an effort blocked after Johnson had managed to steal possession from McMillan.
In a couple of rare attacking highlights for Anstey, Corey Armeni and Michael Reeves both put in off-target strikes, before Johnson made it two on the hour mark when he chested down Lee Thomas's chipped cross to ultimately fire home from inside the six yard box.
Thomas then went from to score himself, when he capitalised on a defensive mix-up to steal possession off the last man before clinically finishing his one-on-one chance.
A Jamal Clarke header was deflected for a corner, and Johnson and Recci both put their attempts wide as the hosts finished the encounter in an ascendant and comfortable manner.
Valley
Line-up: Hill; Clarke, Francis, Recci; Rosser, Thomas, Hancocks, C.Thomas (Elliott), Seal (Revan); Parker (Padmore), Johnson. Subs not used: Marsden, Mpande. Booked: None.
Anstey line-up: T.McMillan, Hopewell, Woolfe, O.Preston, E.Preston, Hill, Bestwick, Armeni, M.Reeves, Mangan, J.McMillan. Subs: Taylor, Medway, Robinson, N.Reeves. |