It was goals galore and it could have been more for Rugby Town, after they smashed eight past the division's bottom placed side at Butlin Road.
Valley's tally included a five goal blitz within eight minutes around the hour mark, with striker Dylan Parker grabbing himself a hat-trick too.
Rugby boss Carl Adams made three changes to his starting line-up following the previous weekend's disappointing home defeat to Northampton Chenecks, with new signing Danico Johnson joined in the eleven by Ben Bradshaw and Jamal Clarke at the expense of Jazz Luckie and the two Thomases - Cain and Lee.
It was virtually one-way traffic throughout, with Town soon threatening when Johnson was denied an early goal after his shot on the turn was saved by Sleaford keeper Chris Bennett.
Parker put one over the bar, before Bradshaw curled one onto the frame - as the hosts hit the woodwork for the first of four occasions in the match.
The dangerous Charlie Evans and Johnson were also denied by the busy Bennett, before the opening goal finally came on 18 minutes when Parker fired home after Keenah Rosser's delivery had picked him out.
Parker then flicked Ryan Seal's corner onto the bar and Liam Francis headed the ball against the upright, as Town's dominance continued.
Seal somehow contrived to miss the gaping target after he had rounded Bennett, with Parker another to fail to convert in a similar situation.
Francis did make it two before the interval though, when he dug the ball from beneath his feet to poke it home after Johnson's cross had found him in front of goal.
The second half started as the first had ended, with the game played almost exclusively in the visitors' territory.
Number three came on 57 minutes when Evans cut inside before hitting the net with his strike after Loyiso Recci had executed a decent crossfield pass.
Evans then crossed onto the head of Seal for Rugby's fourth shortly after, and the bombardment continued when Parker grabbed his second with a composed finish to Johnson's through ball.
Johnson's quest for a debut goal was thwarted again when Bennett kept out his shot on the turn, although he did assume the role of provider again - albeit in bizarre circumstances - after Bennett's attempt to punt the ball forward came off Johnson's back to allow a simple finish for Seal.
The keeper was also to blame for Town's seventh when he made a mess of a back-pass to allow Evans to roll the ball across the goal for Parker to complete his treble.
The afternoon got worse for the Lincolnshire club when Gray Taylor was shown a red card for tugging back sub Luckie - condemning them to a man disadvantage for the remaining twenty minutes or so.
Luckie twice went close, with the visitors' solitary chance of the game sandwiched in between when Harry Giniff flicked an effort on the turn just wide.
Valley's final goal came on 87 minutes after sublime skill and a surging run from Cain Thomas set up Luckie for a low finish, with Bradshaw striking the bar again in the closing moments.
Valley
Line-up: Hill; Clarke, Francis, Recci; Rosser (Koriya), Evans, Hancocks (C.Thomas), Bradshaw, Seal; Parker (Luckie), Johnson. Subs not used: Marsden, L.Thomas.
Sleaford line-up: Bennett, Wood, Stevenson, Taylor, Tuxworth, Pimblet, Wiles, Armstrong, Giniff, Ramsden, Rushden. Subs: Stamp, Goode, Pacey. |