Valley continued their 100% start to the league season with a fairly comfortable win at a sweltering Butlin Road.
An impressive solo effort from Drew Kear in first half stoppage time was followed up Ryan Seal's third goal of the season after the break to make it three out of three in the UCL for Town.
Kear had come in at right wing-back in place of Luke English for his first competitive start for the club, with Edwin Ahenkorah also back into the side in two changes from the midweek FA Cup victory over Westfields.
With temperatures in the mid 30's, the game was never likely to be a high tempo affair, but the hosts started well when Caine Elliott's effort smacked back off the bar after just six minutes - with Dan Summerfield's successful follow-up header ruled out for offside.
Kear then blazed one wildly across the face of Luke Reeve's goal, as Rugby's assured start continued, before Seal was just unable to get his shot off after he had found himself in some space after a long through ball.
A Seal free-kick drifted off-target, with Ahenkorah guiding another chance into Reeve's arms following a neat move from Town and a nicely-weighted lay back by David Kolodynski.
Reeve was back in the action on 35 minutes when he managed to get his fingertips to a well-struck effort by Kolodynski which also hit the crossbar, with Seal then seeing his shot blocked from the resulting pre-rehearsed corner routine.
The only real moment of worry caused by the visitors came when Will Jones whipped in a cross just out of the reach of Freddie King, but the breakthrough finally came when Kear set off on a mazy run from around the halfway line to ride a number of challenges before steering the ball past Reeve from just inside the box.
Rugby started the new half on the front foot again, with Loyiso Recci twice blazing high and wide of the goal and Seal once more blocked out after good work by Kolodynski along the by-line.
Another probing cross by Jones saw King this time get a high leg to it but fortunately he was unable to divert the ball on target, before the home side once more took control of proceedings.
Elliott curled one at the keeper and then Kolodynski was denied an opportunity by a quick-off-his-line Reeve, as Will Glennon's headed back pass threatened to fall short.
Jones did fire a decent chance over for Bugbrooke after Kear had lost possession near his own penalty area, but Town's opening scorer was soon back making a vital contribution at the other end with another incisive dribble to play in Justin Marsden who duly set up Seal for a composed low finish for Valley's second of the afternoon.
The goal did spark the visitors a little though and sub Kieran Spencer helped one wide, with fellow replacement Munashe Tichawona striking the post with his effort.
The final opportunity of the game fell to Rugby sub Madundo Semahimbo, who marked his first involvement of the season so far with a crisply executed shot just high of the bar.
Valley Line-up: Hill; Rosser, Francis, Recci; Kear, Summerfield, Fitzharris, Elliott, Seal (Lock); Ahenkorah (Marsden), Kolodynski (Semahimbo). Subs not used: Bodycote, Seymour. Booked: None.
Bugbrooke line-up: Reeve, Mpambi, Simmons, Hallmark, Glennon, Leon, Webster, Oakes, Jones, Shehi, King. Subs: Spencer, Coulson, Tichawona, Hall, Nash. |