An early rout by Rugby Town at home to Milton Keynes Irish was the basis for a fifth successive league victory.

Rugby's three-goal blitz thanks to another David Kolodynski strike and a Ryan Seal brace came within a four-minute spell at Butlin Road, although the visitors did make a game of it thereafter by pulling one back before the interval and then continuing to cause Valley further problems for the remainder of the contest.

Town's starting line-up was unchanged from their previous UCL outing at Eynesbury, and for the first time in a while Rugby were immediately on the front foot against a side that came into the fixture in fourth place in the table.

A dangerous-looking cross from Kolodynski was just cut-out in the opening exchanges, before Valley took the lead when Kolodynski finished off a cross from the right by Dan Summerfield on eight minutes.

It was soon two-nil when another searching delivery from the right - this time by Kolodynski - was neatly chested down by Seal and then guided low past Irish keeper Jamie Adim.

There was further joy for the Town faithful on twelve minutes after Adim cleared the ball straight to the feet of Seal and the midfielder expertly chipped it back over his head from forty yards and into the net.

Milton Keynes had shown some early promise of their own ahead of Rugby's quickfire treble when George Shrieves had blazed one wide after he had got in behind the home defence, and they got themselves back into the match after Matt Hill failed to claim a corner to ultimately give Callum Hirst the chance to hook one home just past the half hour mark.

For the remainder of the first half, the goalscoring opportunities all fell to the visitors, with Hill redeeming himself a little with a decent save from Ty Ward, and two subsequent more comfortable stops to deny Ward again and then Hirst's deflected strike.

Summerfield also did well to block out a Shrieves' effort for a corner, with the hosts happy to hear the half-time whistle and with it the chance to regroup.

Town started the new period in finer fettle, with Summerfield twice taking of advantage of space down his wing before sending in overhit crosses on both occasions.

Kolodynski also shot wide from the edge of the penalty area, although Rugby survived a double scare just after this when Hill was out of his box when miskicking one to Ryan Smith.

Smith quickly fired the ball back towards the goalmouth, which saw the now-stranded Hill instinctively parry away this effort.

Fortunately Hill escaped with a yellow card for his indiscretion, with the referee presumably taking into account the defenders moving to cover behind the Town keeper.

A fine saving tackle by Josh Thomas then denied Smith again, with the MK man posed to shoot and a third chance in quick succession for Smith saw Hill gather his free-kick at the second attempt.

Caine Elliott did send a speculative effort from distance wide after a purposeful surge forward from him, but it was the visitors that continued to offer the greater goal threat with Shrieves blazing one over and another Smith strike blocked by his own team mate.

Rugby's best opportunity of the second half came late on, after Elliott had done well on the left before cutting the ball into the path of Luke English, but the Town sub could only curl his effort over the target.

Hill's low save to another Smith strike and a blocked shot from Hirst then prevented a nervy ending to the game.

Valley Line-up: Hill; Thomas, Francis, Recci; Summerfield, Ahenkorah, Lock (English), Elliott, Seal (Rosser); Wilson (Semahimbo), Kolodynski. Subs not used: Marsden, Fitzharris. Booked: Hill, Seal, Summerfield.

MK line-up: Adim, Zawe, Gardner, Shand, Beecher, Smith, Olukanmi, Shrieves, Smith, Ward, Hirst. Subs: Brooks, Echchari, Coleman, Kyeremateng.