Town cantered to their best win in nearly three years with a comfortable victory over early season strugglers Corinthians at Butlin Road.

The hosts bounced straight back from the disappointment of their FA Cup exit at Basford three days earlier with an impressive team performance against the Northamptonshire club, with Ryan Seal opening and rounding off the scoring - which also saw goals from Madundo Semahimbo, Liam Francis, Caine Elliott, new signing Thomas Fielding and Alex Lock sandwiched in between.

Valley boss Carl Adams named the same starting eleven from the Basford defeat, with a place on the bench for the 23 year old ex-Leicester City academy, Mansfield and Ilkeston man Fielding.

David Kolodynski and Drew Kear both almost carved out early openings for the home side, although the first shot on target came from the visitors when Adefolarin Ademidon's low strike was gathered comfortably by Matt Hill.

Seal then poked one just wide from a decent position, before Rugby took the lead on 33 minutes when Seal made some contact to a driven Dan Summerfield cross before the ball span off Rothwell defender Connor Bird and into the net.

It was soon two-nil when Semahimbo rounded off a neat team move which ended with Elliott squaring the ball to the striker to apply a composed finish.

Rugby's third came with two minutes of the opening half remaining, with Francis rising highest at the back post to force home Seal's corner.

Town were even more dominant after the restart and aside from a couple of wayward efforts by Ademidon, they opened up the visitors at will and with a little more fortune on their side they could have added more than the four goals that followed.

Kear struck the crossbar with rasping effort after he had cut inside from the right, and Kolodynski saw quickfire shots saved by Corinthians' keeper Jude O'Connor.

The introduction of Fielding just past the hour mark sparked the goal rush though, with his first real involvement seeing him curl a perfect cross to Elliott to power in on 69 minutes.

One minute later it was five when Fielding showed quick feet before beating O'Connor with a well-struck shot in off the upright from twenty yards.

Another Fielding on-target effort was then deflected away for a corner, with O'Connor scrambling down for low stop to another deflected strike shortly after - this time from Kolodynski.

Substitute Lock grabbed his first of the campaign on 76 minutes when he pounced on a loose ball in the box to power home, after Kolodynski's low cross had caused more panic in the Rothwell box.

Kolodynski smashed one against the crossbar and Loyiso Recci headed a Summerfield centre just wide either side of the away side's best opportunity of the night which saw Brandon Beardmore put one into Hill's side netting from an angled position.

The final goal of the evening came after Zac Allen had held back Kolodynski in the box to allow Seal to confidently dispatch his spot-kick past O'Connor.

There was still time for the out-of-luck Kolodynski to hit the bar again from Josh Thomas's pass, with O'Connor also pulling off a decent stop to thwart Summerfield and Francis also denied his second by a goal-line clearance to his header.

Fielding's radar then finally let him down in the final few moments of the game when he fired one way over the target from the edge of the penalty area.

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

Rothwell line-up: O'Connor, Traynor, Wells, Allen, Bird, Page, McWilliams, Merrick, Wright, Ademinon, Farrell. Subs: Beardmore, Rodwell, Bamgbose, Yerolemou, Henson.