Rugby Town earned a dominant victory over Shepshed Dynamo at Butlin Road to earn a first win in two months.
Town sprinted to a three-goal lead by the interval with goals from Ryan Sahota, David Kolodynski and Loyiso Recci, before a slightly more competitive second period saw the visitors notch a late consolation.
Recci had returned to the Town starting line-up in place of the injured Josh Thomas in one of two changes from the draw at Gresley on Easter Monday, with Madundo Semahimbo also replacing skipper Barry Fitzharris.
It took just 46 seconds for Valley to take the lead in this must-win encounter, after a good run and cross by Theo Rowe was only headed out to the edge of the penalty area for Sahota to neatly volley the ball past Brandon Ganley.
The confident-looking hosts nearly doubled their tally soon after when Kolodynski's through-ball released Mikey Taylor, but his close-range effort was pushed away by Ganley for a corner.
Taylor and Liam Francis were only just unable to connect to a Chris Clements corner, with Ganley then denying Kolodynski's strike from a tight angle after Dan Summerfield's dangerous cross had caused problems for the Dynamo defence.
Clements's corner from the right caused similar difficulties for the visitors though, and this time Kolodynski was on hand to hook the ball over the line from a couple of yards out.
Rugby's rampant start continued, with Ayo Lekuti's purposeful run forward ending with an off-target shot, before Shepshed finally mustered up their first attempt at the other end - although Charlie Wakefield's strike did bounce back off the top of the stand.
A run from deep by Semahimbo saw the wide-man's shot deflected wide for a Town corner, with Rowe's effort from the other wing blocked away for another one - after Kolodynski had shown good strength before setting him up.
Jahdahn Fridye-Harper and Shaun Ruzvidzo had chances for Dynamo but neither were able to trouble Rugby keeper Tomasz Bukowski with them, before Town registered their third on the stroke of half-time when Recci confidently powered his spot-kick into the top corner after Ganley had taken down Taylor when he ran onto an incisive Sahota pass in behind the away defence.
Shaquille Master's free-kick was pushed around the post by Bukowski as the visitors looked to get back into the game early in the second half, although Town continued to have opportunities of their own too, with Semahimbo dragging one just wide and Recci shooting a loose ball from a corner straight at Ganley.
Kolodynski sent one just wide of the frame after neat feet from sub Silvano Obeng, before Summerfield did well to block James Shaw's strike and Wakefield's shot was gathered low down by Bukowski.
Shepshed got their reward for the improved performance after the break when Callum Burkey nodded home Master's corner at the near post, although Obeng could easily have restored the three-goal cushion before the end when he blazed one over the bar after completing a clever one-two with fellow replacement Harrison Nee.
Valley Line-Up: Bukowski; Summerfield, Lekuti, Francis, Recci; Semahimbo (Nee), Rowe (Fitzharris), Sahota, Clements; Taylor (Obeng), Kolodynski. Subs not used: Hathaway. Bookings: Summerfield, Kolodynski.
