Rugby Town completed their pre-season schedule with a relatively comfortable afternoon against North Leigh at Butlin Road.
It was the final chance for manager Carl Adams to run the rule over his new-look squad ahead of the first competitive game of the season next Saturday in the FA Cup at Wolverhampton Casuals.
It was far from a pulsating game but Valley's Southern League Division One South side provided a well-organised opponent to break down.
With Mikey Taylor nursing a niggling injury and David Kolodynski on holiday it was a chance for the plethora of attacking talents in the squad to stake their place.
Trialist Justin Mensah was named in midfield in the absence of Chris Clements who is missing the start of the season through holiday.
Rugby were well on top in the opening exchanges and fresh from signing a contract earlier in the week, Ethan O'Toole turned in Tayo Alexander-Tucker's low, deflected cross to open the scoring.
O'Toole saw another similar effort just miss the target to double the lead while Ryan Sahota's spectacular overhead kick from the edge of the area wasn't too far away.
Valley scored similarly early in the second half in similar fashion as this time Trey Charles provided the assist with a low cross which ricocheted into the six yard box with Hilton Arthur reacting quickest to stretch and find the net.
Substitute trialist striker Josh Yeboah could have done better with two chances when sent clear through on goal before the visitors got a goal back.
Callum Rai's mis-placed pass allowed North Leigh into the area and when sub Liam Francis could only clear against his own man in the area it left the striker with the fairly simple task to round the goalkeeper at close quarters and tap into an empty net.
The two-goal lead was restored soon after when sub goalkeeper Jake Alley's long ball caught out the North Leigh defence and MJ Semahimbo held off his man before dinking a smart finish over the onrushing goalkeeper into the net via the post.
Valley
Line-up: Bukowski (Alley); Summerfield, Osoimoejiokhian, Thomas (Francis), Rai; Mensah, Sahota (Fitzharris); Alexander-Tucker, Arthur (Semahimbo), O'Toole (Nee); Charles (Yeboah). |