Valley eased to a comfortable Butlin Road victory against Midland Football League side Highgate United in their penultimate pre-season friendly.

A brace from substitute Harrison Nee and a late strike from fellow sub Ryan Sahota added to the first half goals of Caine Elliott and Joe Palmer to seal a win in the final home pre-season friendly.

Grant Joshua was again without a number of players including Bleu McNeil, Callum Griffin, Ben Newey, Olly West and Josh Thomas although Rivel Mardenborough was back in the starting XI and there was a place on the bench for the first time in pre-season for striker Curvin Sanderson-Ellis.

Rugby were ahead inside ten minutes as Sam Tye nodded the ball into the path of Elliott who rifled a superb 20 yard effort high into the net.

The second goal came from the penalty spot with Palmer smashing in his first goal of pre-season after Mardenborough had been felled in the box after beating two men.

Leo Wood should really have found the net from the centre of the penalty area but saw his shot saved after being played in by Tye while Wood fired another two strikes off target and Liam Francis headed a good chance wide.

Rugby began to find more and more space in the Highgate final third in the second half and Nee was soon on the scoresheet after appearing from the bench.

Good work by Nathan Kabeya and Mardenborough down the right provided the chance for Nee whose initial airshot threw the covering defenders off the scent allowing him to place his shot past the goalkeeper.

Rugby maruaded again down the right for Nee's second with this time Tye and Palmer combining to allow Nee to convert from inside the six yard box.

After seeing a fine shot from 25 yards well saved, Sahota took full advantage of a tired Highgate defence late on for Rugby's fifth as he streaked through the middle to score.

Valley Line-up: Bald; Kabeya, Bostock (Trialist 60'), Francis, E.Hanson; Tye, Elliott (Ellis 73'), Taylor (Sahota 46'); Palmer, Mardenborough (Sanderson-Ellis 79'), Wood (Nee 60').