RUGBY TOWN: Back on duty at fortress Butlin Road

Rugby Town are back at home this weekend when Sleaford are the visitors a week on from what turned out to be another comfortable league victory for them at Kirby Muxloe.

For the sixth time in the UCL Premier Division this season, Valley registered a four (or more) goal haul on Saturday, although the hosts did threaten to make a game of it when reducing Town’s lead to 2-1 midway through the second half - before Town kicked on again thanks to two strikes from substitute Harry Holloway.

Holloway was returning to action after a 15-game absence through injury, and having only scored twice in his previous 49 appearances in a Rugby shirt, he managed to double his Valley career goals total in his 50th outing.

Town’s latest victory protected their third place ranking in the table - a point shy of Pinchbeck, who also secured a win at the weekend.

Meanwhile at the very top, Daventry continued their highly impressive start to the campaign with two more three pointers over the last week - following up on their weekend victory over Northampton ON Chenecks with another one against Newport Pagnell on Tuesday evening.

This double success extended Daventry’s lead to eight points, although both Pinchbeck and Rugby have now played two games less than the Communications Park based outfit.

Valley boss Carl Adams will be looking to extend his side’s 100% home league record this Saturday, with the five Butlin Road UCL fixtures to-date seeing them score 19 goals and concede just three in their five victories.

It will be the first ever meeting between the two sides, and the Lincolnshire visitors come into the game in eleventh place on the back of a midweek defeat at Peterborough Northern Star.

Following from the Sleaford game, Town then travel to Pinchbeck next weekend in a true six pointer before ending the month at home to current bottom team Rothwell.

Valley’s originally scheduled first game in December away at Cogenhoe will have to be rearranged though, after the South Northamptonshire club secured a place in the next round of the FA Vase with a home victory over Leighton.

Adams will continue to be without Romario Martin (international duty) and the injured Richard Bunting at the weekend, and he also confirmed the departure of Luke Edwards from the club, with the defender now having signed for MFL Division One team Heather St.Johns.

Adams had appointed Edwards his captain for the season’s kick-off and he had started 12 games until losing his place in the starting line-up following the arrival of Liam Francis at the end of September.

# Representatives of The Road Ahead Driving School will be at Saturday’s game to make a collection for the BBC Children In Need appeal. The collection forms part of a nationwide initiative from driving instructors entitled “The Big Learner Relay”.