RUGBY TOWN: Winning in the rain - Town's impressive home run continues

United Counties League - Premier Division: Rugby Town 4 Oadby Town 0

It was another straightforward Butlin Road afternoon for Valley last Saturday, when they recorded a fourth successive clean sheet victory there.

Ryan Seal's brace and goals from Lee Thomas and James Hancocks handed the hosts the points, with Town keeper Matt Hill remaining virtually untested at the other end throughout the game's duration.

There was a first full start for recent returnee Kurtis Revan in an attacking role, and he was soon showing his pace and power when he ran onto Danico Johnson's pass before shooting low at Hill's counterpart Brandon Pickard.

Johnson then poked an opportunity wide of the target, after Loyiso Recci had headed a Seal corner back across the goal.

Jamal Clarke lifted one over from a pre-rehearsed Seal set-piece routine and Lee Thomas had angled strike blocked after Johnson had held the ball up well before releasing him, as Rugby's early dominance continued.

Johnson missed a good chance when failing to help home a low cross from the right by Revan, with Revan the next guilty party after he struck the ball wide from a good position following a neat move by the home side - which included a particularly clever back-heel by Seal.

The deadlock was broken on 38 minutes though, when Thomas ran onto a Seal pass to drill his shot into the bottom corner.

Johnson tested Pickard with a powerful strike from distance ahead of the interval, but it was Oadby that started the new period the brighter outfit, although they only had an off-target effort from Lamar Parkes to show for this.

The status quo was soon restored however, with Town primarily on the front foot as the game continued in a heavy deluge of rain.

Seal almost curled a corner directly in, and Johnson hit the upright after he had jinked past a couple of defenders on the edge of the box.

Rugby's second came midway through the half, with the unmarked Seal heading home Johnson's lofted cross.

The lively Sam Burton shot on the turn fell just wide of Hill's post, before Town rounded off the game with two late strikes.

Pickard was at fault when he let a Hancocks' shot slip through his arms on 84 minutes and then Seal grabbed his second shortly after with the goal of the game when he showed good awareness and technique to lob the ball over the Oadby keeper from twenty yards out.

Rugby line-up: Hill, Rosser, L.Thomas, Francis, Recci, Clarke, Seal, Hancocks, Revan (Padmore), Johnson (Mpande), C.Thomas (Elliott). Subs not used: Marsden

Rugby Star Man: Kurtis Revan