RUGBY Town were backed by a packed out Butlin Road en route to a 4-1 drubbing of ten-man Kirby Muxloe in the UCL Premier Division.
A free-admission initiative by the club saw 450 fans make it inside the ground to witness Rugby’s convincing victory – with a Dom Perkins brace and goals for Lewis Rankin and Fazel Koriya claiming a convincing victory.
Matt Hill resumed service in goal for Valley, whilst Dan Summerfield debuted from the start and Richard Bunting finally made a return to the starting 11 after three months out through injury.
Rugby looked the more pro-active side from the first whistle and almost took a lead through Keenah Rosser, who put away the chance from Edwin Ahenkorah’s cross but the flag was raised for offside.
A long-ranger from Summerfield had to be well-kept out by the Muxloe keeper Ashley Marsden to deny a debut goal, but it would come moments before Perkins’ opener.
Rankin’s corner was met by Liam Francis, diverting his shot against Perkins – who subsequently put away the rebound on the turn.
The Butlin Road faithful breathed a sigh of relief when consecutive free-kicks on the edge of Rugby’s penalty area were awarded to the visitors, but they would squander both chances from promising positions.
Perkins added his second to punish the Leicestershire side, tapping home a Koriya cross that had been diverted into his path by Francis.
A well-placed strike was swept into the top corner by Muxloe’s Andre Williams to reduce the deficit to one, before shaking the frame of Rugby’s goal from a free-kick inside Town’s penalty area.
The second-half saw the visitors continue to mount pressure for an equaliser, with Hill keeping out a promising chance to keep Valley ahead.
Hill was made to work over-time in Rugby’s goal after a series of saves from a goalmouth scramble kept his team alive.
But Rankin’s placed shot eased any fears of dropping three points, putting Rugby firmly back in the driving seat on 53 minutes.
Things went from bad to worse for Kirby Muxloe, and they were down to ten men when Tyler Love stamped on Perkins in an off-the-ball scuffle that failed to inspire any hope of a comeback.
Loyiso Recci thought he had added his name to the scoresheet from a header, only to be ruled offside, whilst Perkins was within inches of a hat-trick – the cross-bar denying him the match ball.
A fourth goal did arrive, and it came in style.
Substitute Harry Holloway volleyed a sumptuous crossfield ball into Ahenkorah, who centred for Koriya to tuck the ball away.
Ahenkorah was then denied with a couple of opportunities, but it would fail to take away from the commanding nature of their victory.
Rugby sit in second with 54 points, ten points behind leaders Daventry – who dropped points in a 2-2 draw with Rothwell Corinthians, but still have a game in hand.
Town can close the gap further on Saturday should they find a way past the Corinthians in Northamptonshire on the back of their credible draw (3pm).
