PICTURES BY MARTIN PULLEY : WORDS BY JON VENNER
United Counties League - Premier Division South
Rugby Town 3 Newport Pagnell Town 1
A Danico Johnson double and another goal from David Kolodynski helped Rugby continue their good form of late by beating high-flying Newport at a very blustery Butlin Road on Saturday.
The visitors fell to their first league away defeat of the season in the process, as Valley extended their recent record in all competitions to ten wins in eleven outings.
Carl Adams had named an unchanged starting and bench line-up for the game, and his side were soon ahead when Johnson's header to Luke English's cross gave Newport keeper Martin Conway no chance.
The scores were soon level though, after the Town defence lost concentration to present Danny Webb with the opportunity of firing his low shot past Ash Bodycote and across the line off the upright.
The topsy turvy game continued on 17 minutes, with English again providing the assist to Kolodynski to expertly curl the ball beyond the reach of Conway and into the net.
Danico Johnson then flashed his effort wide from a decent position, and Webb nearly grabbed his second when his strike cannoned onto the woodwork, after Bodycote had done well initially to smother out a dangerous through ball.
However when the Valley keeper mistimed his attempt to block a surge into the box by Webb shortly after, Newport's Kieran Barnes was handed the chance to square things up again from the spot, but he could only drag his penalty wide of the target.
Town ended the half well though, with Kolodynski putting in one particularly threatening cross, Dylan Parker smashing his strike against the crossbar from the edge of the area and the hosts also very nearly forcing the ball home from a scramble following a James Hancocks' free-kick.
It was a far less eventful affair after the restart, with Newport unable to take advantage of the wind now in their favour and as the half developed, the game became increasingly scrappy and lacked any real flow to it.
Rugby's crucial third goal came mid-way through the period, when Caine Elliott's excellent penetrating crossfield pass picked out Kolodynski - who squared the ball to Johnson to guide it home from close range.
It was the home side that looked the more likely to score again in the remaining portion of proceedings, with Edwin Ahenkorah having two decent openings - the first of which deflected away for a corner and the second he hit straight at Conway.
Valley's back-line remained relatively untroubled at the other end, although James Burnside did steer one wide and Bodycote executed a straightforward take to sub Jake Stronge's effort from the edge of the area late on.
Rugby line-up: Bodycote, English, Hancocks, Rosser, L.Recci, Elliott, Ahenkorah, M.Johnson, Kolodynski, D.Johnson, Parker (Lock). Sub not used: Shaw, Fitzharris, Marsden, White
Newport line-up: Conway, Markey, Sage, Pryke, Wright, Powell, Hirst, Shepherd, Burnside, Barnes, Webb. Subs: Smail, Amed, Watkinson, Stronge, Willett
Rugby Star Man: Caine Elliott
1. ,
Rugby Town players celebrate their third goal with crowd PICTURES BY MARTIN PULLEY
2. .
Max Johnson was the Sponsors' Man-of-the-Match
3. .
David Kolodynski scored with shot into top right corner
4. .
James Hancocks clears from crowded goalmouth