REINSTATED VALLEY ARE BACK ON TRACK

NEW boss Grant Joshua politely passed on the back slaps after Rugby Town returned to Step 4 without kicking a ball.

- Andy Mitchell

Joshua, the former Lye Town and Coleshill Town gaffer, was not only tasked with guiding the Valley straight back up from United Counties Premier South but back to the club's heyday when appointed this summer.

The first mission was accomplished sooner than expected this week, Rugby handed a reprieve as a result of Hinckley Leicester Road’s liquidation and departure from NPL Midlands with Joshua’s phone going into meltdown.

“It has been strange,” he told The NLP. “I had more than 50 messages from players and managers but we haven't done anything, congratulations is a bit much.

“We will take it, though. The owners are happy, the supporters are happy and as a group of staff we are too because it is where we believe we should be as a club.”