VALLEY look set to own one of the deadliest strike partnerships in the Southern League Central Division after the club announced today (Thursday) that David Kolodynski will return to partner Seb Lake-Gaskin in attack next season.
Rugby’s record goalscorer Kolodynski has verbally agreed to return to Butlin Road just seven months after leaving for Town’s then divisional rivals Kettering back in November.
Kolodynski failed to find any sort of form in front of goal despite being part of a Kettering squad that secured the league title and he has decided to return for a third spell at Valley.
Lake-Gaskin has also committed his future to the club after signing a one-year extension to his contract to keep him at Valley until May 2016.
It had been expected that Lake-Gaskin’s second half substitute appearance in Town’s final game of the 2014/15 campaign against Royston would be his last.
But the 24-year-old has decided to stay and will be looking to be back to his best under the new regime after struggling last season with an ankle injury and a subsequent loss of form.
The capture and retention of the pair who have accounted for 152 goals in all competitions over the past three seasons alone will be a big boost for new Valley boss Gary Mills, who has also announced his backroom team for the forthcoming campaign in the Northern Premier League South Division.
Mills has appointed Bedford Town manager Craig Adams as his assistant, with Brian Mapley following Adams from the New Eyrie as goalkeeping coach and Ben Beaumont coming in as the club’s new physiotherapist.
New assistant manager Adams was in charge of the Eagles for 14 months, having previously managed UCL side Wellingborough for a similar length of time.
He played twice for Northampton Town in the Football League as a young player in the early 1990’s, before injury saw him move into the non-league game.
Coach Mapley played in goal for Scarborough and was also with Adams at Wellingborough, whilst Beaumont takes up his first physio post in non-league football after recently qualifying. Mick Bird will remain as the first team kit man.
The reuniting of Kolodynski and Lake-Gaskin comes a week after the club announced that five key members of last season’s squad, Neil Collett, Craig Kelly, Mason Rowley, Lewis McBride and Lewis Rankin, would also be returning.
And a provisional pre-season schedule has also been released this week which sees three games lined-up on the Butlin Road main pitch against Conference North Solihull Moors, Southern League Premier King’s Lynn and a Northampton Town XI.
Rugby are also due to travel to UCL side Cogenhoe and another Southern League Premier outfit Stratford – who were promoted from the South & West Division at the end of last season.
A couple of further games have also been arranged on the Butlin Road astroturf facility, and there is currently a blank Saturday to be filled on August 8 ahead of the kick-off of the new NPL campaign the following weekend.BOX OUT
Full (provisional) list of pre-season fixtures:
Saturday 4th July: (H) Rugby Town Youth Team (astro pitch)
Saturday 11th July: (A) Cogenhoe United
Tuesday 14th July: (H) Shepshed Dynamo (astro pitch)
Saturday 25th July: (H) Solihull Moors
Tuesday 28th July: (A) Stratford Town
Saturday 1st August: (H) King’s Lynn
Wednesday 5th August: (H) Northampton Town XI
