Rugby surrendered a lead and with it their place at the top of the table at play-off hopefuls Northwood.

Seb Lake-Gaskin had given Valley a deserved lead by the interval, but two Northwood goals within three minutes around the hour mark kept the hosts’ play-off bid alive – as Town struggled to recapture their first-half superiority.

With Nathan Haines still out injured, there was a first appearance in a Rugby shirt in more than two years for the returning Richard Wesley – with Nathan Fox moving over to stand-in at centre half.

Richard Blythe and Seb Lake-Gaskin also returned to starting line-up at the expense of Aaron King and Luke Bottomer.

Town dominated the majority of the opening period, and they could have taken the lead in the opening minute when Lake Gaskin’s great low cross was lofted over the bar by his strike-partner David Kolodynski from close range.

Justin Marsden smashed the ball into the side netting and Kolodynski scuffed one into the ground from the edge of the area, as the one-way traffic pattern continued, before Lake-Gaskin finally broke the deadlock on 21 minutes when he rounded keeper Berkley Lauencin to finish off Fox’s long up-field clearance.

Arguably the game’s pivotal moment came before the break, when Lake-Gaskin had the ball in the net for a second time – but the referee ruled it out, strangely deciding to penalise Kolodynski for an off-the-ball infringement.

Lauencin then saved a further good effort from Kolodynski in the approach to the half-time whistle.

The home side looked to have more purpose to their play after the restart, with Michael Murray and Craig White both having shots comfortably taken by Niall Cooper.

At the other end, Lauencin again denied Kolodynski, when he was down well at his feet after Lake-Gaskin had played him in.

The equaliser came thanks to a long range strike from Woods’ full-back Oliver Sprague, whose dipping effort from fully 35 yards took a deflection on its way past Cooper.

The hosts were soon ahead when Niko Muir finished off Dave Lawrence’s pass, and despite having nearly half an hour to get back into the game, Rugby looked a little shell-shocked from then on, with their attacking play lacking the flow of earlier.

Despite this failing, they did still manage to carve out a golden opportunity for an equaliser, with Lake-Gaskin somehow heading substitute Bottomer’s cross wide of the target from close range.

Another good shot from distance by Lake-Gaskin also threatened the Northwood goal, but Lauencin was again equal to the challenge. Nor.

Valley Line-up: Cooper; Myles, Wesley (Bottomer), Gudger, Fox; Marsden, Kaziboni (King), Cunniff, Blythe; Lake-Gaskin, Kolodynski. Subs not used: Pritchard. Booked: Marsden.

Northwood line-up: Lauencin, Duncan, Sprague, M.Burgess, Brown, White, Lawrence, J.Burgess, Muir, Murray, Oliyide. Subs: Nicholas, Walsh, Townsend, Palmer, Fox.