A goal a-piece from strike duo David Kolodynski and Seb Lake-Gaskin proved enough as Rugby earned a well-deserved and vital win at Slough.

With influential midfielder Lewis McBride out for the season with a shoulder injury, Greg Kaziboni still suspended and Justin Marsden unavailable, Aaron King stepped in to start.

Valley made the brighter start and had a decent chance to take the lead after just five minutes when Seb Lake-Gaskin shot straight at keeper Jake Somerville, after a great run by Jamie Towers had ended with his shot rebounding back off the bar.

Six minutes later, the hosts forced a double point blank save from Niall Cooper, with Warren Harris and James Dobson both going very close to giving Slough the lead.

Overall, the first half was developing into a pretty even affair - with both sides playing entertaining football.

The impressive Towers hit another great shot from twenty yards, but Somerville got a fingertip to it to send it wide and out of danger.

Somerville again performed heroics from a further Towers' effort after David Kolodynski had played him in, with the keeper just managing to grab the ball as it crept dangerously close to the goal line.

However it was Slough that went ahead in the 44th minute when James McClurg produced a stunning shot from 35 yards out, which flew over the head of the stranded Cooper and into the top corner.

Despite the disappointment of going behind, Rugby came straight at the hosts after the break and went close to equalising on three separate occasions - with Towers, King and Kolodynski all peppering the target in close succession. Valley's reward finally came in the 61st minute after a neat flick-on into the penalty area by King was met by Kolodynski, and the prolific striker knocked the ball past the keeper.

The visitors were soon ahead when a long kick up-field from Cooper found Lake-Gaskin, who controlled the ball superbly and slid the ball beyond Somerville.

Rugby were now clearly bossing the game - limiting the Rebels to no more than a handful of half chances.

The home side's task of getting back into it was made a lot harder after 72 minutes when Ed Smith saw red after an altercation with Cooper, with the Slough striker appearing to push the keeper while trying to get the ball.

With this numerical advantage, Rugby comfortably held on to win what had been a thoroughly entertaining - but tense - encounter.

Valley Line-up: Cooper; Myles, Fox, Gudger, Haines; Towers (Williams), Cunniff, King, Blythe; Lake-Gaskin, Kolodynski. Subs not used: Palmer. Booked: Cooper.

Slough line-up: Somerville, Fraser, R. Parsons, Hollis, Sintim, Short, Dyer, McClurg, Smith, Harris, Dobson. Subs: J Parsons, Risbridger, Castello, Cornell.