A late strike from Justin Marsden helped his side grind out three valuable points, after Marlow had twice pegged back play-off chasing Valley.

The hosts will probably feel they deserved something from this relatively even affair, although once more it was the second half introduction of players from the Town bench that proved to be the game clincher.

Manager Dave Stringer made three changes to his starting line-up, with Craig Kelly returning from injury at left-back, and Lewis Rankin and Seb Lake-Gaskin preferred to Lewis McBride and Marsden.

Kelly had the game’s first chance, but his effort failed to trouble ex-Rugby man Nick Bennion in the Marlow goal.

The visitors continued to create the better openings, with Sam Youngs pulling his shot wide of the angle after he had been played in by Robbie Burns, and then Richard Gregory forced Bennion into a fingertip save to his volley - after Youngs and Burns had been involved in the build-up play.

Gregory did manage to break the deadlock on 31 minutes though, when he curled home a free-kick, after he himself had been fouled just outside the box.

The advantage was short-lived, with Romone Rose soon volleying home after Nathan Ashton had done well down the hosts’ right hand side in looping a cross over to him.

However Town still went into the interval ahead, after Bennion had again using his fingertips to keep out Youngs’ speculative long-ranger over the bar, and from the resulting corner Lake-Gaskin stabbed in from close range after both Alex Gudger and Gregory had applied contributory flicks.

The home side put in their best spell of the game after the restart, and Lee Barney almost grabbed an early equaliser when he was put clean through by Rose, but Rugby keeper Richard Morris spread himself well to make a decent save.

Burns sent a first time strike wide of the target, before another good chance for Marlow saw a great recovering tackle by Gudger on substitute Jamal Branker.

The home side were back on level terms on 76 minutes though, when left-back Chris Ovenden cut inside to swerve the ball into the top corner past Morris with his weaker foot.

The introduction of Marsden and in particular Fazel Koriya lifted Rugby’s spirits, with the latter striking the crossbar with his twenty yard shot.

The winner came seven minutes from the end of normal time after a great lofted through ball by Youngs picked out the well-timed run of Marsden from the right, and he made no mistake with a composed finish past Bennion.

Valley Line-up: Morris; Grocott, Kelly, Rowley, Gudger; Blythe (Rankin), Burns; Rankin (Koriya), Lake-Gaskin (Marsden), Youngs; Gregory. Subs not used: George, McBride, Bishop. Booked: Kelly.

Marlow line-up: Bennion, Richards, Ovenden, Alexis, Salmon, Hicks, Ashton, Rose, Barney, Mealing, Gabbidon. Subs: Whittingham, Branker, Romeo, Holder-Spooner, Grant.