A late goal from King’s Lynn’s Jake Speight won the game for the Southern League Premier outfit to put a slight dampener on a generally encouraging display from Town.

Gary Mills' starting line-up included 20-year-old goalkeeper Scott Dutton who has recently been released by Wolves, in place of the injured Neil Collett along with ex-Kettering winger Louis Hamilton and Northampton Town youth team player Sam Warbuton.

Fellow Cobblers' youth player Danny Clifton made an appearance from the bench and trialists Aaron Opoku and Luke Donnelly also made appearances.

The hosts had had the better of the play and also created the better chances ahead of Speight’s 88th minute clincher – a close range header to fellow substitute Jackson Ramm’s cross.

In the first half, Rugby’s Tom Liversedge had fired high of the target after he turned well on the edge of the penalty area, and David Kolodynski almost broke the deadlock ahead of the interval after fashioning something from a tight position on the by-line.

The Linnets’ Sam Mulready tested keeper Dutton after the restart, before the home side had their best spell of the match with King’s keeper Alex Street first denying Callum Powell and then getting down well to keep out a well-struck Steve Towers free-kick.

Mason Rowley saw his header to Towers’ corner blocked on the line, and Kolodynski put another effort over the bar – with triallist Aron Wint also having a shot saved by Street after Tom Glasscoe had played him in shortly before Speight struck at the other end.

Valley Line-up: Dutton; Walker (Rosser), Warburton, Rowley, Ryan; Hamilton (Glasscoe), Powell (Opoku), Towers (Delaney), Parker (Clifton); Kolodynski (Evangelinos), Liversedge (Wint). Subs not used: Holloway.