Valley’s league woes continued with another away defeat on Tuesday evening at Greenfields Lane.

Jake Healy’s smooth strike had given Rugby an early lead, but this was cancelled out by a second half brace from the home side in Dale Belford's second game in charge.

Belford had named an unchanged side from the weekend loss at Stocksbridge, and he saw his team start well – gaining a just reward for this when Healy clean connection to a loose bouncing ball from twenty yards flew past Drayton keeper Ashley Rawlings.

Callum Powell could easily have extended Rugby’s lead shortly after, but his rasping effort went just over the bar from an angled position.

At the other end, Niall Cooper pulled off two good saves with his legs, as the hosts direct style finally started to make an impact.

Sam Warburton then put his volley just wide of the target, with the same player firing over from six yards after Powell’s pinpoint cross had picked him out.

The Gingerbreadmen further upped the tempo of their game after the half-time break, and the pressure slowly began to build on the Valley back-line.

The scores were level nine minutes into the new period, when Rugby failed to clear a corner properly and Simon Everall managed to hook the ball across the line on the stretch.

Everall went close again on a couple of occasions, before the game was ultimately won on 68 minutes when Cooper missed his punch to another in-swinging Drayton corner – with Tyrell McFarlane claiming the slightest of touches before the ball hit the net.

Rugby struggled to find a cutting edge after this double blow, although Healy did twice test Rawlings – firstly when Steve Towers had played him in and then later with a fizzing half volley from distance, which the home keeper did well to tip around the post.

Everall almost capitalised on a long Rawlings' punt, but lifted his effort over the bar, before Healy missed a final – and arguably best – opportunity to snatch a late equaliser when he shot straight at Rawlings from close range after Powell’s original miscued strike had landed perfectly for him.

Valley Line-up: Cooper; Smith (Woods), Kelly, Rowley, Walker; Parker, Warburton (Thompson), Clifton, Towers; Healy, Powell. Subs not used: Holloway, Tellyn, Mullarkey. Booked: Walker.

Market Drayton: Rawlings, Wellings, M O'Reilly, Green, McMullen, O'Neill, Campbel, Whieldon, Everall, Ryan, Lowe. Subs: Watkins, McFarlane, Bennett, Hedley, Davies.