Rugby registered a second victory in three days after putting in another high energy performance against a team challenging in the upper echelons of the table.

David Kolodynski struck Tuesday evening’s only goal with the interval approaching, ahead of a battling second half display which saw Valley nullify the threat of the seventh placed visitors.

Town’s starting line-up showed two changes from the weekend, with Chris Sterling replacing the injured Aiden Print and Kyle Rowley in for Aaron Stringfellow.

Leek made the brighter start though, and winger Rob Stevenson flashed in a couple of dangerous crosses in the opening minutes, with Tim Grice also seeing a shot deflected over for a corner.

The hosts soon got into their stride too though, and Sterling volleyed over after a Scott Hadland knock-down, with Aaron Moses-Garvey’s dipper also just high of the target.

Darren Chadwick’s effort was blocked on the line by a Rugby defender, before the end-to-end action continued with a Hadland strike which went well wide.

Danny Campbell also poked one the wrong side of the visitors’ post, whilst Tom France’s shot pinballed around the Rugby penalty area before it was finally cleared to safety.

However the deadlock was broken on 41 minutes with a near carbon copy version of the opener against Newcastle, when Kyle Rowley’s thrown into the box was headed on at the second attempt by Joe Halsall, before appearing to take a further touch from Sterling to provide Kolodynski with the opportunity to stab the ball over the line.

Moses-Garvey nearly made it two when he smashed a free-kick from twenty five yards against the upright ten minutes after the restart, and although Leek dominated possession and territory for large parts of the second period, they failed to trouble new Valley keeper Dan Jezeph to any great extent.

Jezeph executed easy takes to Grice’s shot on the turn and Chris Budrys header, whilst James Curley also headed one over, but it was actually Rugby that had the clearer opportunities of a late goal.

Campbell twice went close to scoring when first hurrying Leek keeper Chris Martin into a mistake before just failing to screw the ball home from a tight angle and then blazing over after a neat interchange between Halsall and sub Charlie Faulkner.

Valley Line-up: Jezeph; K Rowley, Moran (Palmer), M Rowley, Punter; Sterling, Moses-Garvey, Hadland (Boitos), Halsall; Campbell, Kolodynski (Faulkner). Subs not used: Holloway, Thomson. Booked: None.

Leek line-up: Martin, M.Faulkner, Morris, Danylyk, Curley, Chadwick, France, Shelley, Grice, Budrys, Stevenson. Subs: Smith, Mullarkey, Johnson, Grimshaw, Chapman.