Town's woes continued with a stoppage time defeat at Butlin Road, with Callum Ward’s first goal in over a hundred appearances for Lincoln securing the in-form visitors the points.

Levi Rowley’s equaliser to United’s first half opener had given Rugby hope just after the hour mark, but the scrambled winner two minutes beyond the normal ninety meant it is now three straight league defeats for Gary Moran’s side.

Moran made five changes to his starting line-up, giving debuts to new signings Callum Burgess, Warren Brooks and Trey Brathwaite as well as recalling Chris Sterling and Danny Campbell to play up-front alongside Rowley.

Whilst Lincoln made the brighter start to the game, it was Valley that carved out its first real chance when Rowley’s well-struck volley was saved by keeper Jake Turner.

Campbell put one wide from twenty five yards and Brathwaite’s free-kick to the back post was also sent off-target by the head of Rowley, whilst at the other end Kallum Smith dragged his effort the wrong side of the post.

The breakthrough came on 38 minutes when Rugby failed to clear Rob Norris’s corner properly and from the recycled ball United skipper Michael Jacklin helped it home with his head from close range.

Not long after this, Matthew Cotton nearly doubled the visitors’ advantage when Town keeper Dan Jezeph was caught in no-man’s land, but the Lincoln striker put the ball wide instead.

Town ended the period with a weak shot from the edge of the box by Sterling which was easily saved by Turner, but again it was the visitors that started the new half in the more assertive fashion.

Cotton spurned another great opportunity when his low shot was blocked by Jezeph after he had broken clean through – with Mason Rowley on hand to clear the loose ball.

However this near escape was the precursor to the hosts’ best spell of the match, with Rowley’s low shot parried away well by Turner before the forward then opened his account for his new club by stabbing home via the underside of the bar after a scramble in the box.

It was United that created the better chances as the game’s final half an hour progressed though, with Jezeph saving from Smith and then Gary King dragging his effort wide, before a great point blank stop from Jezeph denied the lively Cotton once more.

Alas Valley just could not hold onto a much needed point when another scrambled finish settled the encounter, with Ward bundling the ball just over the line in added-time after Jacklin had headed it back across the face of the goal.

Valley Line-up: Jezeph; Punter, Charles, M Rowley, Burgess; Brooks, Brathwaite, Thomson (Faulkner); Sterling (Hylton), L Rowley, Campbell. Subs not used: Connor, Palmer, Hadland. Booked: Brooks.

Lincoln line-up: Turner, Wright, Ward, D.Brooks, Jacklin, Blunden, Norris, Toyne, King, Cotton, Smith, King. Subs: Hornsey, Wilkinson, Smithson, Hutchinson-Wilkes, Cann.