Town just failed to hold onto a point against promotion chasing Witton at Butlin Road last Saturday, after an 87th minute header by Albion’s Will Jones settled the game a week on from Valley’s last gasp win against the same opposition in Cheshire.

However the hosts were left ruing a first half penalty miss by David Kolodynski, having also been reduced to ten men after the sending-off of Aaron Moses-Garvey for violent conduct on the hour mark.

Rugby’s starting line-up showed one change from that dramatic 4-3 victory at Wincham Park the previous Saturday, with Anthony Charles in for the injured Trey Brathwaite at left-back, whilst the visitors went with the same outfield personnel for the return game.

Despite Witton’s high ranking position, Town were undoubtedly the better side for the opening twenty minutes and created a number of decent opportunities in that time – including a Robbie Parsons’ ball across the face of the goal which was just cleared to safety within the very first minute.

Mitchell Thomson’s first time effort fizzed wide, Charles headed Thomson’s free-kick straight at Danny Roberts and Sterling’s teasing cross was also just pushed away by Roberts.

Therefore it was against the flow of play when Albion broke the deadlock on 21 minutes after Kyle Rowley mistimed his header to Prince Haywood’s lofted delivery, with his contact playing Steven Tames onside - allowing the striker to go on and show good composure to steer the ball past Louis Connor.

The goal sparked Witton into life and they could easily been two clear but for Mason Rowley’s goal-line block to Karl Noon’s effort.

Instead it was Rugby that struck next with the equaliser, and the goal came as a result of another defensive mix-up – this time between Witton keeper Danny Roberts and Scott Lycett – with Kolodynski on-hand to apply a simple finish into an unguarded net.

Connor was then off his line quickly to deny Noon again, whilst at the other end Sterling’s purposeful run from deep ended with a shot which ballooned way over.

On 37 minutes Lycett clipped Kolodynski’s heels as he turned in the box, and the Town forward picked himself to take the resulting spot-kick.

However Roberts read Kolodynski’s twelve yard strike down to his left to keep the penalty out.

Connor also saved well from Tames just ahead of the interval, but the second period started slowly until the 60th minute flashpoint when Moses-Garvey appeared to flick his head up at Paul Williams, and following a mass melee of players near the halfway line, referee Bradley Hall produced the red card for the Town man.

It was inevitable that from this point on, it would be a primarily backs-to-the-wall effort from Valley, although the visitors did not really create too many clear cut chances ahead of their late winner – apart from successive shots by Tames and Noon blocked by sky blue bodies in a crowded goalmouth.

Tevin Shakespeare did have one on-target effort for Rugby which Roberts comfortably gathered, before Jones threw himself at a loose aerial ball to nod in that game clincher from close range.

Valley Line-up: Connor; Print (Hadland), Charles, M Rowley, K Rowley; L Rowley, Thomson, Quinn, Parsons (Shakespeare), Sterling, Kolodynski. Subs not used: Fura, Campbell. Booked: Charles, Connor, Sterling. Sent Off: Moses-Garvey.

Witton line-up: Roberts, Gardner, Wilson, Lycett, Brown, Williams, Haywood, Owens, Tames, Jones, Bauress. Subs: Omotola, Hickman, Noon, Hinchcliffe, Moore.