Rugby Town continued their unbeaten pre-season so far with victory at Hinckley.

Although Hinckley play one level down in the MFL Division One, they were strong and well-organised opposition and provided a stern test for Dave Stringer's new-look side.

Stringer made just one change from the warm-up win over Nuneaton Griff with returning forward Tevin Shakespeare taking the place of David Kolodynski who was rested to the bench while Trey Brathwaite and Liam Holt remained unavailable.

Both sides started brightly with close shaves at either end before Rugby opened the scoring when trialling winger Chadd Birch pounced on a weak back header to lob a nice finish past goalkeeper Josh Hartopp into the net.

After the goal was Rugby's best spell of the game with Ruben Wiggins-Thomas looping a header over at the far post after Josh Ruff's cross followed a flowing move.

Captain James Dance flashed the ball across goal after a neat turn in the area before Wiggins-Thomas really should have scored when he capitalised on a poor back pass but after rounding the goalkeeper he was thwarted by a covering defender inside the six yard box.

Wiggins-Thomas was soon to be on the scoresheet when he nodded in at the far post from Shakespeare's superb cross from the left to make it six pre-season goals so far for Valley's new striker.

The customary raft of second half substitutions appeared to favour Hinckley as they were much stronger in the second half.

Dance struck a rasping shot just off target from the edge of the area before Hinckley's Sam Agar was sent clean through on goal after long ball but Niall Cooper was off his line quickly to smother the ball at the striker's feet.

Isaac Cooper shot from edge of the area straight at Niall Cooper before Agar worked some space on the edge of the area but curled his effort just wide.

Mitchell Tomlinson headed wide from corner before substitute Kolodynski dragged a shot wide after Dance had presented him with an opportuntity.

The hosts got a goal back with ten minutes remaining when a direct ball down the left released Isaac Cooper and his cut-back left the simplest of finishes for Agar from close range.

Hinckley almost levelled late on but for an excellent piece of defending from trialling centre half Sean Castleton who slid in to deny a goal after Isaac Cooper had beaten Niall Cooper to the ball.

Valley Line-up: Cooper; Print, Kelly, M Rowley (Castleton), K Rowley; Thornton (Trialist), Ruff (Trialist), Dance (c); Shakespeare, Birch (Holloway), Wiggins-Thomas (Kolodynski).

Hinckley line-up: Hartopp, Tomlinson, Morris, Evans, Smith, Francis, Butler, Darkin, Agar, Halil, I Cooper. Subs: Williams, Haines, Wright, Munday, Healy, Minto.