Valley’s bad run of results continued in Solihull last Saturday, when the in-form hosts condemned them to a fourth successive defeat.

Both teams ended the game at The Coppice with ten men, as Highgate stretched their winning run to seven matches to keep their outside chance of a promotion place alive.

Town boss Dave Stringer made one change to his starting eleven in restoring Josh Ruff in place of Craig Kelly, and there was also a place on the bench for Mason Rowley after his extended absence with a broken leg.

It was an ineffectual display overall from a toothless Rugby side on a chilly afternoon, although it was the visitors that had the first shot of the encounter when Sean Castleton blazed one well over the frame from more than thirty yards out.

United were soon on their game, with Niall Cooper pushing Richard Batchelor’s shot away for a corner.

The lead was theirs though on seven minutes when Aaron Brown was left unmarked from a James Wilcock’s corner – allowing the skipper to head home from close range.

Shortly after, Highgate nearly struck again from another Wilcock’s set piece - with Brown again on the end of it, but this time an excellent goal-line block and clearance from James Dance saved the day for Town.

Ruff did strike a free-kick from a potentially dangerous position into the wall at the other end, but it was a rare highlight for the visitors, with Dance executing another last ditch block on the line to once more deny United.

However Valley were handed a potential lifeline on the half hour mark, when Duane Courtney was sent off for a late and high challenge on Niall Cooper.

Despite their best efforts to take advantage of their numerical superiority in the lead-up to half-time, Rugby failed to fully test home keeper Brad Catlow in the immediate aftermath of Courtney’s red card, although both Isaac Cooper and David Kolodynski did both nearly break through the United defence and Stuart Hendrie swung a dangerous-looking free-kick into the box.

Ruben Wiggins-Thomas’s run into the penalty area was neatly halted by Cory Currithers shortly after the restart, whilst Ben Ashby fired a low ball across the face of the goal as Rugby finally showed some purpose in their attacking play.

Catlow also kept out an effort from Kolodynski, before Town were awarded a penalty when Brown was punished for bundling over Wiggins-Thomas and Sam Belcher stepped up to stroke the ball past Catlow from the spot.

The hosts were only behind for five minutes though, and it was another Wilcock’s free-kick that set up their goal – with Jamie Molyneux ultimately taking advantage of static Town defending to fire home into the bottom corner of Cooper’s net.

The teams’ playing numbers were then evened up when Valley sub Sam Lockley received the second of two yellow cards within minutes of entering the fray, and from that point on it was more likely that Highgate would add to their tally than Town would grab another leveller.

Cooper saved well from Marco Adaggio and Currither sent one over the bar from distance in the game’s latter stages, with Hendrie shooting just wide in Rugby’s only significant chance ahead of the conclusion of the generally low quality affair.

Valley Line-up: N Cooper; Beasley, Dance, Castleton; Ashby (Lockley), I Cooper, Belcher (Holloway), Ruff; Hendrie, Kolodynski, Wiggins-Thomas. Subs not used: Kelly, Rowley, Wright. Booked: I Cooper, Hendrie, Lockley. Sent Off: Lockley.

Highgate line-up: Catlow, Courtney, Pulisciano, Edwards, Bryan, Brown, Currithers, Wilcock, Adaggio, Molyneux, Batchelor. Subs not used: Luckie, Mooney, Turner, Robbins, Hayward.