Valley followed up on their opening day league victory with a home draw, with David Kolodynski’s third goal of the season quickly cancelling out the well-organised opposition’s 50th minute opener.

Rugby boss Dave Stringer started with Ben Ashby in midfield instead of Harry Holloway, whilst also giving a debut in goal to new signing Max Smith-Varnam in place of the injured Niall Cooper.

For the third game in a row, Town started an encounter brightly with Kolodynski and skipper James Dance both just unable to get the ball under control in decent positions inside the visitors’ penalty area.

However despite this encouraging start, it was Long Eaton that had the best chance of the opening exchanges, when Shaun Rickford rounded the new Valley keeper only to scuff his effort and see it cleared from the line by the by-now retreated Brad Harris.

Dance had a decent shot blocked after Ruben Wiggins-Thomas had set him up and Kolodynski’s initial header was spilled by Jake Want before he then kept out Wiggins-Thomas’s rebound attempt, but generally it was first half lacking goalmouth action from both sides.

The away team started the second period well though, and Tom Gamblen tested Smith-Varnam from the edge of the area, with Brandon Clarke also firing one high of the frame.

However Gamblen did then find the net five minutes after the restart with a low finish to Shaun Rickford's neat lay-back, but Eaton’s lead was short-lived when Dance’s ball into the box found Kolodynski – who composed himself well before smashing home.

Wiggins-Thomas almost added another immediately after this, but just failed to help home Ashby’s cross to the far post, and then Want pulled off a fine save to deny Dance’s low effort after good build-up play by Wiggins-Thomas and Kolodynski.

Smith-Varnam kept out a further Gamblen effort from the edge of the box on the hour mark to signal the end of a busy ten minute period of the game.

Whilst the hosts ended the match on the top, they did struggle to convert their pressure into genuine goalscoring opportunities.

Kyle Rowley’s overhead effort was comfortably gathered by Want though, and Ashby also had a shot saved, with both Dance and Wiggins-Thomas putting headers over the bar under pressure from their markers, but generally Valley lacked a cutting edge as the game drew to a close.

Valley Line-up: Smith-Varnam; K Rowley, Hall, M Rowley, Harris; Holt, Ashby (Holloway), Ruff (Birch); Dance, Wiggins-Thomas, Kolodynski. Subs not used: Print, Shakespeare, , Castleton. Booked: M Rowley.

Long Eaton line-up: Want, McKeever, Scanlon, Todd, Hawkins, Head, Clarke, Cambell, Rickford, Gamblen, Ford. Subs: Meakin, Comery, Goodson, Hancock .