Second half strikes by Ruben Wiggins-Thomas and Stuart Hendrie saw Town come from behind to secure only their second double of the season at Butlin Road.

The hosts had fallen behind to a disputed penalty after twenty minutes of an encounter that lacked quality and intensity until the introduction of three Rugby substitutes around the hour mark – which saw them up their game and turn the scoreline around in their favour.

Town’s starting line-up showed one change from the entertaining weekend draw at Worcester, with Sam Belcher in for Harry Holloway in the centre of the midfield.

After a sluggish start by both sides, the first real shot of the game saw Hendrie’s effort blocked in the box, with Remie Birch just beaten to the loose ball by Khalsa keeper Sam Arnold.

Carlo Franco floated over a teasing cross and Mykel Beckley’s low strike was later saved by Niall Cooper, as the visitors arguably just edged the opening exchanges.

They were gifted the lead when John Mills gave away cheap possession to allow Kyle Brady the chance of a shot which hit the arm of James Dance and prompted referee Will Ottaway to award the spot-kick. Beckley stepped up to confidently power home the ball to the right of Cooper.

Wiggins-Thomas nearly levelled almost immediately, when he skipped past Arnold – only to be forced too wide to be able to apply a telling strike, whilst Sporting nearly added to their advantage when David Messe headed over from a good position.

David Kolodynski’s effort was deflected for a corner after Rugby’s leading scorer had swapped passes with Hendrie, and a subsequent Kolodynski attempt was blocked in the box too.

Sam Belcher was another to see his on-target strike from distance cannon away off a defender, and Arnold denied Kolodynski from a tight angle to ensure that the home side ended the first period in better shape than they had started it.

Khalsa had the first chance of the new half when Brady nearly caught Cooper out with an audacious lob, but the arrival of Holloway from the bench on 55 minutes and then the double introduction of Aiden Print and Sam Beasley shortly after gave Town fresh impetus just as the game had started to meander a little.

Print was soon being smothered out by Arnold, with Holloway following up with a low strike which Arnold also saved, before Wiggins-Thomas headed in the equaliser after an excellent pinpoint cross from the left by Birch.

Hendrie then grabbed what proved to be the winning goal on 75 minutes when he rolled Wiggins-Thomas’s cross into an unguarded net after Print had played him in down the right.

However Hendrie squandered a great opportunity to close the game off when he ran through onto another potential Wiggins-Thomas assist, but his attempt to lift the ball over the Khalsa keeper was ultimately unsuccessful.

Valley Line-up: Cooper, Wright, Birch, Dance, Castleton, Belcher (Beasley), Hendrie, Mills, Kolodynski (Print), Wiggins-Thomas, Ruff (Holloway) Subs not used: None. Booked: Dance.

Khalsa line-up: Arnold, Franco, Melbourne, Boothe, Robinson, Perks, Woodhouse, Meese, Bannister, Brady, Beckley. Subs: Nisbitt, Lomas, Johnson, Miles, Andoh.