Rugby eased into the next round of the league cup after seeing off their near neighbours Lutterworth Town.

Goals from Liam Francis and Sam Lockley secured the victory for Valley, who were relatively untroubled throughout by newly promoted Lutterworth.

The inclusion of scorers Francis and Lockley represented two of the five changes from the weekend win against Leicester Nirvana, with Harry Holloway and Lewis Padmore also getting first starts of the campaign and Kieran Fitzgerald back in too.

Fitzgerald put an early chance into the arms of Lutterworth keeper Warren Butlin, with Lockley volleying one wide and Lee Thomas also going close.

Town took the lead on 21 minutes though when Ryan Seal floated a corner onto Francis's head, and the defender applied a looping finish into the top corner.

Academy striker Padmore had a couple of good chances to mark his debut for the club with a goal, but he twice struck the ball straight at Butlin after he had been played in.

The hosts' second goal came from the spot from Lockley, after Butlin had first spilled Fitzgerald's strike and then he upended Lockley as the striker attempted to pounce on the loose ball.

Fitzgerald's pace was too much for the Lutterworth defence shortly after when he set up Lockley to shoot wide, and Justin Marsden curled a further effort just wide.

Another Fitzgerald surge into the box ended with Butlin just managing to poke the ball away for a corner, with the lively Padmore then through again - only to miss out once more when his touch deserted him.

The visitors were reduced to ten men temporarily with sin binning of Justin Peace for dissent after a penalty appeal was turned down, and their best chance of the game came towards the end when sub Jordan Small could only apply a poor strike after he had found some rare space behind the Rugby back-line.

Valley Line-up: Hill; Kavanagh, Thomas, Alexander, Francis; Holloway, White (Marsden), Seal; Padmore, Fitzgerald (Evans), Lockley. Subs not used: Clarke. Booked: None.

Lutterworth line-up: Butlin, Leslie, Samuels, Warren, Peace, Cooper, Parish, Johnson, Clarke, Riley, Adams. Subs: Keenan, Small, Tyers, Lewis, Leader.