Town slipped to a single goal home defeat at Butlin Road last Saturday, with Jake Dumbleton's strike for the visitors on 62 minutes ending Rugby's run of three straight league victories.

The hosts had edged affairs ahead of Dumbleton's decisive contribution, but they lacked a little cohesion thereafter as they pushed to find a way back into the game.

James Hancocks for Lewis Hayden in midfield was the only change for Valley a week on from their win at Harborough, and Rugby controlled much of the opening half an hour - without truly extending Chenecks keeper Noah Murray-Hawkins.

Ryan Seal's inswinging free-kick did trouble the Northampton defence though, and Charlie Evans headed a cross from Hancocks just over the bar.

Evans screwed a further chance wide, before Murray-Hawkins nearly fumbled a shot-cross by Dylan Parker.

At the other end, Lewis Irwin flicked Tyrell Bernard's delivery wide, with Irwin also denied by a fine saving tackle from Liam Francis later in the half, as the visitors showed they could be a threat on the break.

Town were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty as the period drew to a close, when Matt Deane appeared to push away a Jazz Luckie header with his hand, but the home side's appeals were rejected.

Evans went closest to breaking the deadlock after the restart when he ran onto Lee Thomas's neat through ball - only to see his strike kept out by the legs of Murray-Hawkins.

The goal came on the counter, with Rugby skipper Loyiso Recci only able to prod away Irwin's initial angled effort into the path of Dumbleton - who made no mistake with a composed well-struck finish past Matt Hill from eight yards.

Sub Fazel Koriya had a shot saved and Hancocks's long range speculative volley was tipped over by Murray-Hawkins, with Recci heading the subsequent corner over from close range, but these were rare late moments of incision from Valley.

Valley Line-up: Hill; Rosser, L.Thomas, Francis, Recci; Hancocks, C.Thomas (Marsden), Seal; Evans, Parker, Luckie (Koriya). Subs not used: Clarke, Elliott, Padmore.

Northampton line-up: Murray-Hawkins, Mudiman, Hunt, Lewington, Deane, Sharpe, Thomas, Bernard, Irwin, Dumbleton, Ogden. Subs: Lancaster, Johnson, Garlick, Jackson, Foster.