Ryan Seal struck a late winner as Rugby Town made hard work of putting away Peterborough Northern Star.

Seal struck with five minutes of normal time remaining, although Valley ended a game with ten men for the third time in four outings with the dismissal of Dylan Parker just ahead of the final whistle.

Rugby's starting line-up showed two changes from the heavy regional cup defeat against a strong Coventry City side earlier in the week, with new midfield signing Ben Bradshaw making his debut and Keenah Rosser back from injury in place of Justin Marsden and the suspended Lewis Hayden.

It was the visitors that carved out the game's first chance however, when Town keeper Matt Hill pulled off a fine reflex save to deny Star's Craig Smith - with Jack Bloodworth blazing over the follow-up.

The opening pair of missed efforts for Valley soon followed in close succession though, with long searching deliveries in behind the Peterborough defence releasing Parker and then his strike partner Jazz Luckie.

First the advancing keeper Dan Swan managed to get a hand to Parker's attempt to clip the ball over his head, and then he blocked off Luckie's shot between his legs.

Charlie Evans failed to finish off a further decent chance after Liam Francis had flicked the ball into his path, with Evans, Luckie, Bradshaw and Parker all failing to test Swan with other efforts ahead of the interval.

Town's wasteful ways continued after the restart, when Jamal Clarke somehow managed to lift one over the bar from a couple of yards following a Francis head down to him.

Luckie did do well to strike the post after he had run on to another long ball, but he really should have hit the target with the rebound, which instead he lifted well wide.

Substitute Lewis Padmore also put a curling shot high of the frame, before the decisive goal ultimately arrived after Swan had tipped an Evans' effort onto the post, with Seal showing good composure and precision to power home.

The remainder of the game saw Town hold on relatively comfortably, although their afternoon was blemished a little when Parker received his second yellow card late on after the referee viewed his fall to the ground after what appeared a late challenge on him to be a dive.

Valley Line-up: Hill; Francis, Clarke, Rosser; Evans, Koriya, Bradshaw (Holloway), Elliott (Marsden), Seal; Luckie (Padmore), Parker. Subs not used: Lockley. Booked: Francis, Parker. Sent off: Parker.

Peterborough line-up: Swan, Painting, Bloodworth, Cox, Rodden, L.Smith, Bream, Wilson, C.Smith, Barber, Dunn. Subs: Sansby, Blanchard, Mann, Sturges, Williams.