Rugby Town edged through to the next round of the FA Vase after a penalty shootout victory over lower league Bilston Town.

The spot-kick victory came after a uninspiring ninety minutes in the Butlin Road sun which saw the visitors take an early lead, before Danico Johnson levelled things up five minutes before the interval.

Johnson was back in Carl Adams's starting line-up in place of Kurtis Revan, after he had missed the midweek defeat Shepshed, with Ryan Seal featuring for the first time in a 2020/21 matchday squad on the bench following his pre-season elbow dislocation.

Bilston made a great start to the tie on four minutes, when Todd Ferrier low strike beat Sam Lomax from the edge of the box after the hosts failed to respond quickly enough to a pre-rehearsed set-piece routine from Lewis Gill.

Lee Thomas's dangerous cross was cut out by Bilston keeper Brad Clarkson, as Valley looked to get back in the game, but the away side then went close again themselves when Matt Pinder curled his shot just over.

Clarkson comfortably gathered Dylan Parker's poked effort to Loyiso Recci's flick-on, before Johnson equalised with a cool finish after he had shown good feet inside the penalty area following Caine Elliott's strong run down the wing.

The second half started quietly, as both sides struggled to put together any real quality in their play.

Elliott did have one shot blocked early in the period, but it was fully thirty minutes before there was anything further of note, which came when sub Seal's free-kick picked out Liam Francis - whose overhead effort was saved well by Clarkson.

The visitors then had a decent shout for a penalty turned down after Lomax appeared to make contact with Leon Taylor, and as the game opened up a little, Lomax then pulled off a good stop to keep out scorer Ferrier's shot on the turn.

Johnson spurned a great chance to seal the tie when he lifted one over at the back post after Thomas's surge and cross from the left, before Lomax was again in the action keeping out Ben Baldmore's powerful header.

With the ninety minutes up, the game went straight to penalties, and with Recci, James Hancocks and Seal all competently finding the net with Town's first three strikes and Lomax down well to save two of Bilston's opening trio, it was left to Charlie Evans to administer the final blow from twelve yards to ensure the home side could not be caught.

Valley Line-up: Lomax; Francis, Rosser (Clarke), Recci; Evans, L Thomas, Hancocks, Elliott, Marsden (Revan); Johnson, Parker (Seal). Subs: C Thomas, Hill. Booked: Johnson, Clarke.

Bilston line-up: Clarkson, Jones, Mason, Pearson, Foreshaw, Podmore, Gill, Ferrier, Taylor, Matthews, Pinder. Subs: Evans, Turton, Miller, Kaye, Purawell, Nickle, Cooper.