Valley shared the spoils with Wellingborough Town at Butlin Road, with all four of the game's goals coming in the first half.

The visitors had twice led in the eventful opening period, with an own goal and a James Hancocks' penalty twice pulling Town back level, but aside from the dismissal of Rugby full-back Harry Eden just past the hour mark, the second half was far more placid affair.

Hancocks replaced Barry Fitzharris in Valley's midfield with Adam Shaw in for Alex Lock in the two changes to their starting line-up from the previous weekend's victory at Rothwell.

The Doughboys were ahead within five minutes when Tom Iaciofano headed home a cross from Carter Price.

The margin was nearly extended soon after, after Matt Long pounced on Dan Summerfield's error to find himself through on goal.

However the Wellingborough striker was just unable to slide the ball home, after having rounded keeper Ash Bodycote.

Caine Elliott's excellent delivery from the right was then helped into his own net by defender Jack O'Connor for Rugby's first equaliser of the afternoon.

The state of parity was short-lived though, when Long executed a superb instinctive long range volley over Bodycote's head on 14 minutes to give Wellingborough the lead again.

Town responded well to the setback, and took control of proceedings with Elliott almost converting Shaw's ball into the box and Justin Marsden firing one high and wide of the target.

O'Connor then almost doubled his own goal tally of the day, but this time he helped another Shaw cross wide, with David Kolodynski also heading the wrong side of the post from a further Shaw delivery from the right.

The deserved leveller came after Luke English was tripped on the by-line by Price, with Hancocks stepping up to slot home the penalty off the base of the post.

Kolodynski sent one wide on the turn, whilst at the other Long this time missed the target with his shot from distance, as the action filled half came to a close.

Hopes were high for another entertaining serving after the restart, but unfortunately this failed to materialise.

Shaw did strike the side netting early in the half though, and English's effort on the turn cleared the crossbar, with Shaw also creating problems in the Wellingborough box on a couple of occasions with powerful forays down the right wing.

However Rugby were reduced to ten men on 64 minutes when the referee spotted Eden kicking out at an opponent whilst on the ground, and duly issued him only Valley's second red card of the season to-date.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Town arguably had the better of the remaining play, with Shaw and Kolodynski almost capitalising on keeper Lewis Patching fumbling of a long ball forward by Summerfield.

Patching's parry to a later effort from Shaw was almost forced home Madundo Semahimbo, but the Town Academy graduate's shot was blocked.

The last opportunity of the game fell to the visitors though, when Lloyd Buckby's header drifted wide.

Valley Line-up: Bodycote; English, Eden, Summerfield, Clarke; Hancocks, Marsden (Thomas), Elliott; Shaw, Semahimbo, Kolodynski. Subs not used: Recci, Francis, Lock, Ahenkorah. Booked: Eden. Sent off: Eden

Wellingborough line-up: Patching, Anderson, Ansell, McBride, O'Connor, Melling, Price, Mastropierro, Long, Buckby, Iaciofano. Subs: Osoimoejiokhian, Barrett, Nkrumah, Shanley, Awoleke.