Valley had a guaranteed place in the next round of the competition cruelly snatched from them after conceding a stoppage time equaliser to their higher level opponents at Butlin Road.

The two sides will now face each other again in a replay at the same venue on Tuesday evening after a pulsating encounter, which had seen Rugby turnaround a two goal deficit against the ten man Gingerbreads - only to suffer that last gasp blow.

Top scorer Ryan Seal's unavailability meant a place in the starting line-up for Madundo Semahimbo for the first time this season, and the opening opportunity of the tie fell to the twenty year old striker but he was unable to get a proper shot off after Dan Summerfield had picked him out following a good run down the left.

Justin Marsden bundled a volley wide of the post, as the hosts continued to acquit themselves ably against the NPL outfit, with both Summerfield and Marsden then both having efforts blocked by Grantham defenders.

There were a couple of timely blocks in the home penalty area too, before Jonathan Wafula gave the visitors the lead on 21 minutes with an excellent individual goal after he jinked into the area before unleashing an unstoppable strike into the roof of the net.

Ricky Miller headed a decent chance straight at Town keeper Matt Hill shortly after, as the Gingerbreads looked to extend their advantage further, although Town did generally respond well to falling behind, with Semahimbo and Marsden causing problems with deliveries from wide positions and Luke English also hooking one over the frame.

The equaliser very nearly came when another Semahimbo cross was met by the head of Summerfield - whose powerful effort brought an excellent save from Dan Haystead. Valley's endeavours were handed a massive boost just before the interval, when Grantham skipper Jake Wright was red-carded after he was adjudged to have denied a clear scoring opportunity as last defender when he took out Semahimbo as he charged through on goal.

Marsden's resulting free-kick disappointingly struck the defensive wall, but hopes were high that the numerical advantage would give Town an added impetus in the second half.

The new period was only five minutes old when it looked like the game had been put beyond the hosts though, after Hill was left wrong-footed by a heavily deflected shot by Ricky Miller for Grantham's second.

With Rugby now left no alternative but to throw caution to the wind, the visitors offered an inevitable threat on the counter, and Harry Wood twice went close in such circumstances - firstly dragging one wide and then seeing his strike beaten away by Hill.

Valley were creating chances of their own at the other end however, with Marsden having an effort blocked out from an English long throw and Loyiso Recci's header to Caine Elliott's corner touched around the post by Haystead.

Two goals in less than two minutes immediately following the introduction of sub Drew Kear remarkably brought Town level though, with Elliott tapping home David Kolodynski's squared ball and then Kear guiding one into the bottom corner after Marsden had teed him up.

Hill diving save to Miller's shot on the turn came next, before Summerfield met another deep cross - this time from Kear, only to head narrowly over.

The same combination appeared to have completed the comeback when it was third time lucky with for a Summerfield header to a floated delivery by Kear on 84 minutes, but there was a sting in the tail - and a replay - for Rugby in the second minute of added time when Wafula scored from twenty yards with another crisply struck effort after Valley had been unable to clear out a long upfield punt by Haystead.

Valley Line-up: Hill; Rosser, Francis, Recci; English (Kear), Summerfield, Fitzharris, Elliott, Marsden (Lock); Semahimbo, Kolodynski. Subs not used: Seymour, Ahenkorah, Thomas. Booked: Recci, Rosser, English, Fitzharris.

Grantham line-up: Haystead, Tootle, McCrory, Townrow, Wright, Hall, McBride, Leslie (McGrady), Miller, Wood, Wafula. Subs: Tuntulwana, Gadomski, Macrae, McGrady, Atkin.