Valley suffered defeat in their first home pre-season friendly against Redditch United at a hot Butlin Road.
The game was fairly evenly contested with chances for both sides but it was Redditch, two steps above Rugby in the non-league pyramid, who had the finishing touch.
Carl Adams' line-up included a start for trialist defender Sean Doy (ex-Shepshed) with MJ Semahimbo and Caine Elliott returning to the starting XI.
Caine Elliott had a effort cleared off the line in the opening seconds of the game after being put through by Ryan Seal but it was the visitors who grabbed the lead when striker Ryan Nesbitt ran off the shoulder of Doy to chase onto a speculative forward ball before coolly finishing.
Rugby had chances of their own particularly David Kolodynski who could only direct his volley over the bar after good work by substitute trialist Hayden Seymour down the left in the second half.
Kolodynski then struck the underside of the bar from inside the area after being played in by Seal before Redditch grabbed a second - Dylan Hart flicked a header into the net from ex-Rugby left back Lewis Hudson's free-kick.
Valley
Line-up: Bodycote; English, Summerfield, Doy, Rosser; Fitzharris, Thomas, Elliott, Seal; Semahimbo, Kolodynski. Subs: Hill, Marsden, Lock, Francis, Seymour. |