Valley came from behind to seal an opening day victory over a stubborn Cogenhoe United at Butlin Road.

The hosts had made a slow start to the game and were punished when Archie Elmore scored a penalty midway through the first half, but Ryan Seal was soon levelling things up also from the spot, before Justin Marsden grabbed the winner with his 64th minute strike.

It was a familiar looking Town starting line-up, made up of nine of last season's squad in addition to two returning players Ryan Seal and keeper Matt Hill.

Barry Fitzharris had volleyed one off-target after Regan Saunt had punched a Luke English long-throw out to him on the edge of the box, before Keenah Rosser was punished after he left a leg dangling in a challenge on Louie Barrett to allow Archie Elmore to guide the ball past Hill.

Josh Thomas's overhead kick drifted harmlessly wide, whilst at the other end Hill was down well to save from Alex Parkes, as Rugby's stuttering start continued.

The sizeable home crowd's nerves were settled though when Seal sent Saunt the wrong way from twelve yards, after English had been wrestled to ground by Patrick Cichosz as the Valley wing-back attempted to get on the end of Seal's floated free-kick.

Buoyed by their equaliser, the hosts twice went close to going into the half-time interval in-front, with David Kolodynski narrowly failing to get a touch to Marsden's drilled cross to the near post and then Loyiso Recci seeing his goalbound header to Seal's corner cleared off the line.

Caine Elliott sent his effort from distance well-wide, before Town fashioned an excellent team move with Hill's clearance taken down well by Kolodynski who in turn fed Seal to set-up Marsden for a composed side-footed finish into the net.

Rugby generally controlled proceedings thereafter, with Dan Summerfield lifting one over the bar and sub Edwin Ahenkorah denied by alert keeping by Saunt.

English helped another Seal set-piece delivery onto the woodwork, and both Fitzharris and Thomas had further half-chances for the home side, with their best opportunity of a third goal coming late on when Saunt was at full-stretch to keep out Kolodynski's well-struck low effort.

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

Cogenhoe line-up: Saunt, Purse, Briggs, Parkes, Marshall, Gough, Barrett, Cichosz, Elmore, White, Adams. Subs: Martin, Mallard, Obeng, Anderson, Brooks. .