Rugby Town suffered their first league defeat against local rivals Coventry Sphinx at Butlin Road.

Having fallen behind in the 38th minute whilst temporarily reduced to ten men through the sinbinning of Jordan Wilson, Valley then had to play the whole of the second half a player short too after skipper Loyiso Recci was shown a straight red for a stamping offence.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, the hosts acquitted themselves well after the restart, but were just unable to get back on level terms and ultimately the defeat was confirmed with a Coventry second in the final minute of normal time.

Town boss Carl Adams made two changes to the starting line-up that had comfortably dispatched Histon the previous weekend, with Keenah Rosser preferred to Josh Thomas in the centre of Rugby's defence and Madundo Semahimbo in for the unavailable Ryan Seal.

The home side carved out the first opening of the game, when Dan Summerfield's shot was blocked away for a corner after Semahimbo's initial effort had also been squeezed out.

Thereafter it was Sphinx that were the more purposeful side, with Callum Stewart and Matthew Shipman both having decent efforts blocked, whilst Town keeper Matt Hill also did well to punch away a dangerous inswinging corner from Callum Woodward.

Jack Downes headed one over and a further strike from Shipman was saved low down by Hill, as the chances continued to come the visitors way, whilst at the other end Rugby were struggling to break down an organised Sphinx back-line.

Louis Guest's weak header was cleared on the line by Summerfield and then Woodward helped another decent chance wide, as Town still struggled to settle into an increasingly fractious game - although Caine Elliott's shot from the edge of the area looked like it was on target until it struck his own player - Wilson - en route to goal.

Wilson was then sent to the bench for a ten minute punishment for dissent, after match referee Ben Schofield had penalised him for a foul, and Coventry made advantage of their extra man almost immediately when James Bryson rose highest at the back post to head the ball down past Hill to open the scoring.

There was further controversy on the stroke of half-time when one of Schofield's assistants spotted Recci's offence in the melee that followed Tom Fielding's foul on Woodward which had left the Sphinx captain writhing on the ground in apparent agony.

Town were straight into the game when the two sides returned after the break, with the newly-introduced Alex Lock driving forward and twice having shots crowded out.

Liam Francis flicked a header backwards into the arms of Scott Martin, and then Wilson headed a cross from Fielding marginally over the bar as Town's bright start to the new period continued.

A Barry Fitzharris strike from distance was deflected off-target by a Coventry defender's head and the resulting corner from Elliott just flew beyond both Francis and Wilson.

David Kolodynski's cross-shot from an angled position was gathered by Martin, although the away side did offer an occasional threat of their own with ex-Valley man Max Johnson forcing a save from Hill and then later Francis deflected one onto his own post after a scrambled effort in the box.

A good move from Rugby saw Fielding guide Elliott's through pass wide of the post, but the last word went to Sphinx after the hosts gift-wrapped them a second goal in the closing moments when Summerfield's throw back to Hill was far too short - allowing Stewart to nip in and steal the ball and complete an easy finish by walking it into the net.

Valley Line-up: Hill; Rosser, Francis, Recci; English (Kolodynski), Summerfield, Fitzharris (Ahenkorah), Elliott, Semahimbo (Lock); Wilson, Fielding. Subs not used: Marsden, Thomas. Booked: Fielding, Wilson. Booked (Sin-Binned): Wilson. Sent off: Recci.

Coventry line-up: Martin, Draper, Hayward, J.Downes, Guest, Bryson, Rawlings, Woodward, Shipman, Stewart, Stone. Subs: Johnson, Noon, L.Downes, Whiteside, Fraser.