Caine Elliott's goal on the stroke of half time sealed a narrow win over Easington Sports at Butlin Road.

Town were far from their best on the night, but Elliott's neat finish five minutes into first half added-time was still enough to extend their unbeaten start in the UCL campaign to eight matches.

Rugby boss Carl Adams made two changes to the starting line-up that had conceded a last gasp equaliser at March three days previously, with Tom Fielding leading the line in preference to the benched David Kolodynski and Josh Thomas stepping into the right wing-back role.

There was also a place amongst the substitutes for newly signed striker Jordan Wilson. It was a reasonably bright start from the hosts, with Dan Summerfield having a shot blocked away and Elliott drawing a low save from Sports keeper Adam Doyle from the subsequent follow-up play.

Ryan Seal then snatched at his effort from inside the box and therefore lifted the ball over the bar, before the visitors offered their first real threat of the game when James Watts's strike was deflected away by Liam Francis.

Town were generally on top, but a youthful-looking Easington did appear to be capable of creating some level of a concern to them on the break.

Summerfield poked one wide after Elliott had played him in, and then the same player put his header onto the roof of the net as Rugby pushed for an advantage ahead of the interval.

It finally came with virtually the last kick of the period, after Fielding flicked the ball into the path of Elliott, whose surging run into the box was completed with a accurate low finish beyond Doyle.

Madundo Semahimbo had two early chances after the restart, with the first a sighter way off target and the second a better effort which Doyle was forced to keep out.

Thomas clipped one against the outside of the post under pressure from an Easington defender, and then Seal fired a good opportunity wide after Summerfield had done well to cut back a low cross to him.

At the other end, Keenah Rosser was on-hand to protect Town's fragile lead with an excellent tackle on Luke Swann, after the Sports substitute had appeared to broken through a predominantly solid Rugby back-three, with Matt Hill also called upon to gather a low shot from Callum Convey.

Town's performance levels dropped as the game stuttered to its conclusion, although in two rare attacking highlights Loyiso Recci did have a shot blocked and Doyle pulled off a decent save to Fielding's effort late on.

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

Easington line-up: Doyle, Sherpa-Moore, Eyre, Smith, Rose, Killie, Watts, Convey, Coombes, Fountain, Gueye. Subs: Coe, Swann, Herbert, Hamblett, Kinch.