Rugby Town signed off the regular league season with a fine away win at MK Irish which included a stunning goal from Caine Elliott.
The victory ensured Rugby finished the season as the third best runners-up across the Step Five divisions in the non-league pyramid, so boosting their chances of securing a potential automatic promotion spot as opposed to a place in the inter-step play-offs.
There were recalls to the starting line-up for Drew Kear, James Fry and Ryan Seal at the Pavillion Manor Field for the game which had been originally been abandoned the previous week due to a floodlights failure after 21 minutes.
This first aborted attempt had seen both sides go close without scoring, with Elliott and Luke English putting shots wide for Valley and Loyiso Recci also striking the bar with a header.
Town again started the re-run brightly and they were soon creating an early chance after neat interchange play between Josh Thomas and Tom Fielding ended with Fielding dragging his shot wide.
A further strike from Fielding from 25 yards was easily gathered by MK keeper Jack Taylor, with Fry then sending one over the bar and Seal almost threading one through for Jordan Wilson - who was denied by Taylor's quick dash off his line to smother the danger.
Tyriq Ward fired into the side netting for the hosts, but Rugby were generally coping well with any threat they faced.
A Wilson header to Fielding's chipped cross lacked the necessary power to trouble Taylor, before Fry and Barry Fitzharris both did well with block tackles to deny Irish duo Ryan Smith and Andre Olukanmi in close succession.
Fielding's decent shot from a tight angle forced a parried save from Taylor after Matt Hill's long punt upfield had set him free, before the home side ended the first half in the ascendance with Ward, Smith and Callum Hirst all missing out with their half chances.
Town soon regained the initiative after the restart though, and Fielding's rasping strike narrowly missed the target and then Wilson almost forced home Liam Francis's flick-on to a Thomas long throw.
However Elliott did finally break the deadlock on 55 minutes when he curled home from more than twenty yards out after Thomas had done well on the left hand flank.
Thomas put his own strike from distance way over after he had run from his own half with the ball, although the hosts were then denied an equaliser with another well-timed intervention by Fitzharris after sub George Shrieves had flashed in a dangerous cross.
Rugby doubled their lead on 76 minutes when Mike Taylor was on hand at close range to bundle in the home keeper's save to fellow Town sub David Kolodynski's effort.
Kolodynski and Taylor combined again shortly after, with Kolodynski slipping in his strike partner only to see Taylor's early strike blocked away.
Milton Keynes got themselves back into the game with just six minutes of normal time remaining though, when Shrieves pounced on a loose ball to run on and strike one past Hill.
Despite some late pressure from Irish, Valley held on for a potentially crucial win and in doing so ended their away league campaign unbeaten with fourteen wins and three draws from their seventeen UCL road trips this season.
Valley Line-up: Hill; Rosser, Fitzharris, Francis; Kear, Thomas, Elliott, Fry (Lock), Seal (Taylor); Wilson (Kolodynski), Fielding. Subs not used: Semahimbo, Sahota. Booked: None.
