The bottom two sides played out an intense draw at the Moat Ground on Easter Monday.
On an undulating, bobbly, boggy playing surface and given the sides' league positions it was no surprise flowing football was at a premium but the game was played at full tilt with chances for both teams right up to the final whistle.
Town's starting line-up showed just one change from the home defeat to Lye just two days earlier, with Ryan Sahota in for Madundo Semahimbo, and Sahota nearly gave the visitors the perfect start when he looked to pounce on Mikey Taylor's flick-on to Tomasz Bukowski's long clearance, but the returning midfielder was denied by Rovers keeper Louie Turner - amid appeals from the Valley fans behind the goal for a penalty.
However, it was the hosts that broke the deadlock not long after when John King curled home a free-kick past Bukowski from an improbable angle.
A dangerous cross from the right by David Kolodynski was just cut out as Rugby looked for an immediate response, with Theo Rowe then agonisingly dragging a shot wide of the post after he had done well to carve out the chance for himself with quick feet in and around the edge of the box.
An effort from Taylor also deflected wide for a corner, and from the resulting set-piece, Liam Francis's low header was cut-out. Bukowski made a decent save to keep out Dylan Hunniford's strike, with Richard Hanslow's subsequent effort also calling the Rugby keeper into action.
Town were level on 34 minutes though when Rowe surged into the area before firing the ball into the roof of the net - again from a tight angle, after Ayo Lekuti's initial shot had been blocked away.
Kolodynski sent in another threatening cross and then saw an appeal for a penalty for a push in the back dismissed, before the final chance of the first half had Bukowski keeping out Connor Pace's shot from a central position.
Gresley's Jack Ekins-Tyson headed one over early in the new period, before Kolodynski was again causing problems on his flank - with his resulting low-struck delivery only parried by Turner and then fortuitously rebounding off a defender and into his arms.
At the other end, Bukowski did particularly well to deny Hanslow by scooping up the ball at the second attempt as the home striker looked poised to score, and then he also comfortably took a weak shot from Charlie Knowles.
Francis did have the ball in the net for Rugby after Sahota had picked him out in the box, but the defender was flagged offside, whilst both Rowe and Taylor had shots blocked as Valley searched for a much-needed victory.
However, the hosts could have easily snatched that themselves though late on, when they broke quickly to outnumber the away defence, but Bukowski pulled off an impressive save with his legs to Haydn Brown's strike to keep his side level.
There was still time for a late opportunity for Town too, with sub Silvano Obeng denied twice in a scramble a few yards out but in the end, the spoils were shared.
Valley Line-Up: Bukowski; Summerfield (Semahimbo), Lekuti, Francis, Thomas (Melbourne); Fitzharris, Clements, Sahota; Kolodynski, Rowe, Taylor (Obeng). Subs not used: Nee, Hathaway. Bookings: Fitzharris, Rowe, Clements
