Rugby Town exited the Birmingham Senior Cup against a youthful Birmingham City side at Butlin Road.
Despite the final scoreline, Valley made a decent enough fist of it against the League One's Under 21 prospects, but the full-time academy graduates had too much for the hosts in the end - with the Blues' left-winger Daniel Isichei the stand-out performer on the night.
Town boss Carl Adams gave only a second start of the season to midfielder Justin Mensah, with new signing Silvano Obeng spearheading Rugby's attack after having returned to the club earlier in the day.
Valley made an encouraging start to the tie, with Tayo Tucker's low strike cleared from the goalmouth and Liam Francis's back-header also pushed away from danger.
However, it was the young visitors that broke the deadlock with their first effort on goal on ten minutes when Town keeper Paul Hathaway could only palm in Isichei's curling strike from twenty-five yards.
Mensah's run into the box ended with a scuffed shot which was blocked, before Hathaway tipped over Frank Tattum's strike and then he also kept out one from Zak Willis.
Back-to-back threatening crosses from Trey Charles nearly created an opportunity for Town, and Obeng volleyed one way over, as the home side pressed for an equaliser, although Birmingham nearly doubled their total when in the same phase of play Menzi Mazwi hit the post, Caleb Sanders had a shot saved and O'Shea Ellis a follow-up attempt blocked.
Charles was then upended in the box but saw his appeal for a penalty turned down, with early-introduced sub Harrison Nee another to see his effort blocked after he had cut in from the left-hand side following good work from Ryan Sahota.
Obeng and Nee combined well to almost set-up Ethan O'Toole, but the visitors went close again when Tattum's crisp strike was saved by the legs of Hathaway.
Two further Rugby penalty appeals in quick succession - both for potential handballs by Godfred Boakye - were waived away, with Nee firing over from one of the resulting loose balls.
Sanders missed out for City from a tight angle ahead of the interval, with Nee's rising effort just after the restart - also from a narrow position - taken high by Birmingham keeper Will O'Sullivan.
Tattum headed one wide and O'Toole put in an excellent sliding tackle to deny Mazwi as he was about to shoot, but the Blues were soon further ahead courtesy of the impressive Isichei when he danced in-between the Town defence and then around Hathaway before calmly slotting home.
Rugby got themselves back into the game four minutes later though, when Nee cut in from his wing again to stroke the ball past O'Sullivan for his fifth of the season.
Charles then did well to win possession high up the pitch before his screwed effort was deflected wide, and Nee chipped one over - as Town enjoyed their best spell of the game.
The opportunities continue to come for Rugby, and Obeng shot wide and O'Toole nearly helped home Nee's cross, but Birmingham re-established a two-goal cushion on 77 minutes when Hathaway failed to claim a corner - which handed sub Ben Wodskou a relatively straight-forward finish.
Wodskou made it four with another close-range goal after great work from Isichei, although Valley did end the game with a couple of chances of their own - which saw Hilton Arthur smash the ball against the City bar and Charles drag one wide from a tight angle.
