Aidan Webster scored the only goal of the game as Rugby Town's poor run of form continued at Butlin Road against AFC Rushden & Diamonds despite an improved performance.
Despite ultimately suffering a fourth consecutive league defeat, Valley's players did at least show an encouragingly positive reaction to the rotten showing three days previously at Hinckley.
Ryan Sahota, Damien Osoimoejiokhian and Mike Taylor returned to Town's starting line-up in place of Ethan O'Toole, Josh Thomas and Tayo Tucker against a Rushden team that had three players that had donned Rugby colours in recent years in Ben Heath, Bleu McNeil and Jamal Adams.
The hosts made a purposeful start and keeper Heath was off his line quickly early doors to poke the ball away from Taylor as he looked to threaten on goal.
A nicely-floated ball into the box by Trey Charles was then punched clear by Heath, before Taylor just failed to get a shot off as he twisted and turned in a dangerous as Town continued to probe.
Charles's effort to Taylor's lay-back dribbled wide, before Taylor almost capitalised on a long, searching free-kick with a first-time strike, but this was gathered by Heath at the second attempt.
An incisive run down the left from Harrison Nee ended with a pulled-back cross that unluckily split both Taylor and Charles, with Taylor then in on another long pass - only to guide the ball wide of the target.
Rugby's opening half-hour dominance continued though, and a shot from Nee was blocked, with Sahota curling the rebound wide.
After that, the visitors finally found their feet for the remainder of the half and created a number of decent chances of their own.
Valley keeper Paul Hathaway pulled off a good diving save to Tarik Dallas's header to a Charlie Green cross, before Hathaway was again called into action to keep out Cairo Taylor's effort.
Francis' tackle on Taylor in the penalty area saw loud appeals from the Diamonds contingent behind the goal, but these were turned down by the referee, with Adams then finding the top of the netting with a decent strike and Rushden skipper Jarvis Wilson heading one straight into Hathaway's arms before the interval.
However, it was another good start to a half for Rugby, and Taylor twice threatened to break the deadlock in its early exchanges.
Diamonds then sounded a warning to the Town defence when Ethan Johnston found space down the left wing and managed to cut in and fire a shot which Hathaway could only parry - which led to Taylor sending the ball into the side netting.
The home side failed to learn their lesson from that event though, with Johnston again breaking free in similar circumstances to strike one off the frame, but this time it fell nicely for Webster to help the ball home.
A dangerous low cross from Nee was cut-out as Valley looked to immediately get back on level terms, with a subsequent effort from Nee flying well off-target.
Charlie Green executed an excellent saving tackle on Taylor after good play out wide from Caine Elliott, with Osoimoejiokhian performing a similar feat at the other end shortly after to deny Taylor.
Hathaway's fine double save to back-to-back efforts from Johnston and Calvin Green preserved the one goal deficit, as the game entered a particularly scrappy phase and became a noticeably stop-start affair.
The visitors managed to rack up six (out of their total of seven) bookings following Webster's 55th minute goal, and all too often the fluidity of Rugby's play suffered as a result.
Town applied pressure where they could though, with Chris Clements having a low shot blocked, and Heath doing well to save Osoimoejiokhian's header to a Clements free-kick, before the ball was eventually scrambled away.
Taylor could not finish off Nee's header back from another Clements delivery, before Valley's best opportunity of the second half came right at its end when Charles's effort from eight yards was blocked in the goalmouth by Dallas - with the referee again unmoved by the subsequent shouts for a penalty - this time for handball.
