Promotion-chasing Anstey Nomads ran out easy winners at Butlin Road on a day when Rugby's survival hopes took a big hit.
As Nomads extended their unbeaten run to ten games, Rugby's relegation rivals Bedworth United won at Coleshill leaving Valley four points adrift of safety with two games to go.
The match acted as a microcosm for Valley's season as a whole, with the visitors clinically scoring from their only three strikes on target whilst Town failed to properly capitalise on the limited occasions they made inroads on the opposition's defence.
Rugby boss Ian King named an unchanged starting line-up against a side who knew a win could secure them a third-place finish and with it a home play-off semi-final slot.
Darien Wauchope's fired one way over the bar with an early warning to the hosts, but Anstey were soon ahead when Kyle Tomlin did well on the right-hand byline before squaring the ball across for Zayn Hakeem to apply a close range finish with eleven minutes on the clock.
Ayo Lekuti's shot from twenty yards was deflected away for a corner after he had cut-in from the right, as Rugby looked to respond immediately, but Nomads added their second on 22 minutes when Henry Bestwick headed home a neatly-flighted cross from Jacob Fenton.
As news of an early advantage for Bedworth filtered through, Tyreace Brown headed one well off target for Rugby, with Brad Wilson matching this inaccuracy at the other end with a wild strike from distance.
Town ended the half promisingly though, and Trey Charles had two decent opportunities to reduce the arrears ahead of the interval.
However, both times he found keeper Conrad Logan in good form, when he first got down well to keep out Charles's shot after Harrison Nee had picked him out and then shortly after that the experienced Logan was off his line quickly to deny Town's top scorer after he had got in behind the Anstey defence.
Rugby started the new period relatively purposefully, and the returning-from-injury sub Daniele Reka and Charles both had crosses gathered by Logan, with Bodi Thistleton and Charles then both having further potentially threatening balls into the box blocked.
Any lingering hopes of Town getting something from the game disappeared in the 72nd minute though with a neat finish on the turn from the edge of the penalty area by James Tague.
Another opportunity for Charles went begging shortly after Anstey's third, after he had twisted and turned in the box only to see his shot deflected wide of the frame, before Nomads' Oscar Tonge had two chances to compound the home side's misery - but Town keeper Paul Hathaway did well to prevent him from getting in a strike from a tight angle for the first and then the young sub blazed a further effort over the bar.
Lucas Stanley could have grabbed Rugby a late consolation after Thistleton's high cross fell to him in the box, but the 18-year-old took too long to get his shot off and the opening was closed down.
