Trey Charles scored twice late on to earn a draw at local rivals Bedworth United but it was not enough to save Rugby Town from NPL Midlands relegation.
Valley knew nothing less than a win would keep their hopes of survival alive but they found themselves deservedly two down after a fairly insipid display for the majority of the game.
Charles's double strike then took his season's tally to-date to twenty, but unfortunately it was too little too late for Town and they were unable to find another goal to take the battle into the final game of the season.
With loanees Bodi Thistleton and Finn Flanagan ruled out of action by their EFL parent clubs and Tyreace Brown also unavailable, Valley manager Ian King reshuffled his pack with Dan Summerfield, Daniele Reka and Chris Clements all into to the starting line-up.
Rugby looked nervy from the off though - with too many poor first touches and misplaced passes on the hosts' slick artificial playing surface.
Town keeper Paul Hathaway tipped a headed effort from Nathan Benson onto the bar early on, with Louis Monaghan's first-time volley from the edge of the area then comfortably gathered by Hathaway.
The visitors were all too often overhitting their forward passes in the opening twenty minutes or so, although Reka did almost get onto Charles's flick-on to Hathaway's searching long upfield ball.
Liam Murphy dragged a decent chance wide and Ryan Moore sent one way over as the hosts looked to capitalise on their superiority, although Summerfield did go relatively close with a speculative volley after Josh Thomas had nodded the ball back to him. Callum Morris's free-kick from distance then flew just wide of the post, before Murphy opened the scoring on 31 minutes by powerfully heading home Morris's near-post corner.
Town nearly levelled things up shortly after though, when Charles whipped-in a low cross which Sam Muggleton nearly helped into his own net under pressure from Reka, with a further forceful run at the Bedworth defence from Charles ending with a 25-yard rising shot over the bar.
Another Morris delivery was just beyond Nathan Benson, and Monaghan's volley on the turn went over, as United ended the first half on top again though.
Former Valley youth player Leo Stone sent two shots off target early in the second half with Ayo Lekuti firing well over from the edge of the box at the other end.
Monaghan and Murphy had shots well-blocked by Thomas and Summerfield respectively, as Bedworth continued to press for a second, with Murphy flicking one over the bar and Hathaway comfortably saving a shot from Benson.
The goal did come on 71 minutes though, after Monaghan's shot struck Thomas and then looped up nicely for Stone to coolly slot home with a first-time volley from eight yards.
Monaghan sent another low shot wide from an angle after a swift counter attack, before Charles got a goal back with just eight minutes of normal time remaining when he squeezed a shot under Liam O'Brien from a tight angle after his initial effort had been blocked.
Charles then came agonisingly close with two efforts from just outside the box as Rugby piled on the pressure for an equaliser.
Morris stung the hands of Hathaway with a powerful shot from the edge of the area, before an off-balance Caine Elliott lifted a shot over the bar after a scramble involving subs Liam Francis and Hilton Arthur.
Another angled Monaghan strike rolled wide of the target, and Francis headed a Micah Edwards cross wide, before Rugby were awarded a penalty deep into stoppage-time when Chris Clements's cross struck the arm of Charlie Dowd after an initial shot from Lekuti had been blocked.
Charles converted the spot-kick to set up a frantic final few minutes, and there was still time for one more chance but Elliott saw his effort well blocked by Ryan Moore after Francis had nodded a ball into his path.
Valley Line-up: Hathaway; Edwards, Lekuti, Thomas, Summerfield; Dawkins (Sparkes 19' (Francis 90')), Clements; Nee, Elliott; Reka (Arthur 72'), Charles. Subs not used: Stanley, Ronald. Booked: Charles, Thomas.
