Rugby Town secured a vital NPL Midlands win away at local rivals Coventry Sphinx.
A goal in each half from Daniele Reka and Jahvan Davidson-Miller alongside a sterling defensive display earnt Valley the three points, although the joy of victory was tinged a little after Reka suffered a broken arm not long after his early opener.
Bodi Thistleton returned at left-back and Davidson-Miller was also restored to the Town starting line-up, as Rugby looked to end a run of four games without a win against their near-neighbours.
Rugby made the perfect start in the bright spring sunshine on eight minutes when Reka ran onto Caine Elliott's hooked ball forward to get the better of Jamie Draper before guiding the ball past Charlie Woods from ten yards.
The remainder of the first half was a pretty dour affair, with the next major incident of it coming when Reka fell awkwardly on 23 minutes after challenging Woods for another searching pass, and he subsequently had to be helped from the pitch with his injured arm in a sling.
One-time Valley trialist Harry Wakefield put a free-kick wide as the opening period drew to a close, and Kyle Carey saw his effort blocked, with another to have featured for Rugby in a pre-season warm-up fixture - Idriss Fuseini - also missing the target with his snapshot in added-time ahead of the interval.
Ryley Nicholson's teasing free-kick ten minutes into the new half only just evaded contact from a team-mate, before Dan Summerfield drew a decent save from Woods to his curling strike from the edge of the penalty area.
Town had a penalty appeal turned down after Davidson-Miller appeared to have been hauled down in the box, but it was two-nil almost immediately after when Trey Charles's early cross to the edge of the box was well anticipated by Davidson-Miller who took two excellent touches before sending his low shot into the corner.
Another Charles foray down the left then saw Woods clear away his cross with his leg, but despite a series of corners and long throws from the hosts, they were unable to find a way through a Rugby defence ably marshalled by its skipper Josh Thomas.
Thomas's counterpart Callum Woodward did have Paul Hathaway at full stretch with a free-kick from twenty yards though - which the Town keeper pushed around the post.
Hathaway then pulled off another decent save down low to deny Sphinx sub Harvey Smith, with Smith thwarted again by a fine block tackle from Thomas, as the home side looked to grab a late lifeline.
Coventry's set-plays continued to generate a few scrambles in the Valley six yard box as the game drew to a close, but Rugby's defence remained solid and Hathaway's handling was secure.
The visitors nearly snatched a third late on when they broke quickly with numbers - but Charles cross was just cleared away with Davidson-Miller and Will Ronald poised to pounce.
Valley Line-up: Hathaway; Summerfield, Thistleton, Thomas, Brown; Clements, Dawkins, Elliott (Sparkes 76'); Davidson-Miller (Obeng 90'+3), Charles, Reka (Ronald 22'). Subs not used: Francis, Lekuti. Booked: None.
