The M6 derby ended all square at Butlin Road in the NPL Midlands after the sides played out a hard-fought and niggly draw.
Tayo Tucker had given Valley a half-time lead, but Shay Willock's 65th minute strike secured the visitors a deserved point from a somewhat stop-start local derby.
Michael Taylor and Edwin Ahenkorah returned to Town's starting line-up in place of Barry Fitzharris and the unavailable Trey Charles, as the hosts looked to extend their unbeaten home run in all competitions so far this season.
Sphinx started the game dangerously though, and Jack Downes was soon testing Paul Hathaway in the Rugby goal.
The visitors then nearly took the lead when Ethan O'Toole's sloppy pass was intercepted by Kyle Carey to give the Coventry man a free run on goal, but he blazed his shot high and wide.
Dan Summerfield and Hilton Arthur both failed to threaten the target with their efforts from distance, and then Taylor headed O'Toole's free-kick over, before Shay Willock also lifted one over the frame at the other end.
Generally, there was a fractious air to proceedings with both Willock and ex-Town man Jordan Hayward in particular attracting the attentions of the referee - with the latter fortunate to stay on the pitch after being penalised for a series of quickfire fouls.
The opening goal came on 39 minutes when Taylor slipped the ball onto Arthur to beat his marker and then put in a by-line delivery for Tucker to help home at the back post.
Carey was off-target with the next chance of the game, with Taylor almost doubling Town's advantage with a low strike on the turn to another Arthur cross - which was saved by Charlie Woods.
The by-now visibly-perturbed Hayward was then subbed off after yet another niggly incident in the closing moments of the half, with Sphinx skipper Callum Woodward bringing it to a close by somehow almost sneaking the ball in from a deep free-kick.
It was the hosts that started brightly from the whistle this time, with Arthur bouncing a follow-up shot into the ground and ultimately wide of the target after Liam Francis had initially picked out Taylor's run through the middle which was denied by Woods.
Arthur then headed another one off-target from Summerfield's deep cross.
Rugby continued to push for a second, and they went even closer when Josh Thomas met O'Toole's free-kick with a decent header - but Woods denied Town's captain with a diving parry away.
Another O'Toole set-piece delivery - which Taylor could not get a proper connection to, marked the end of Valley's dominant spell though, and instead it was the visitors turn to threaten.
Sphinx were soon handed an opportunity to square things up after Carey was adjudged to have been taken down in the box by Summerfield, but Hathaway pulled off an excellent save to push Woodward's spot-kick onto the post - with the ball subsequently scrambled away.
Carey then got in behind the Town defence again - only to see his ball across to Andre Williams somehow lifted over the bar from a great position.
The equaliser came when Willock ran onto Carey's incisive pass to neatly flick the ball over the oncoming Hathaway.
Clear cut opportunities were few and far between for both sides thereafter though, as the game became increasingly scrappy in nature.
Town sub Ryan Sahota was almost in on a long Hathaway clearance, and the influential Carey nearly squeezed one past the Valley keeper from an improbable angle, with another ex-Valleyite Alex Lock's deflected effort then sailing over the stand.
Tucker's deep cross was too high for Sahota, and a subsequent delivery from wide by Ahenkorah was cleared by a Coventry head with Taylor poised to pounce behind him.
Late on, Hathaway make one final decent stop to keep out Carey's rising strike after Williams's initial attempt had been blocked by Francis. Damien Osoiomoejiokhian's weak volley from distance represented the final shot of the game - presenting Woods with a comfortable take in the process.
Valley
Line-up: Hathaway; Summerfield, Ahenkorah, Thomas (Rai 90'+1), Francis; Tucker, Osoimoejiokhian, Elliott (Mensah 67'), O'Toole; Taylor, Arthur (Sahota 61'). Subs not used: Fitzharris, Clements. Booked: O'Toole, Tucker.
