Ian King's first game in charge of Rugby Town ended in defeat, as the hosts edged back into the play-off zone despite a decent showing from the visitors.

Kieran Cook's first-half double ultimately secured Darlaston the points, although King will have been encouraged by his new side's performance - especially after the interval.

King's first starting line-up for Town showed two changes from Carl Adams's final game at Boldmere, with recalls for Tyreace Brown and Ryan Sahota in place of Liam Francis and Hilton Arthur.

The home side started the game brightly though, and Town skipper Josh Thomas was soon slicing a James Rowland cross over his own bar.

Paul Hathaway then pulled off an impressive fingertip save to push Cook's volley over the frame, before Rugby first real threat saw Trey Charles blaze one way off-target from a wide position.

The opening goal for Darlaston came on 22 minutes though, with Cook converting Rowland's low cross from close range.

Harrison Nee's curled effort was saved by the hosts' Wolverhampton Wanderers U-21 loan keeper James Storer, before Ayo Lekuti denied Rowland at the other end with a well-timed tackle in the box.

Charles's free-kick struck the bottom of the upright, as Town looked to level things up, with Storer then doing well to smother at Keiron Berry's feet after Charles had attempted to pick out his team-mate with a cross.

Nee's centre was just beyond the reach of Berry, as Rugby's encouraging spell continued, but the hosts extended their lead in first-half stoppage-time when Cook calmly curled one home from the edge of the penalty area.

Valley seemed unperturbed by that late blow though and they managed to pull one back just three minutes after the restart when Charles ran onto Berry's searching pass to fire past Storer.

Cook then missed out on a decent opportunity for a hat-trick when he chipped one wide, before Rugby sub Madundo Semahimbo underlined his influence on the game having been introduced for the new period by drawing a fine save from Storer to his rising strike.

Charles's acrobatic effort to Nee's cross bounced wide, as Town continued to show promise, although Aaron Bishop did miss out for Darlaston and then Ben Podmore's header from deep was headed away from the goalmouth by Lekuti.

Berry had a shot blocked after Charles had got in behind the defence again, but Town's hopes of snatching of late equaliser were all but extinguished when Ethan O'Toole was dismissed in the 77th minute for two yellow cards for dissent.

The last real opportunity of the game did fall to the ten-man side though, when Lekuti's cross nearly picked out a poised Charles.

Valley Line-up: Hathaway; Summerfield, Lekuti, Thomas, Brown; Elliott, Sahota (Semahimbo 46'), O'Toole; Berry, Nee, Charles. Subs not used: Obeng, Osoimoejiokhian, Francis, Mensah. Booked: Summerfield, Thomas, O'Toole. Sent off: O'Toole.

Darlaston Line-up: Storer, Downing, Chesterton, Winwood, Foreshaw, Podmore, Lewis Gill, Bishop, Cook, Rowland, Mardenborough. Subs: Wood, Storey, Leo Gill, Bruck, Pearson.