Trey Charles settled a tight opening day game with a 55th minute penalty against 10-man Darlaston Town at a sunny Butlin Road.

Charles' third strike of the season ensured Valley opened a NPL Midlands campaign with a single goal victory for the second successive year, but their newly-promoted visitors returned to the Black Country thinking they could easily have got something from their first-ever game at this level.

Town boss Carl Adams made two changes from the side that had started the previous weekend's FA Cup victory at Wolverhampton Casuals, with Ethan O'Toole and Barry Fitzharris in for Justin Mensah and the injured Mikey Taylor.

It was Darlaston that created the game's best opening chances though, with Kieran Miller flashing a cross just beyond the reach of Alex Foreshaw in addition to a couple of dangerous corners from the away side.

Rugby then stepped up a gear, with Charles forcing a decent save from on-loan young Wolves keeper James Storer after he jinked past his marker in the box, and then Tayo Tucker lifted a good chance from close range over the bar after O'Toole's searching cross had picked him out at the back post.

Hilton Arthur also chipped a cross into Storer's hands, with a further strike from Charles drifting well-wide of the target.

Miller's looping header did clip the crossbar at the other end and Rivel Mardenborough had a shot saved by Paul Hathaway after he got in behind the Valley defence, before the hosts had the last opportunities of the first period through a blocked Tucker shot and a wayward effort from O'Toole.

Rugby started the new half brightly though, and O'Toole should have given them the lead when he squandered a follow-up to Josh Thomas's parried strike from distance.

Another teasing cross from Arthur drifted across the face of the goal, before Damien Osoimoejiokhian was pulled back in the box by Zacharias Kourouyianni to allow Charles to expertly steer the ball into the top corner from twelve yards.

The visitors nearly grabbed an equaliser virtually straight from the restart though, with Hathaway down well to keep out a strike from the edge of the area by Mardenborough, and then the Town keeper was called into further action by the Darlaston man with another low save.

Darlaston's best chance of a leveller came next, when Mardenborough's centre appeared to fall perfectly for Miller in a central position just a few yards out, but the away striker appeared to slip as he shot and the resulting effort was kept out by the feet of Hathaway.

The visitors were then reduced to ten men when Lewis Gill received his second yellow card of the game for a late challenge on Harrison Nee - which allowed the home side to re-establish themselves on proceedings again.

A low strike from Nee was parried by Storer and then helped home by Charles, but was chalked off for offside, and Madundo Semahimbo also fired way over the bar after he had done well to make space for himself in the box.

Darlaston maintained a threat though, despite their numerical disadvantage and Miller struck one wide, with Kourouyianni another to find the wrong side of the post with a subsequent attempt.

Nee volleyed over and Osoimoejiokhian twice nearly set-up a second for his side with threatening crosses, as Town looked to make the game safe.

The visitors then had a decent shout for a penalty turned down after Thomas clipped Jack Downing in the box, with the final chance of the game seeing Mardenborough heading over after a scramble in the Rugby box.

Valley Line-up: Hathaway; Summerfield, Osoimoejiokhian, Thomas, Rai; Fitzharris, Sahota; Tucker (Semahimbo 53'), Arthur (Kolodynski 70'), O'Toole (Nee 63'); Charles (Francis 90'+8). Sub not used: Ahenkorah. Bookings: Summerfield, Rai, Fitzharris.

Darlaston Line-up: Storer, Kouroouyianni, Chesterton, Winwood, Foreshaw, Podmore, Lewis Gill, Pearson, Miller, Mardenborough, Downing. Subs: Leo Gill, Eades, Smith, Pearsall, Jones.