10-man Rugby Town rescued a late point at home to bottom club Grantham Town.
The Gingerbreads looked set for their first victory since October thanks to Lewis Darlington's 52nd minute strike until Trey Charles rescued the hosts a point at the death after Shay Willock's second yellow of his Valley debut had seen him receive his marching orders.
Willock and Rugby's other new signing Jiah Medrano had replaced broken-arm victim Daniele Reka and Bodi Thistleton in Ian King's starting line-up as Town returned to action after their victory at Coventry Sphinx.
Kartell Dawkins had a shot blocked and Chris Clements bumped effort was saved by James Leverton as the hosts made an encouraging start, with Charles then missing out from a decent position when he lifted one over with his second attempt at finishing off a pre-rehearsed corner routine.
Jahvan Davidson-Miller sent in a teasing cross from the right which Leverton comfortably claimed, and Tyreace Brown provided another easy take for the Grantham keeper after he had met Medrano's free-kick to the back-post.
Leverton was again in alert form to catch Charles's delivery from the by-line, as Valley continued to look the more likely to break the deadlock, before Willock did well in the middle of the pitch to set up Davidson-Miller for a low angled strike that Leverton kept out with his legs.
A further swivelled effort from Davidson-Miller was saved at close quarters by the busy Leverton, with Caine Elliott then sending one way over from the edge of the box.
Having barely laid a glove on Rugby for the entire first period, the visitors did finally manage a shot in the approach to the interval when Sam Tomlinson teed up Leke Shodunke for a strike that was blocked away.
It looked like it would be a similar pattern for the new half, with Medrano floating a free-kick across the face of the Grantham goal and Charles's cross just pushed away by Leverton's fingertips not long after restart.
However, the Gingerbreads then took the lead after Dan Summerfield had missed his tackle on Tomlinson to allow him to break free down the left and deliver a cross which bounced off both Brown and Dawkins before Paul Hathaway palmed the ball into the path of Darlington to bundle in from close range.
The scrappy opener visibly invigorated the visitors, and they could have easily extended their advantage on a number of occasions.
Sam Muggleton headed one over and Darlington clipped effort drifted agonisingly across the six yard box, before Hathaway kept his side in it with the first of a series of stops by denying Tomlinson after he had sped through on goal.
AJ Adelekan then helped the ball wide after Darlington's initial effort had bounced through to him, although Town did nearly pull level when Davidson-Miller smacked one against the underside of the bar after Medrano had picked him out with his pass.
A quick counter-attack saw Darlington the next to be thwarted by neat keeping from Hathaway, before Willock was handed his second soft booking in close succession and left his side to play the remaining quarter of an hour or so a man light.
Hathaway pulled off another good stop to keep out Tomlinson's shot from a tight angle after he had done well to fight off the attentions of Josh Thomas, before Rugby equalised on 88 minutes when Charles poked home Bodi Thistleton's dinked cross - after the young substitute had forced his way to the by-line after regaining possession out wide.
Thomas sent one the wrong side of the post and another threatening Thistleton centre was headed away, as Town pushed for another, with Charles's free-kick from a central position drifting wide and then another Davidson-Miller shot on the turn was blocked out.
The perfect opportunity for a winner came for Valley in stoppage-time when Dawkins robbed the ball to set-up a three-vs-two overload but with the goal gaping, Charles could only steer the ball wide after Davidson-Miller had squared pass to him on the edge of the area.
Valley Line-up: Hathaway; Summerfield, Medrano, Thomas, Brown; Clements (Paratore 79'), Elliott (Thistleton 70'), Dawkins; Davidson-Miller, Charles, Willock. Subs not used: Sparkes, Francis, Obeng. Booked: Willock. Sent off: Willock.
