Valley suffered a narrow defeat to Wellingborough Town at a wet Dog & Duck Stadium in the NPL Midlands.
Despite the extensive rain, the playing surface was remarkably good and made for a good game but it was the hosts who broke the deadlock and ultimately held out for the victory as Rugby were made to pay for a number of missed chances.
Rugby included the two new signings confirmed earlier in the day - the returning Ayo Lekuti and loanee Sidik Atcha - in their defence, with top scorer Trey Charles also back into the side having been unavailable for the 1-1 draw against Coventry Sphinx three days previously.
The visitors nearly took an early lead after Mikey Taylor had shown good strength to ease away from two Doughboy defenders in the box before laying up Charles in a great position, but unfortunately his effort was blocked by the legs of keeper Adam North.
Lloyd Buckby had back-to-back strikes blocked by Josh Thomas and Atcha - with the second loose ball falling for Tom Iaciofano to curl wide of the post.
The debuting Jordan Graham then stabbed one the wrong side of the frame for Wellingborough, before the hosts went ahead on 16 minutes when Iaciofano skipped past Tayo Tucker on the left hand side and then floated a cross to the back post for Will Jones to head into an empty net from a couple of yards out.
Charles helped over Caine Elliott's cross to the far post as Valley looked for an immediate response, before the dangerous Iaciofano flashed another threatening ball across the face of Paul Hathaway's goal.
Taylor's low shot on the turn was saved by North after good work from Tucker, and Charles's cross flew just beyond a team-mate after the ball had come straight back at him from one of his trademark inswinging corners.
Charles had two shots blocked on the edge of the box, before the home side nearly extended their advantage just ahead of the break when Danny Draper's strike came back off the base of the post.
Rugby enjoyed the bulk of the possession after the restart - in addition to all of the goalscoring chances created across the entire period, but all too often they found themselves on the end of a well-organised, resolute Wellingborough defensive display.
Charles dragged a shot wide early in the half after Taylor had nodded back Tucker's cross to him, and a tricky run to the byline by Hilton Arthur ended with a pull-back that was just cut out.
Lekuti's strike from distance was way off-target after good wide play from Tucker, before Atcha really should have marked his debut with a goal but somehow he failed to convert O'Toole's cross at close quarters.
Tucker had a low shot saved by North, and Elliott lifted one over the frame from Charles's ball to him on the edge of the box.
An Elliott free-kick also flew marginally high of the bar, before the full-time whistle signalled that Rugby's fruitless search for a first away league win of the campaign had been further extended.
Valley
Line-up: Hathaway; Summerfield (Osoimoejiokhian 44'), Lekuti, Thomas, Atcha; Tucker, Arthur (Sahota 79'), O'Toole, Elliott; Taylor, Charles. Subs not used: Fitzharris, Rai, Mensah. Booked: Lekuti, Thomas.
