Valley slipped to a disappointing defeat against Wellingborough Town at Butlin Road.
Rugby never really got going and after a series of decent performances under Ian King, the new manager perhaps saw his side struggling to compete for the first time since joining in December.
New signing Robbie Paratore stepped into King's midfield in place of the injured Micah Edwards, with top scorer Trey Charles back after his one-match suspension to replace Jahvan Davidson-Miller in Town's starting line-up.
It was the visitors that started the stronger though, and Tyler Winters was soon nearly capitalising on Rugby keeper Paul Hathaway's misdirected upfield clearance.
Josh Thomas cut out a dangerous cross from Danny Draper, and then Doughboys skipper Jack O'Connor's header to Draper's corner missed the target as the away side continued to probe.
There were some encouraging signs for Valley though, with a neatly worked team-move ending with a nicely-flicked up pass from Caine Elliott, but Silvano Obeng was unable to take advantage of this and was tackled before he could get his shot off.
At the other end, Draper's volleyed effort bounced wide after taking a deflection and a Jessie Obeng shot from distance drifted over the target, before Rugby nearly took the lead when ex-Valley keeper Ash Bodycote did well to tip over a close-range header from Harrison Nee after Will Ronald had picked him out with a decent cross.
Wellingborough's opener followed almost immediately after Nee's near-miss though, when Jessie Obeng won the ball in the centre-circle before releasing debutant striker Tyler Winters - who found the corner of the net with a fine, powerful finish from the edge of the area.
A stooping header from Neo Richard-Noel at the back post to Jessie Obeng's looping delivery nearly doubled the visitors' advantage , but the second goal did come on 33 minutes when George Barnell's glanced header to Draper's corner was adjudged to have just crossed the line.
Valley enjoyed probably their most threatening spell of the game in the approach to the half-time whistle, with Nee's cross headed away before it could reach the poised Silvano Obeng and then Paratore had a shot blocked.
A poor volley from Silvano Obeng was never troubling Bodycote, who was then quickly off his line to deny Nee - who had run in from a wide position after Elliott's strong challenge and clever pass had released him.
Roles were reversed in the last chance before the break, when Nee pulled one back across the box into the path of Elliott, but the midfielder could only strike the ball into O'Connor.
King made three half-time changes in an attempt to shake things up, but it was the Doughboys that posed the greater threat from the restart, with Joe Curtis rolling a shot wide for Wellingborough and Draper's cross-shot from the right drifting over Hathaway's head - but wide of the frame too.
Jessie Obeng also dragged a good opportunity the wrong side of the post, before Wellingborough all-but secured the game on 65 minutes when Chris Clements was dispossessed by Joe Curtis just inside the Rugby half and Draper fed substitute Will Jones who slipped a shot past Paul Hathaway with his first two touches after coming off the bench.
Fellow sub Tom Iaciofano shot straight at Hathaway, before he made an impressive save to deny Jones a second goal when he found himself one-on-one with the Valley keeper after Tyreace Brown's slip-up. For the hosts, Trey Charles couldn't direct his shot from an angle on target after surging into the penalty area and the same player then saw his free-kick deflected away for a corner.
A further chance followed for Charles after he was slipped in by Nee, and this time he did put in an on-target effort but this was well kept out by the legs of Bodycote.
A Nee free-kick which flew harmlessly over the bar and Bodycote's comfortable save to Madundo Semahimbo's effort from a yard inside the box were Rugby's last two unsuccessful attempts for a consolation, with Draper just missing out on his side's fourth late on when Hathaway did well to tip his powerful strike onto the post.
Valley Line-up: Hathaway; Summerfield, Brown, Thomas; Ronald (Francis 46'), Nee, Clements (Semahimbo 73'), Paratore, Elliott (Berry 46'); Charles, Obeng (Davidson-Miller 46'). Subs not used: Warren. Booked: Summerfield, Brown.
