Valley's NPL Midlands winning run came to an abrupt end at Bourne Town.
The hosts had not recorded a victory in a month, but they were well worth the three points by the end as Rugby failed to take their form from their four-game winning streak to really make a firm impact on the game.
With Harrison Nee pulling up in the pre-match warm-up, there was one enforced change to Valley's starting line-up with Cairo Taylor stepping in to replace him.
The home side started well, and their striker Will Bird was soon putting a dangerous ball across the face of the goal, and then after that the same player missed out with his header.
Taylor's low effort was saved by Will Lakin after he had cut in from the right-hand-side, before Marcus Bald did well to keep out Zac Allen's angled strike after Aaron Eyett's neat pass had played him in behind the Town back-line.
Lewis Darlington's low effort from a central position also drew a good save from Bald as the hosts continued to threaten.
Caine Elliott's high and wide shot signalled the start of a more encouraging spell for Rugby, with efforts from both Taylor and Nathan Kabeya then blocked out.
A neat Town move handed Stan Anaebonam a decent opportunity to break the deadlock on 21 minutes, with Rivel Mardenborough showing good strength to secure possession near the halfway line before releasing Teddy Rowe - who in turn fed Anaebonam for a strike that Lakin capably stopped.
At the other end, Bald spread himself well to thwart Darlington's attempt to finish off Sam Byrd's whipped free-kick into the box, and as the game became an increasingly end-to-end, open affair, another quick Town break saw Rowe once more in behind the defence and again neatly square the ball across - this time into the path of Taylor, who was smothered out by Lavin.
The opening goal came on 31 minutes when a Connor Furey and Bird interchange saw Furey break down the right, and he laid the ball across for Allen to apply a cool finish into the bottom left-hand corner.
Furey's rising strike from distance was gathered at the second attempt Bald, before Taylor had another effort blocked and Anaebonam's wild effort flew well off target, with the final chance of the opening period seeing Bayly fire a free-kick way over the bar.
Valley made the perfect start to the new half, with Kabeya bursting forward and his ball into the edge of the box coming back off a Bourne defender for Elliott to beautifully curl home his ninth goal of the season.
The hosts re-seized the initiative though in the aftermath of the Rugby equaliser, with Geoffrey Lundoloki doing well to head clear Bayly's cross from the left, Bayly having a further effort blocked and Callum Milne's follow-up effort to this nestling comfortably into Bald's arms.
Anaebonam's dangerous cross to the back post - which was cleared away - provided temporary relief for Town, but the Wakes were soon back on the front foot again with Bald saving another shot from Bayly, and then Kabeya did well with a goal-line clearance to prevent Allen from scoring after Furey's low cross had picked him out.
The home side's persistence finally paid off though just past the hour mark after Richard Jones had headed a deep corner back across the box allowing Eyett to bundle his way through a number of Valley bodies and force the ball home from close range.
Bourne's third came twelve minutes later when Allen timed his run perfectly to take on sub Jordan O'Brien's through-ball, and once more he showed good composure to beat Bald with a low strike.
Town enjoyed the bulk of the possession for the remainder of the game, but struggled to fashion a real gilt-edged opportunity in that time.
Valley sub Trey Charles did have the beating of his marker following his introduction from the bench, but each time he managed to power past his full-back, the final ball was lacking.
A Mardenborough cross to the back post was just too high for Charles, and Dan Organ was denied by a good defensive tackle in the box, with the best chance of the final ten minutes actually falling to the Lincolnshire team, when Allen once more broke clear to slide his effort past Bald but this time wide of the upright too.
Valley
Line-up: Bald; Kabeya, Lundoloki, Thomas, McNeil; Tempest (Adegoke 88'), Elliott, Rowe; Taylor (Charles 57'), Anaebonam (Organ 68'), Mardenborough. Subs not used: Nee. Booked: None.
