Ten-man Rugby Town succumbed to defeat at Coleshill Town with the early red card for Valley goalkeeper Charlie Woods defining the game.
Although the scoreline was a comfortable one for the hosts in the end, it was harsh one on Rugby - who put in a decent performance considering they played the majority of the game a man light.
Town boss Grant Joshua made four changes from the side that had started the 3-2 home defeat to Basford a week earlier, with recalls to the line-up for skipper Sam Tye in place of the injured Jack Concannon, and a full debut for Ryley Nicholson in the centre of defence.
Teddy Rowe was also back in from the off, and Northampton Town academy prospect Archie Murray replaced the unavailable Nathan Kabeya at full-back.
It was a relatively quiet start to the game, although Coleshill midfielder Mason Rees did put in a couple of early strikes - the first of which Woods easily parried and then he screwed a second shot wide of the target.
Callum Griffin's speculative attempt from distance which went way over the bar represented Valley's first opportunity, with Dan Brookes also heading Daniel Gyasi's corner onto the roof of the net just before the critical moment of the game came along on nineteen minutes.
Woods's dismissal was a result of miscommunication between the keeper and his fellow ex-Coventry Sphinx man Nicholson after a hopeful punt from the back by Bassit Mandey saw Woods adjudged to have clipped Marvellous Onabirekhanlen just outside the Town box.
Referee Owen Moreton quickly dismissed Woods's claims that no contact had been made with the Coleshill striker, and he also decided that a clear goalscoring opportunity had been denied and rapidly showed Woods a red card.
After a short delay, Rugby defender Josh Thomas donned the gloves, but his first touch with them was to pick the ball out of the goal after Gyasi steered the resulting free-kick around the wall and into the right hand side of the net.
Rivel Mardenborough's searching ball forward then found Kobi Bivens, but his half-volley was straight at Cameron Belford, before Thomas was called back into action when keeping out Gyasi's low strike to the near post with his legs, after the Coleshill wide man had broken rapidly from deep.
A wayward Bivens shot then marked the end of the first-half action. The new period was just four minutes old when the hosts were given the chance to extend their advantage earlier, after Thomas, Will Harris and Geoffrey Lundoloki all challenged Gyasi for another Mandey high ball into the box.
Gyasi hit the ground and Moreton pointed to the spot, but Gyasi's penalty was poor and Thomas stuck out his left boot to keep it out, before gathering the ball up.
Thomas also saved Mandey's header to Gyasi's cross, before Coleshill made it two just past the hour mark when Onabirekhanlen dispossessed Griffin in a dangerous position to allow Gyasi to slide the ball onto ex-Valley man Theo Rowe to coolly slot home.
Within two minutes, Town nearly pulled one back though, when Caine Elliott's excellent pressing high up the pitch saw the home side give the ball away to Tye - who laid it onto Bivens to strike the base of the post with his shot.
Gyasi bundled a low strike wide and sub Tristan Dunkley also headed one the wrong side of the frame, as Rugby finally began to tire in the final quarter of an hour.
Harry Sweeney and George Cleet also had chances for a third, before Rees grabbed it from close range after Thomas failed to get to a swung-in cross from Brookes on 87 minutes.
Rugby sub Cairo Taylor did flash one wildly across the goal late-on, but ultimately it was not a happy return to their old stomping ground for Joshua and his management team.
