Rivel Mardenborough's goal midway through the first half secured a third consecutive NPL Midlands win for Valley.

It was also a third consecutive clean sheet for Town, as they did well to limit their dynamic opponents to just a couple of late clear cut chances despite the University side edging the overall possession statistics.

Rugby boss Grant Joshua named an unchanged starting line-up for a third time for their first return fixture of the league campaign, after the two teams had played out a 2-2 draw just over a month earlier.

It was a relatively quiet start to the game, although Loughborough did nearly take advantage of Town keeper Marcus Bald dropping an early corner from Hussein Issa - but Greg Tempest eventually cleared the danger after Josh Thomas had blocked a goalbound effort.

For Valley, Nathan Kabeya's dangerous inswinging cross was punched away by Jude Sadler, whilst a Tempest corner almost drifted straight in shortly after.

The game's ultimately key moment came on 22 minutes, when Harrison Nee, Caine Elliott and Sam Tye pressed well together to gain possession in the middle of the Loughborough half, with Tye emerging with the ball to feed Mardenborough - who teased his defender before cutting in and firing a low shot past Sadler at his near post.

Jonty Bouch lifted one way over from more than thirty yards as the visitors looked for an immediate way back into the game, before Rugby went close to extending their lead when Elliott's low strike was parried by Sadler for Tye to almost slide in and ram home the rebound.

Issa's low strike from distance lacked power and was comfortably gathered by Bald, with Nee then doing well to clear an inswinging cross from Alex Spiteri.

Nee then popped up at the other end - forcing a save from Sadler after he had run onto Tye's headed flick-on, with Issa then again lacking the force to trouble Bald with an effort from the edge of the penalty area.

Thomas was once more on hand to poke Max Prickett-Reed's threatening cross behind for a corner, with Bouch lifting the resulting delivery way over the frame.

A first-time volleyed strike from the left foot of Tempest bounced wide of the target, before Rugby again nearly doubled their advantage in the closing minutes of the opening period when Mardenborough played in Tye - whose shot from the left hand side drew a decent save from Sadler.

Connor Keene put one over the bar in the first attacking play of the new half, before Town nearly punished a short back pass, with Mardenborough flicking the ball to Tye - whose shot was blocked away.

The Students enjoyed a lot of the ball in the subsequent quarter of an hour or so, but they failed to create any real threatening opportunities.

Having capably ridden the mini-storm, Rugby then contrived to pass up a plethora of big chances themselves, with the first of these seeing Tye shanking one wide after Mardenborough and him had completed a neat interchange.

Elliott curled a cross just beyond the post, and then Nee blazed over after he had capitalised on Prickett-Reed's misjudgement of a searching ball forward from Geoffrey Lundoloki.

Kabeya also blasted one high over the target after he had done well with an interception and a fast break up the pitch, and then Cairo Taylor also missed the frame with his shot from a good position following his run from deep inside his own half.

Loughborough sub Gafar Abari's shot was blocked by Bleu McNeil, as the visitors finally managed a strike at Rugby's goal, but the hosts were straight back at them when Sadler pulled off a decent stop with his legs to deny Mardenborough after Tye had floated a great ball in behind the Students' defence.

Kabeya's speculative effort drifted wide, and then the same Valley man sent a rising effort just over after he had twisted and turned and shown good strength to create himself an opening.

Abari fired over, and Bald pushed a swerving shot from Josh Roddy up and away for a corner, as Loughborough mounted their late bid for an equaliser.

The efforts very nearly paid off at the death, when an almighty goalmouth scramble saw Bald's reflexes keep out Sonny Albert's strike, and then Kabeya somehow blocked Prickett-Reed's follow-up attempt low down by the post.

Valley Line-up: Bald; Kabeya, Lundoloki, Thomas, McNeil; Tempest (Martin 75'), Elliott (Sahota 85'), Tye; Taylor (Anaebonam 68'), Nee (Hanson 90'), Mardenborough (Organ 85'). Subs not used: None. Booked: Thomas, Kabeya, Martin, Nee, Taylor.

Loughborough Line-up: Sadler, Spiteri, Prickett-Reed, Bouch, Royall, Salsby, Gilpin, Fielding, Shortland, Issa, Keene. Subs: Dean, Rennie, Roddy, Albert, Abari.