Rugby Town's poor start ot the season continued on a scorching Bank Holiday Monday at Butlin Road as Shepshed Dynamo ran out narrow winners after a dour game.

In a game of very few clear cut chances, Shepshed forward Jesse Friend's 24th-minute penalty seperated the sides and ultimately secured the three points for the visitors who consigned Valley to a third straight defeat.

Rugby manager Grant Joshua made three changes from the loss at Anstey as Olly West and Callum Griffin returned to the midfield and Harrison Nee.

After a fairly decent opening for Rugby saw Cairo Taylor firstly squander a chance to be clean through by a touch which took him too wide and ultimately he saw his shot blocked before he almost caught out Shepshed goalkeeper Dan Wallis at his near post but his effort just went wide of the post.

Caine Elliott then side-footed wide from outside the area after good work by Griffin before the visitors got themselves ahead.

Ethan Hanson was penalised for a trip on Callum Burkey and for the third game in a row Valley went behind from the penalty spot as Friend sent Marcus Bald the wrong way.

The remainder of the half saw only speculative attempts as Harrison Nee saw a shot from inside the area blocked while Taylor failed to connect properly with his 20-yard effort while Friend tamely shot straight at Bald from a tight angle.

After the break there was even less action to report as Jack Rogers fired a shot from outside the area straight at Bald for the visitors while Dilano Reid's 25-yard free kick was comfortably saved by Wallis.

Rugby huffed and puffed in the second half but really struggled to cause any real problems for the Shepshed defence with a series of free-kicks, long throws and corners well dealt with by the visiting defence.

Full report to follow.

Valley Line-up: Bald; Tye, Kabeya (McNeil 46'), Thomas, Hanson (Francis 88'); West (Sahota 81'), Elliott, Griffin (Sanderson-Ellis 64'); Taylor (Reid 46'), Nee, Palmer. Subs not used: None. Booked: Sahota.