A hard fought effort won Grant Joshua his first three points as Rugby Town at a much-fancied Wellingborough Town.
A first half goal by Caine Elliott put Valley ahead at the break with fellow midfielder Callum Griffin rounding things off deep into stoppage time.
Joshua named an unchanged starting eleven to the one that he felt deserved more on the opening day at home to Carlton Town with the only change seeing Curvin Sanderson-Ellis introduced to the bench for the first time this season.
The hosts created the opening opportunities of a game of very few clear-cut chances, with the first of these seeing Ethan Hanson back well to deny Jordan Crawford early on.
Danny Draper then had a shot blocked away for a corner, with Jack O'Connor helping the resulting set-piece wide of the goal.
Callum Milne also missed out when his overhead hooked effort flew well over, before Valley's first real threat came when Cairo Taylor showed good determination and pace to make it to the by-line before sending in a cross that was cut out in the goal-mouth.
Taylor was again involved in the build-up play before Griffin's strike was gathered at the second attempt by Brandon Ganley, with Nee then heading over from another Taylor cross from the left.
Rugby's top scorer last season Trey Charles did well with a powerful run down Wellingborough's right, and his centre was met by Crawford at the back-post, but Marcus Bald plucking the ball on the line.
Crawford dragged another chance wide, and Charlie Green headed a Sam Warburton corner straight at Bald, as the home side arguably looked the more likely to take a lead into the interval with Taylor's wayward volley representing a rare shot for Rugby.
However, it was Valley that made the breakthrough on 35 minutes when Elliott timed his run onto Bald's low clearance from just outside his own box to perfection and duly applied a cool, first-time finish through the legs of the onrushing Ganley.
Taylor's long-range free-kick near the start of the second-half was scooped up by Ganley, with another free-kick - this time from Griffin - only just failing to make its intended target shortly after, as the visitors started well after the restart.
A deep delivery from Lloyd Buckby did pick out O'Connor at the other end though, but his header drifted across the face of the goal, with Charles then not really threatening with his free-kick from a potentially dangerous position.
A Griffin strike was blocked after good skill from Sanderson-Ellis on the edge of the box, as Town looked to make the game safe in the closing minutes, and they then achieved this in stoppage-time when Joe Palmer's excellent touch and shimmy ending with a screwed shot from a tight angle which sneaked past Ganley and was finished off on the line by the quick-reacting Griffin.
Valley
Line-up: Bald; Tye, Kabeya, Thomas, Hanson; Sahota (West 61'), Elliott, Griffin; Taylor (McNeil 78'), Nee (Sanderson-Ellis 83'), Mardenborough (Palmer 83'). Subs not used: Reid. Booked: Mardenborough.
