Rugby Town were pegged back in the second half to share the points at Butlin Road against Northampton ON Chenecks.
The result put an end to the visitors' 100% start to the season but Grant Joshua's men will be disappointed to have given up points from a winning position at home once more, particularly after a dominant first half.
Joshua made two changes to his starting line-up from the narrow defeat at St.Neots three days earlier, with Devonn O'Sullivan and Louis Samuels preferred to Sam Tye and Rivel Mardenborough.
Both returnees were soon into the game when O'Sullivan's shot from the edge of the penalty area comfortably cleared the crossbar after Samuels had laid the ball back to him.
Lewis Irwin did send his free-kick into Town's wall shortly after, but it was mainly Rugby dictating the play and looking the most likely to open the scoring.
Aaron Nuttall's turned his marker inside and out on the byline before seeing his teasing cross to the near-post headed away for a corner by Luca Purse.
Ryley Nicholson's long-throw was only half-cleared by Northampton, and after O'Sullivan had then headed the ball back into a crowded box, Charlie Tilley's initial strike was blocked by a defender and Ben Richards' follow-up attempt was also blocked, before Valley's third quickfire attempt saw Tilley tugged to the floor by Ashley Ogden to which referee Matthew Robson pointed to the spot.
Samuels powerfully dispatched the penalty into the bottom right-hand corner to give Town a deserved nineteenth-minute lead.
Tilley's flicked effort to Nuttall's low cross lacked the power to trouble Chenecks' keeper Bradley Lashley, before Shad Reza curled a free-kick over the bar at the other end.
Rugby were then awarded their second penalty of the half, after visiting skipper Luke Davis fouled Nuttall as he ran onto O'Sullivan's lofted pass, but this time Samuels blazed it over the bar.
Tilley's volley from the edge of the box was gathered low down by Lashley, before Samuels was the central figure in the action once more when he lashed home a volley after Lashley had only pushed away Nuttall's cross from the left.
Having signalled the goal, Robson then consulted with his assistant and after a lengthy delay, amid general confusion, he reversed his decision and the goal was ruled out.
Ogden headed one wide and Lewis Irwin had a shot blocked, as the visitors looked to capitalise on their good fortune ahead of the interval, with O'Sullivan's strike drifting wide just before the half-time whistle.
Town made a decent start to the new period, with another ball over the top from O'Sullivan releasing Zidan Sutherland, with his shot from a wide angle saved by the legs of Lashley.
Axel Owusu headed over for Chenecks before another decent spell from the hosts saw Nuttall's cross from the left cut-out at the near post, and Lashley comfortably save efforts from both Sutherland and Nuttall.
Samuels then twice nearly got in behind the Northampton defence, but both times Lashley was out quickly to deny him.
The visitors equaliser on 71 minutes was a well-worked affair though, with Davis, Tyrun Primus and Jacob Cox combining neatly in a triangle - leading to a cross to the back-post from Cox to which Ryan Coxhill rose the highest to head past Ash Bodycote.
Substitute Tye headed Jake Duffy's free-kick wide, before a surging run into the box from Samuels ended with a rising strike from Samuels which flew well over.
As the game opened up, Northampton also had chances to grab a late winner, with Cox's shot bobbling wide, and Irwin sending one off-target after he had cut in from the wing.
Valley's best chance of grabbing a much-needed three points then came, with Sutherland's goal-bound effort blocked by Sebastian Inniss after Jake Wormleighton had headed on Nicholson's long-throw at the death.
