Valley slipped to defeat at St Neots Town in a hard fought and evenly-contested game.
In an early-season battle between two of the sides who were relegated from the NPL Midlands last season, MJ Muyembe's second-half goal proved to be the winner for the hosts in a game of few clear cut chances.
With striker Ryan Boothe unavailable, new signing Zidan Sutherland was named in his place, with Ryley Nicholson also into the starting line-up for the first time this season to cover the absence of the injured Ryan Bridgewater and skipper Jamie Ashmore - who was also away.
The first chance of the game fell to the hosts when Connor Furlong seized upon a wayward touch from Jake Wormleighton to run in on goal, but Wormleighton's fellow centre-half Ben Richards was on-hand to cut out the resulting shot.
Sutherland was making a good early impression with his pace and mobility, and he sent in a decent low cross which was just beyond Rivel Mardenborough.
Mardenborough also had a dangerous low cross cut out, with a Charlie Tilley strike drifting just beyond the post.
Ex-Valley man Will Grocott's excellent shot from a quick free-kick move was tipped over by Ash Bodycote at the other end to mark the start of the hosts' best spell of the first-half.
Within this period of play, Danny Baulk had a low shot saved, before the same player saw a further effort deflected wide. Nicholson did well to snuff out Furlong after the winger looked like he was through on goal, and Baulk had another shot tipped over the bar by Bodycote.
Sutherland then had two strikes which cleared the frame by some margin, before Rivel Mardenborough put in a low shot which forced a decent save from Ben Heath - which represented Town's best chance of the first-half.
Tilley scuffed one from the edge of the area after Sam Tye had performed a neat turn and pass to find him just ahead of the half-time whistle.
Baulk's near-post shot was kept out by Bodycote not long into the new period, but it was pretty much all Rugby for the next quarter of an hour or so, with Mardenborough's dangerous cross cut out, Sutherland's powerful strike blocked and then Mardenborough took too long to get his shot off after Tye had headed the ball back to him.
It was, therefore, against the run of play when the home side edged themselves ahead on 66 minutes when Furlong was afforded too much space on the right wing and after he cut inside and saw his shot deflected, Muyembe was on hand to tap the ball into an unguarded net after his original effort ricocheted off defender and post.
Furlong then nearly extended their lead immediately after this when he sent one over the bar from a dangerous position. Valley pushed for an equaliser thereafter, without really ever opening up the hosts to any great extent.
Sutherland did fire in a rising effort which clipped the top of the crossbar though, and shortly after sub Louis Samuels almost successfully charged down a clearance from keeper Ben Heath, with Samuels seeing a further shot blocked in the penalty area.
The final opportunity of the game fell to Richards - who had been thrown forward late-on to bolster the attacking numbers, but his added-time shot on the turn was straight at Heath.
