RUGBY Borough began the year with a 2-1 home defeat against local rivals Racing Club Warwick.
A penalty from Cyrus Bruce put Borough ahead only for strikes from Archie Hamp and James Harding to turn the game in Warwick’s favour at Kilsby Lane.
The result means Rugby sit 13th in the Northern Premier League Midlands table.
Borough’s clash against the Racers came after Rugby claimed a thrilling 3-2 Boxing Day win against Coventry Sphinx.
The visitors went close early on as Archie Hamp headed narrowly wide from James Hancocks’ cross from the left.
However, Borough won a penalty on 15 minutes after Johnson Gyamfi went down in the box under a challenge from Ryan Moore.
And Bruce converted from the spot to put Rugby ahead with Tom Allsopp only able to push the striker’s spot kick into the top right corner of the goal.
The Racers almost drew level at the other end as Reece Blackmore lashed a half volley inches over the crossbar from just outside the penalty area.
And the visitors equalised on 29 minutes when Hamp squeezed a shot past former Racers stopper Sam Lomax at the near post from Hancocks’ low ball in from the left.
Warwick almost completed the turnaround before the break as Lomax tipped Cameron Ebbutt’s powerful half volley over the crossbar at full stretch.
Borough almost reclaimed the lead after the interval as Bruce lifted a shot inches over the crossbar from close range under pressure form a Warwick defender.
Lomax denied Aaron Opoku at the other end before Hamp nodded over from close range and Harding saw his shot pushed to safety,
However, the Racers eventually turned the game on its head on 78 minutes as Harding received Callum Coyle’s pass and spun his marker before finding the net from 12-yards out.
Borough went in search of an equaliser as substitute Antonio Cristofaro saw his effort from 25-yards out travel narrowly over the crossbar.
