RUGBY Town suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat in a bottom-of-the-table clash against AFC Rushden and Diamonds.
Goals either side of half time condemned Valley to defeat at Butlin Road as opponents Rushden claimed just their second league win of the season.
And the result means Rugby remain one point from safety in the Northern Premier League Midlands relegation zone.
After a scrappy opening to the game, Rushden took the lead on 35 minutes when Cairo Taylor’s shot took a wicked deflection and looped over Valley goalkeeper Tomasz Bukowski and into the top corner.
The home side managed just one shot on target all afternoon as Rushden goalkeeper Ben Heath comfortably held Liam Francis’s tame header.
And Rushden doubled their lead on 59 minutes as Miguel Ngwa produced a neat finish shortly after Luke Emery hit the post for the visitors.
The away side almost added a third goal when substitute Tejan Thomas’s strike from distance came back off the crossbar on an afternoon to forget for Valley.
Rugby are next in action away at Loughborough Dynamo on Saturday, January 27 with kick-off at 3pm at the Newton Fallowell Stadium.
