RUGBY Town will face another basement battle when they visit third-from-bottom Grantham Town tomorrow (Saturday, 3pm).
Rugby returned to winning ways against ten-man Lye Town last Saturday to put some daylight between them and the relegation zone in the Northern Premier Midlands.
Trey Charles’ second-half brace helped Valley record their first win since August after Lye’s Matthew Gardner cancelled out Josh Thomas’ opener.
Captain Thomas headed home Chris Clements’ corner to give them the lead on 26 minutes in a first half where they were on top.
Charles and Harrison Nee saw chances come and go for Valley but, after failing to muster a single shot in the first half, the hosts started the second half brightly.
And they were rewarded when Gardner scored from close range after keeper Paul Hathaway could only parry Ewan Edwards’ powerful low shot.
Lye’s Syrus Warren-Paul saw red just before the hour for picking up two yellow cards.
Nee drew a foul from Elliott Ball just past the hour mark and Charles slotted home the spot-kick, despite Lye goalkeeper George Barrett diving the right way.
Ten-man Lye pressed for an equaliser and came close when Gardner’s shot hit the post.
At the other end Arthur’s rising shot strike the woodwork and heavy touches from Caine Elliott and Charles denied them one-on-one chances.
With a minute left, Charles secured the points powering clear down the middle of the pitch and finishing past Barrett.
