RUGBY Town slumped to a 3-0 home defeat against relegation rivals Bourne Town to remain bottom of the table.
Valley conceded three goals in the space of nine first-half minutes at Butlin Road remain winless in their last nine league games.
Quickfire goals from Zac Allen, Robbie Ellis and Lewis Darlington left Rugby with a mountain to climb with just 20 minutes on the clock.
The result mans Valley sit rock bottom of the Northern Premier League Midlands table, seven points from safety with six matches left to play.
Rugby fell behind after just 11 minutes when Allen chipped the ball over Rugby goalkeeper Xander Grieves as he pounced on Bo Morris’s weak defensive header.
And Bourne doubled their lead seven minutes later as Ellis volleyed in Freddie Allen’s cross on the turn.
The visitors stunned the home side with a third goal on 20 minutes with Grieves only able to get a hand to Darlington’s strike from the edge of the penalty area.
Rugby looked to respond after the break as Bourne goalkeeper Will Lakin saved Rivel Mardenborough’s overhead kick.
And Lakin then kept out Sam Tye’s header from a Trey Charles cross to keep Bourne’s three-goal lead intact.
The visitors preserved their clean sheet late on as Harrison Nee saw two efforts blocked in another damaging defeat for Grant Joshua’s side.
Rugby are next in action against Corby Town on Saturday, March 28 with kick-off at 3pm at Steel Park.
