Boss Adams hoping home will remain sweet for Rugby Town

It has not quite reached fortress proportions yet, but Valley's 2024/25 Butlin Road form has been good and they are yet to lose in eight lots of 90 minutes there across three competitions - their FA Trophy exit via a penalty shoot-out against Carlton the only blot on the unbeaten landscape.

Town's latest home outing on Saturday saw them complete yet another niggly derby with Coventry Sphinx - which ended 1-1.

Tayo Tucker's close range finish to Hilton Arthur's cross gave the hosts a deserved lead, with Mikey Taylor missing a good chance before the break to stretch the advantage.

Josh Thomas then had a goalbound header pushed away by Charlie Woods not long after the restart.

However, Sphinx's improved performance was rewarded by Shay Willock's 65th minute strike, the visitors having earlier missed the chance to level when Rugby keeper Paul Hathaway saved Callum Woodward's penalty.

Town boss Carl Adams said: "It's a pity that we just couldn't stretch it to a 2-0 lead when we were on top, but we know from previous years how tough an opponent Sphinx are.

"It's shaping up to be a really tight division this season, so we will have to scrap for every point.

"The lads know that they need to start to converting the one points into three, and it's frustrating for all of us at the moment that we've failed to do that on a few occasions.

"But I'm sure once we get certain players back from injury and/or firing on full cylinders again we have enough quality here to do this."

Adams was particularly short of options up-front against Sphinx, with Harrison Nee (suspended), Madundo Semahimbo (injured) and Trey Charles (unavailable) all missing, but Nee and Charles should both be abvailable for the visit of the Colemen.

Charles returned to the starting line-up as Valley made the trip to Wellingborough Town on Tuesday evening, and suffered a narrow 1-0 loss.

Will Jones scored the only goal of the game in the 16th minute, and although Valley had plenty of chances to get back into the contest they could find no way past a well-organised Doughboys rearguard.

Ahead of the trip to the Dog & Duck, Adams strengthened his defensive options with the signings of Ayo Lekuti and Sidik Atcha.

Left-sided Lekuti, who played for the club last season, rejoins Town from Lye while centre-back Atcha arrives on an initial one month loan from Kettering Town.

Both players started at Wellingborough.

The midweek defeat means Rugby are now 17th, two places and two points above the drop zone.