Valley's long winning run is finally ended but they stay clear at the summit

Town had equalled the club’s all-time record for successive league victories at the weekend with their 13th on the bounce in their 3-0 success at Easington Sports.

But Iain Blaikie's header saw Rugby suffer only their second UCL Premier Division South defeat of the campaign to date against the Northamptonshire outfit.

Last Saturday’s win came after David Kolodynski had given Valley a half-time lead with his 19th goal of the season, with a Loyiso Recci penalty and Edwin Ahenkorah’s late strike rounding things off after the break.

Hopes were therefore high going into the midweek fixture that a new marker would be established against opposition that has generally struggled of late. But they found Desborough to be a side with considerable spirit and no shortage of threat themselves.

The two teams traded chances in the first half, with Kolodynski and Caine Elliott both sending opportunities over the target and away keeper Adam Honour doing well to keep out efforts from Liam Francis and Alex Lock.

At the other end, Alvin Magagada was guilty of a particularly bad miss early on for the visitors, with Rugby keeper Matt Hill then needing to be at full-length to deny the dangerous Simeone Okoro.

The hosts had the better of the game in the second period, though, with Madundo Semahimbo’s deflected shot hitting the top of the crossbar and Honour pulling off two further inspired saves to thwart strikes from Semahimbo and Elliott.

Valley also had two strong appeals for penalties turned down before Blaikie popped up at the near post to nod in a corner in the third minute of stoppage-time.

Next up for Rugby is the short trip to Long Buckby on Saturday for a top-against-bottom clash against a side with just 10 points to show for their 2022/23 season efforts so far.

Despite the defeat, Town still hold a 14-point cushion at the head of the table, with second now occupied by Wellingborough Town who underlined their emergence as promotion challengers with a 2-0 victory at Coventry Sphinx on Tuesday evening.