Bottom of the table Rugby started better and Chase goalkeeper Curtis Pond was brought into action early to twice deny Aaron Moses-Garvey - the latter with a fingertip save from a long range free kick.

The game stopped for nine minutes after an injury to Josh Craddock which understandably led to a muted first half that panned out scoreless. Craddock and Rugby’s Kyle Rowley innocently went for a 50:50 challenge that no-one could have foreseen would have ended the match for Chasetown’s number 8.

An impromptu half-time team talk in the ground’s marquee must have worked, as Chasetown took the lead just two minutes into the second half. Nathan Rooney’s free kick caused mayhem in the visiting defence and Blaize Punter looped a header towards his own goal and Chase skipper James Dance headed into an empty net – his seventh goal of the season.

Mitch Piggon was a whisker away from doubling Chasetown’s lead with a header just over the bar from a Peter Till cross.

Despite their first half promise, Rugby were kept at bay by a master class of defending by Chris Slater.

A scrappy affair saw Chasetown on top for most of the half and substitute Pierce Kiembi drove an 18 yard effort a foot over the crossbar as The Scholars moved into fifth place.

Chasetown: Pond, Curley, Wood (Langston, 55 mins), Slater, Miles, Dance, Till, Craddock (Brown, 30 mins), Piggon (Kiembi, 80 mins), Rooney, Ruff