It ain't pretty but....

It was scrappy, frustrating and hardly entertaining, but the Nailers can be commended for sticking grittily to their task and battling hard for victory.

Matt Telling (pictured) made his debut for the Nailers, while Belper’s other new signing, Simon Mirfin made a substitute appearance mid-way through the second period.

Martin Kearney was given a rare start in between the posts, but otherwise the Belper starting line up had a familiar look.

Lee Stevenson, playing almost an attacking role featured prominently in the first few minutes and should really have capitalised on Simon Baldwin’s error in the 3rd minute and again when the ball dropped invitingly for him in the 10th.

Unfortunately for him, on both occasions, he wasn’t able to connect properly with the ball and miskicked the first opportunity, then lobbed the ball over the goal for the second.

Tom Naylor volleyed a respectable chance over the cross bar shortly afterwards but Gresley, playing down the slope, began to force the play back into Belper’s half.

Royce Turville send a powerful header just wide as the Moatmen looked threatening, however Matt Telling almost fooled Baldwin with a header from Ben Walker’s cross and the Gresley ‘keeper just managed to divert the bouncing ball.

Richard Kearney was almost taken by surprise by the power of Rob Spencer’s shot on 28 minutes and probably without knowing too much about it, diverted the ball over the cross bar.

But two minutes later Richard Adams bundled over Turville as he got behind the Belper defence and surprisingly got away without even a caution as he conceded a penalty kick.

The game arguably turned on the basis of Brian Woodall’s awful miss from the spot kick as he struck the ball yards over the cross bar and out of the ground.

The Nailers would have been content to have gone into the break at 0-0, but were even happier after Matt Telling scored his first goal for Belper on 40 minutes.

A free kick was awarded centrally just outside the penalty area, and Matt Telling placed the ball and struck it immediately and with impressive accuracy just inside the post, leaving the Gresley players looking longingly at the referee.

The match official saw no reason to disallow it and the Nailers led at half time.

The second half could best be described as scrappy, with both teams unable to string more than three or four passes together and the ball spending far too much time out of play.

There were a few moments when the game rose above the mediocre when Tom Naylor sent a header just wide on 48 minutes then fired a 30-yard effort narrowly wide 10 minutes later.

Both teams expended a huge amount of effort without really getting anywhere, but Gresley’s Matt Hill sent a stark warning for the Nailers with a left foot shot that grazed the upright on 71 minutes.

As the Moatmen pushed ever more forward gaps opened for the Nailers and in the 83rd minute Dean Oliver turned to lob the ball over Baldwin and in off the post to give Belper some much needed breathing space.

Gresley, who play their football three divisions lower than the Nailers nowadays looked dispirited for the first time in the game, and when Lee Stevenson carefully lifted the ball over the ‘keeper in the first minute of added on time for the third goal, Belper were able to celebrate a rare victory at the Moat Ground.

Gresley FC: Baldwin, Powell (Hancock 74), Butler, Coulson, Barrett, Slater, Lyons, Spencer, Turville (Gough 65), Woodall, Betteridge A (Hill 45). Other subs: Davies.

Belper Town: Kearney, Harcourt, Haigh, Naylor, Colliver (Mirfin 68), Adams, Walker, Stevenson, Wilson (Oliver 77), Telling, Rushbury (Fedorenko 59). Other subs: Hudson, Middleton.

Referee: C Marshall (Littleover)

Attendance: 156

Nigel Oldrini