There were two changes made by manager Peter Duffield as Gareth Davies and Jamie Jackson started ahead of Steve Warne and Shaun Tuton who were both carrying slight knocks.

A relatively tame first half produced very few of chances for both sides, the most prominent for Simon Harrison after a great move by the Nailers.

Sam Duncum won the ball off the full back and laid the ball for Jackson on the inside left who began driving at the Sports backline. Jackson then slipped in a pass for Harrison on the right of the area and his cutback led to a powerful shot which was saved low by the goalkeeper.

But, it was the second half produced all the action, with five goals of real quality and tension running to the final whistle.

It was Sports who got the opening goal on the 52nd minute after great link-up play between Simeon Oshoboke and Karl Demidh.

Oshoboke picked the ball up on the half way line and played a pass through to the onside Demidh to the right. Demidh ran at the full back and played the ball back across to Oshoboke, whose touch and turn and first time left footed shot eased into the bottom corner and gave Ratcliffe no chance.

It took just four minutes for Mickleover to double their lead from the penalty spot after Demidh’s reverse pass to Warren Hatfield on the right of the six yard box led to Duncum tripping his man and giving away a penalty.

Demidh was the man to take the spot kick making no mistake as he smashed the ball into the roof of the net, sending Ratcliffe the wrong way.

The game was then deemed beyond doubt on 69th minute when the dangerous Demidh came out favourite from a challenge with Watt, and looped the ball over Ratcliffe from the edge of the area to make it three goals to nil.

Substitute Shaun Tuton gave the Nailers a life line with eleven minutes remaining when Marrison fired the ball across the box towards Duncum who hit the post, and the follow up came for Tuton to smash high into the net from five yards out.

The Nailers then pilled on the pressure and Shaun Tuton got his second two minutes into injury time when Colin Marrison played Tuton through on the left, and his pace took him away from the defenders and a clinical left footed drive flew beyond the keeper to make Sports sweat in the final moments.

Belper Town: Dave Ratcliffe, Chris Jones, Joe Conkleton, Glyn Cotton, Philip Watt, Shaun Roulston, Simon Harrison (Colin Marrison 71), Gareth Davies (Steve Warne 56), Jon Froggatt, Jamie Jackson (Shaun Tuton 67), Sam Duncum. Subs: Liam Davis, Richard Adams.

Mickleover Sports: Chris Martin, Kyle Bryant, Shaun Pendleton, Liam Walshe, Dwayne Wiley, Nico Degirolamo, Warren Hatfield (Kevin Grocott 90), Jordan Hall, Simeon Oshoboke, Karl Demidh, Martin Smythe (Willie McGhee 24). Subs: Danny Davidson, Rob Ritchie-Smith, Josh O’Brien.

Referee: Ben Cooke (Atherstone)

Att: 225

Match Sponsors: The Grapes Inn