The Nailers included new loan signing Aron Wint in the starting line up while Michael Blythen and Gavin Saxby who also joined Belper last week, were named as substitutes.

Charlie Weir was given a striking role as Jon Froggatt was rested for this game with Belper’s up and coming clash with Shepshed Dynamo uppermost in manager Peter Duffield’s mind.

The Rams included a number of players with first team experience as they set out on the road to retain the Derbyshire Senior Cup that they captured for the first time in April this year.

Unsurprisingly it was Derby who made the early running but their opening goal in the 6th minute was a result of an uncharacteristic error from Andy Richmond as he allowed a routine cross from Tomasz Cywka to go over his head and present the Rams with a soft opener.

However the Nailers hit back in the 10th minute when new man Aron Wint struck a tremendous 25 yard free kick that Adam Legzdins did well to parry but Ben Leonard nipped in to score with a close range header.

The Nailers showed up well for the ensuing period but then made the mistake of allowing Tomasz Cywka too much time on the ball and his well struck shot from just outside the penalty area gave Andy Richmond no chance as it sped into the corner of the net.

The Nailers were caught out by pace in the 25th minute when Chris Maguire escaped down the left and played the ball into the recently introduced Dave Martin who then expertly drilled the ball past Richmond and inside the far post.

The Nailers managed to stabilise things after this and competed well for the ball in the Rams’ half of the field.

But it could have been four in the 40th minute when Tomazs Cywka crossed to Chris Maguire who was on his own at the far post but the Derby striker headed over the bar, then danger man Cywka, was again allowed too much time and space two minutes later and he hit a swerving shot against the cross bar.

The Nailers gave Derby a scare in the final moments of the first half when Charlie Weir took the ball off Jake Buxton on the edge of the penalty area and hit a shot just wide of the upright.

Belper made a bright start to the second half and needed to find a goal quickly if they were to peg back a very lively Rams side, but Dave Martin could have wrapped things up for the visitors when he struck a swerving effort from distance on 51 minutes, however Andy Richmond made a great save at full length.

The Rams effectively put the game out of reach of the Nailers in the 53rd minute when Alex Witham placed a perfectly placed ground shot just inside the far post leaving Belper with a mountain to climb.

However the Nailers reduced the areas on 61 minutes when Charlie Weir (pictured) put a great header past Adam Legzdins from a Deon Meikle cross, but the Rams restored their margin when Lee Croft volleyed home from close range two minutes later.

Derby made it 6-2 on 65 minutes when Dave Martin weighed in with his second goal of the night with a swerving effort that Andy Richmond could only get the tips of his fingers to, and Dave Martin extended Derby’s lead with a goal on 65 minutes.

Belper’s debutante Aron Wint struck a delightful free kick in off the post to make it 7-3, however the goals kept coming, and in the 73rd minute an eighth arrived for the Rams when Dave Martin’s centre went in off Belper’s Greg Wright as he ran into the 6 yard area in an attempt to cut out the cross.

Chris Maguire made in 9-3 after Derby broke swiftly in the 83rd minute, and Lee Croft supplied the pass that lead to a sublime finish by the Scotland international.

It had been a brave effort from the Nailers but in the final analysis it was always going to be a tough assignment for Belper Town against such high class opposition.

Belper Town: Richmond, Wright, White, Meikle, Adams, Simpkins (Blythen 71), Wint, Leonard, Weir, Longstaff, Rushbury (Fedorenko 59). Unused subs; Ellis, Ortuno, Saxby.

Derby County: Legzdins, Leacock, Buxton, Witham, O’Brien, Riggott, Croft, Maguire, Robinson (Martin 23), Doyle, Cywka. Unused sub: Jones.

Referee: Mark Sutton (Belper)

Att: 214

Match Sponsor: BTFC Operations Committee.