Belper make it three wins on the bounce

The game burst into life just before the hour mark when Jonathan Williams’ low strike wrong footed Newcastle ‘keeper Dave Parton and rolled into the bottom corner.

The Nailers made the points secure when substitute Tyrell Shannon-Lewis burst past defender Louis Downs who brought him down in the box, Alex Steadman stepped up and tucked the resulting penalty away.

The referee deemed Downs’ foul enough to warrant a straight red card, as Newcastle finished the game with ten men for the second week running.

Just moments before Belper doubled their lead, Gerome Palmer somehow headed Tim Sanders cross behind for a corner under pressure underneath his own crossbar.

The first-half of the game was matched by the weather, miserable. Harry Clayton’s disallowed goal for a foul on Dom Allen as he poked the ball home was as entertaining as it got in the opening 45 minutes.

Minutes before the hour, Jonathan Williams set his sights from distance and his low left-footed strike did not look too dangerous, a wicked deflection saw it wrong foot Parton in the home sides goal to give the Nailers the lead just prior to the hour mark and spark the game into life.

Evan Garnett had the away sides best chance just after the hour mark, Rob Stevenson won the ball high up in ‘Castle’s half and slipped Garnett through, but he was denied brilliantly by Parton.

Following heavy pressure from the home side Belper put the game beyond their reach, Shannon-Lewis had only been on the pitch a couple of minutes when he out-paced Downs to win a penalty, the ‘Castle defender can have no complaints about the decision as Steadman tucked home his sixth league goal.

Kyle Blake came closest for the home side, his fizzing strike flew just over Danny Haystead’s cross bar with only minutes left on the clock.

The impressive Rob Stevenson almost added gloss to the score line in stoppage time, his mazy run from inside his own half was almost finished off brilliantly but his rasping shot did not trouble Parton.

Newcastle Town: Parton (GK), Downs, Askey, Ashman, Carter, Blake, France (Gardner 81’), Mills (Needham 75’), Cole (Thompson 81’), Sanders (Capt), Clayton.

Unused subs: No more subs.

Belper Town: Haystead (GK), Allen, Cole (Leggitt 45’), Williams, Palmer (Parker 81’), Watt, Stevenson, Graves (Capt.), Garnett (Shannon-Lewis 75’), Watkis, Steadman.

Unused subs: Wood, Mansfield.

Attendance: 152

Referee: M Woods

Assistant referee: T Swift & G Polkey