Belper Town made an inauspicious return to the Moat Ground after a season’s absence when they lost to Gresley FC, who were on a 9-game run without a victory.

It all started well for the Nailers who dominated the opening stages and could have scored on more than one occasion.

Gresley ‘keeper Matt Cottrell nearly let a back pass roll under his feet and only the uneven pitch prevented a potentially embarrassing moment.

Jon Williams threaded a great ball through to Bradley Wells in the 9th minute but the Nailers striker couldn’t find a finish, and Williams saw a free kick well held by the Gresley ‘keeper as the Nailers continued to threaten in the early stages.

In between time, the hosts might have scored when Jack Langston burst through only to be denied by Danny Haystead .

Rob Stevenson found Alex Steadman with a slide rule pass in the 18th minute but he was unable to get his shot away cleanly and the ball trickled wide.

Stevenson hit a cracking effort from outside the penalty box moments later and the ‘keeper was equal to it, then Steadman saw an angled shot kicked off the line on the half hour, however the impetus switched to the hosts in the last 15 minutes of the half.

Martyn Smyth missed a great chance to open the scoring for the Moatmen on 33 minutes when he shot wide from a great position, but 5 minutes later Eric Graves over stretched himself and caught Martin Smyth just inside the box and the referee awarded a penalty.

Jack Langston stepped up to tuck the ball away into the corner of the net and the Nailers left the field at half time wondering how they managed to be behind.

The Nailers seemed to have lost their rhythm in the second half and suffered a blow in the 51st minute when John Guy’s free kick took a slight deflection off Jack O’Brien and the ball rested just inside the far post.

The hosts looked dangerous after this and might have added to their lead if it hadn’t been for the abilities of Danny Haystead.

Firstly Langston had a shot that Haystead saved at the foot of the post and the Belper ‘keeper denied John Guy with a fine tip over from the striker’s header on 63 minutes.

The Nailers played their way into the game again for the last 20 minutes and Alex Steadman was unfortunate to be denied on the goal line for the second time in the game.

Substitute Lawrence Constable had a fine effort touched over the bar on 73 minutes, and soon afterwards Steadman seemed to have a simple tap in as the ball sped low across the 6 yards area, but he couldn’t make contact.

The Nailers scored a consolation on 89 minutes after the Moatmen failed to get the ball away and Ben Watkis drilled a low shot through a group of players and into the far corner.

There wasn’t enough time to get what would have been a deserved equaliser and there was no disguising the relief on the Gresley players’ faces as their winless streak came to an end.

Gresley FC: Cottrell, Roome, Smith (Carlisle 84), Lansdowne, Barrett, Holt, Pearson (Machin 89), Langston, Guy, Smyth, King. Subs not used: Peet, Ricketts and Morris-Clarke.

Belper Town: Haystead, Armstrong, Keenan, Graves, O’Brien, Watt, Stevenson, Watkis, Wells (Constable 58), Williams (Allen 45), Steadman. Subs not used: Butcher, Taggart and Mansfield.

Referee: Richard Price (Walsall)

Attendance: 253