Market Drayton Town 3 Belper Town 0

The hosts, languishing near the foot of the league table had undergone a mini revival under the manager-ship of former Sheffield Wednesday defender Jimmy Mullen and had picked up five points from their last three games.

The Nailers welcomed back Colin Marrison from injury and included Cashel Walters in the squad who was involved for the first time since signing a few months ago.

The Nailers were never comfortable with the route one style adopted by Drayton and they were warned early in the game when Luke Reynolds beat Richard Adams to the ball in the 5th minute, and hooked it just past the far post.

Jordan Turner lacked composure moments later when he had his sights set on goal but blasted the ball high over the target, but in the 11th minute the Nailers were a goal behind.

The ever dangerous Stuart Ellis beat Aaron Pride for pace before crossing to the far post where Luke Reynolds enjoyed a huge slice of luck when his shot spun off Damien Magee and looped over Andy Richmond into the net.

Richmond was Belper’s saviour in the 17th minute when he saved at point blank range from Stuart Ellis as the Nailers were pulled over the place, not for the first time and not for the last either.

Richard Adams (pictured) came close to an equaliser in the 26th minute as Belper eventually began to cause problems in the Drayton penalty area but his header took a slight deflection for the Nailers’ first corner of the game.

From the corner kick Belper had a sustained period of pressure with Drayton looking ragged for the first time in the game, but unfortunately a goal wasn’t forthcoming as a reward.

Then Andy Richmond had to intervene to stop Stuart Ellis’s low drive in the 32nd minute, and Jordan Turner looked to be about to score when one of the Nailers’ best moves of the game sent him through on goal, but a perfectly timed tackle denied him the opportunity.

More pressure from Belper in the final moments of the half saw Jon Froggatt hit the post with a shot from 10 yards as Drayton again looked disorganised from a succession of crosses.

Unfortunately for Belper, they succumbed to yet another attack on the break in added on time when Nick Porter raced down the right and provided a perfect cross for Stuart Ellis to nod the ball in at the far post.

It proved to be a body blow for the Nailers who never really looked like they would come back from that.

In fact Stuart Ellis almost got a third goal for Drayton in the 51st minute when he ran through virtually unchallenged only to be denied once again by the excellent Andy Richmond who somehow managed to smother the ball.

Only the width of the post saved Belper minutes later when Nick Porter, went on a penetrating run and found Tom Rodgers free at the far post, but fortunately his well struck shot struck the outside of the woodwork.

Nick Porter was certain he was going to score in the 56th minute when he seemingly had the goal at his mercy, but Damien Magee pulled off an amazing goal line block by throwing himself in front of the ball as it fizzed in from 12 yards out.

Any hopes of a revival were dashed on the hour mark when the Nailers just couldn’t clear the ball from their six yard line and Luke Reynolds claimed the last touch on the ball as it was forced over the line.

The afternoon got no better for Belper who lost Jordan Turner after he was controversially red carded following an incident in the 83rd minute, and Jon Froggatt had his best effort of the afternoon brilliantly saved by Andy Pryce in the 90th minute.

However, it was Andy Richmond who underlined his importance to the Belper side when he somehow managed to deflect another Stuart Ellis effort onto the cross bar, in the final moments of the game.

This was a poor result for the Nailers who seemed to have gone backwards in recent weeks following their excellent start under manager Peter Duffield.

Market Drayton Town: Pryce, Johnson, Peel, Hartlebury, Mc Mullen, Blake, Porter, Humphreys (Haynes 64), Reynolds (Davies 70), Rogers (Proffitt 80), Ellis S. Unused subs: Stallard, Capper.

Belper Town: Richmond, Pride, Magee, Meikle, Adams (O’Hare 45), Wright, Marrison, Smith, Froggatt, Turner, Rushbury. Unused subs: Walters, Turner.

Referee: Paul Hobday (Tipton)

Att:135