With a place at Step 3 awaiting the victors of the NPL Midlands play off final the game was played at a fast pace with neither team looking to give way to the other.

Reece Blackmore and James Hancocks had early shots saved by Kieran Preston as the Racers set the early pace, but Luke Shaw’s tantalising cross in the 23rd just missed the far post although the Nailers entered their best spell of the half after this.

Jonathan Wafula had a shot saved in the 24th minute and then the same player had a header hit the underside of the bar after Louis Keenan’s cross reached him two minutes later.

Diego De Girolamo couldn’t quite make good contact with a cut back from Shaw then as the Nailers put pressure on the visitors, they were rewarded with a goal when Kevin Bastos swept home a cross provided by Shaw.

Barely had the cheers subsided when within ninety seconds the Racers gleefully equalised when James Harding prodded home a cross from Aaron Opoku.

Jacob Gratton nearly restored Belper’s lead when he cut inside and struck a shot just wide of the post and the two teams went into the break on level terms.

The second half lacked the quality of the first and at times the play was scrappy and without purpose.

Gratton started one of the best moves of the half when he chipped the ball over a defender for Shaw to cross and find De Girolamo, but the Belper striker couldn’t find the right connection and the ball went wide.

De Girolamo had the ball at his feet on 87 minutes but couldn’t get it properly under control then moments later Moran saw his 88th minute header drift wide of the angle.

Curtis Burrows hit an almost perfect free kick on the stroke of full time, but Tom Allsop managed to push the ball over the bar.

Both periods of extra time were by and large a stalemate with both teams preserving the status quo and so it was that a penalty competition was required to separate the two teams.

Gratton got things underway by scoring the first, but the usually reliable Burrows put his spot kick over the bar. Bastos, Keenan, Preston, Wafula, and Moran confidently scored theirs, but South and Broadhead both missed to give Hayward the chance to win it for the visitors.

The Nailers certainly rose to the occasion when it mattered most and did themselves proud in getting as far as they did, and now after a short well-earned break they will attempt to go one step further next season.

Belper Town: Preston, Fankwe, Keenan, Wafula, Broadhead, Evans (South 46), Bastos, Burrows, De Girolamo (Eccleshall 98), Gratton, Shaw (Moran 72). Unused subs: Austin, Rhodes.

Racing Club Warwick: Allsop, Moore, Hayward, Blackmore (Andrews 90+1), Barnett, Tetlow, Taylor, Hancocks, Harding (Chiha 90+1), Opoku (Hamp 97), Coyle (Ebbutt 83). Unused sub: Warley.

Referee: Kieran Chell

Attendance: 1,702

Match Sponsor: Josh Eades.

Sponsors’ Man of the Match: Louis Keenan