With Ben Rhodes absent and Danny South suspended, manager Lee Attenborough had to shuffle his defensive pack and play Curtis Burrows at right back and Luke Martin alongside skipper Phil Watt.

Another good crowd on a warm September afternoon hoped to see a Nailers victory that would keep them in the upper reaches of the table.

Jonathan Hedge was grateful to gather Adam Priestley’s shot as he ran through inside the first minute, and once the Nailers had shaken off a flaky start, they responded with a Cameron Johnson effort that went straight to Lloyd Allinson.

Curtis Burrow’s well directed corner on 15 minutes looked a cert for Watt but he headed the ball the wrong side of the post.

Belper’s best chance came mid-way through the half when James Cadman found himself through on goal and with too much time to decide, he hit the ball too close to the ‘keeper.

Rev James cut inside to hit a fierce effort just over the cross bar, and in a good spell for the Nailers, they looked to have won a cast iron penalty when Johnson was brought down inside the penalty area.

The referee decided against awarding a spot kick and for good measure booked Johnson for simulation. Later photographic evidence showed clearly that Johnson had been very unlucky indeed.

The Nailers capitalised on some defensive uncertainty only two minutes into the second period and Kevon Bastos pounced on the opportunity to score his 8th goal of the season.

Belper were good value at this stage of the game but Watt’s mistimed challenge on Louie Chorlton on 50 minutes, not only earned him a yellow card, but presented Ponte with a great chance to equalise from the penalty spot. Adam Haw duly converted.

Somehow Hedge managed to claw the ball off Priestley when he looked certain to score on 55 minutes, however the Nailers gradually lost control of the game in the latter stages as Pontefract sensed a win was on the cards.

Bastos proved a bright spark in this period with a vicious shot from the edge of the area that almost restored Belper’s lead, but Allinson was equal to it.

Then in the final 10 or 12 minutes the game finally ran away from them as Francis Sinfield met a low cross from the right to poke the ball beyond Hedge, and then Jack Steers headed a cross just inside the near post to round things off for the visitors.

In the final moments Curtis Burrows was shown a straight red to compound Belper’s misery, and he is likely to miss the next three games as a result.

Belper Town: Hedge, Martin, Algar, Dunn, Warren, Watt, James, Burrows, Johnston (Troke 58), Cadman (Bessadi 76), Bastos. Unused subs: Austin, Gregory, Rabone.

Pontefract Collieries: Allinson, Smith (Sinfield 68), Spratt, Smythe, Steers, Owen, Chorlton, Nicell, Priestley (Vann 93), Boyle (Rothery 82), Haw. Unused subs: Lumsden.

Referee: Steven Taylor

Att: 450