Belper’s opening two games of the campaign have both been against ‘unknown quantities’ and they have emerged with six points, and perhaps more importantly very good performances.

The Nailers had to manage without Curtis Burrows, Harry Draper, and Jacob Gratton due to unavailability, however those players that deputised for them did the team proud.

Belper didn’t allow themselves to be overawed by their more illustrious counterparts and arguably had the better possession and chances in the first half.

Luke Rawson was particularly effective in this game and might have scored inside the first two minutes, but the tight angle defeated him, and the ball went beyond the far post.

Rawson was on target in the 14th minute when he sent a firm header straight at Craig Ellison in the visitor’s goal, and he was involved again three minutes later when he fed Keaton August, however August’s effort slipped wide of the far post.

Bradford’s first notable effort came moments later when Avenue skipper Connor Dimayo’s dipping shot was ushered over the bar by Dan Moore.

Luke Hogg’s drive from a corner kick went wide of the target for the visitors, and a defensive error on 33 minutes could have proved costly for the Nailers but Patrick Sykes left himself too much to do on the acute angle.

Rawson was involved again on 40 minutes when he had a shot cleared off the line, and as the Nailers finished the half in the ascendancy, August’s strike from the edge of the area went safely to Ellison.

Avenue were fortunate again in the last action of the half when a breakaway found August in another good shooting position, however he couldn’t find the target on this occasion.

The Nailers knew at the start of the second period that they should have been at least one goal ahead, and Avenue pushed hard for an opener in the first fifteen minutes.

Solid defensive work restricted Avenue’s attacking options and eventually the Nailers got a firm foothold in the game after Ben Rhodes headed a Mason Warren corner kick narrowly wide.

Belper fought hard to regain the upper hand and nearly went ahead through a bizarre back pass from Ben Whelan although Ellison managed to save the Avenue defender’s embarrassment.

The Nailers showed great character to force the visitors back into their own half, and a 70th minute corner kick saw Rhodes’s stooping header saved by the flailing hand of Ellison.

However, Rhodes wasn’t to be denied and in a similar situation in the 73rd minute he stooped to head a loose ball, and this time saw it rest in the back of the net.

The goal was met with a huge roar from the crowd, and from then on there was only going to be one winner.

Rhodes nearly added a second on 76 minutes with a header that bent just wide, and after this it was just a question of managing the last stages of the game which Belper did magnificently.

Belper Town: Moore, Rhodes, Aguas, Austin, Broadhead, Evans, August (Whitehead 60), Warren, Rawson, Crofts (Gregory 84), Litchfield (Tsolakis 88). Unused subs: King, Adams

Bradford (Park Avenue): Ellison, Hassan-Smith, Francis D, Hogg, Francis A, Whelan, Swales (Askew 66), Dimayo, Sykes, Colville (Hudson 90), Norman (Varley 66). Unused subs: Smith, Shanks.

Referee: Waqar Ahmed

Att: 452

Match Sponsors: Alley Barbers
Man of the Match: Ben Rhodes