Manager Lee Attenborough went with the same starting eleven that played against Garforth Town the previous week and also named himself on the bench.

It was a closely fought game with neither team getting the upper hand for any significant length of time, although the Nailers could claim more possession in the first half while Bishop edged the second.

After an even and eventless opening ten minutes or so, Belper’s top goal scorer Harry Draper made space for a shot from twenty yards, but the ball was rising all the time.

Lewis Austin‘s cross from the right in the 17th minute almost fell perfectly for Draper, but the Belper striker nodded the ball beyond the far post.

Austin provided another excellent cross, this time from the left side and Draper was again unfortunate to see his headed effort drift wide of the target.

Greg Halford came close to scoring in the 25th minute with a 25-yard free kick that sped just wide of the upright, then Jack Blackford nearly fooled Preston with an in-swinging cross that needed to be touched around the post by the Belper stopper.

The Nailers featured less as an attacking force after the break while Bishop stepped up their pace and gave the Nailers much more to do defensively.

However, the Nailers conceded a penalty in the 54th minute when Jonathan Wafula was adjudged to have tugged the shirt of Blackford, and the referee pointed to the spot.

Gary Martin stepped up to take the penalty and saw his well struck effort beaten out by Preston, and the Belper ‘keeper moved quickly to block his follow up effort.

In a particularly difficult spell for the Nailers Bishop forced the ball over the line in the 58th minute, but the referee blew for a foul much to everyone’s relief.

There was concern when Draper went down after a shot had been blocked and he hobbled off the field to be replaced by Jerome Greaves.

The game continued to ebb and flow with neither side getting close enough to threaten each other’s goal and a point apiece was just about right for ninety plus minutes of honest endeavour from both teams.

Belper Town: Preston, Rhodes, Warren, Austin, Broadhead, Keenan, Bastos (Whitehead 89), Wafula, Draper (Greaves 76), Gordon (Crofts 67), Burrows. Unused subs: King, Attenborough.

Bishop Auckland: Norton, Haase, Risbrough, Fielding, Halford, Vaulks, Bartliff, May, Johnson (Hargrave 86), Martin, Blackford (Hodgson 83). Unused subs: Grundle, Hackett. Errat-Thompson.

Referee: Anthony Tankard

Att: 506

Man of the Match: Kieran Preston

Match Sponsor: Terry Abbott and Friends

Ball Sponsor: Premier Plus Ltd.