Manager Lee Attenborough had targeted a maximum of nine points over the Christmas and New Year period and wins over Heaton Stannington, Sheffield FC and now Sherwood sees the Nailers perfectly placed to challenge for the one automatic promotion slot.

Belper kept the same starting eleven that had done the business in previous games with new signing Jack Watson having to settle for a place on the bench.

A pitch inspection had been required earlier in the day after there has been standing water first thing in the morning, but the game went ahead with the pitch standing up well to the rigours of ninety minutes football.

Sherwood held their own in the first period and in the 10th minute former Nailers defender Oliver Lobley struck the post with a cross from the left.

Tav Kuleya was seeing a lot of the ball on the right side for the Nailers and despite getting crosses in with regularity, Belper drew a blank in terms of chances.

Carter Widdowson sent a twenty-yard effort over the cross bar for the visitors, and on 27 minutes the Wood nearly took the lead when skipper Jamie York sent a curling shot towards the top right-hand corner, however Kieron Preston was equal to it.

Wood punished the Nailers on 42 minutes for a rather lack lustre first half display when York broke through and threaded the ball wide of Preston and into the far corner to establish a lead.

It didn’t last long though, and within two minutes the Nailers had equalised when Keelan Swales broke down the left side and a delivered a cross to the feet of Rawson and the Belper striker struck the ball past Jordan Pierrepont at the first time of asking.

There was much more on offer after the break, and the Nailers looked more like a team at the top of the table. Kuleya began the onslaught with a pacy run on 49 minutes and a shot that was beaten away by Pierrepont.

Harry Draper headed against the cross bar on 58 minutes, and Rawson’s two follow up efforts including a nicely struck half volley were blocked en route to goal.

Prolific striker Draper was on target in the 65th minute when he powered home a pinpoint cross from Ben Rhodes, and the Belper frontman was there again on 76 minutes to bag his 22nd goal of the season with a close-range finish.

That should have been game set and match, but the Wood came back strongly, and substitute Oliver Moninghton tucked away a smartly struck cross from the left and added unwanted tension to the closing stages of the game.

There was no need to worry as the Nailers rounded things of very comfortably when Rhodes was quickest to react to a loose ball in the Sherwood penalty box to fire the ball in on 86 minutes, then Nathan Whitehead hit the fifth goal deep into added time with a smart finish from 15 yards.

The majority of the 642 crowd went home happy with an eventual comfortable victory and now anything is possible after Cleethorpes lost their local derby clash with Grimsby Borough.

Belper Town: Preston, Rhodes, Keenan, Whitehead, Broadhead, Evans, Kuleya (Watson 77)), Burrows, Draper (Crofts 90), Rawson (Atem 85), Swales (Warren 45). Unused sub: Austin.

Sherwood Colliery: Pierrepont, Grant, Lobley (Addo-Antoine 45)), Goundry, Widdowson, Belgrave (Monington 74), York, Bircumshaw, Duhameau, Doolan, Pearce. Unused subs: Conroy, Green, Pacheco.

Referee: Joshua Howell

Att: 642

Match Sponsor: A Carter Electrical Ltd

Ball Sponsor: Harris Roofing Services.