Manager Lee Attenborough gave a second debut to striker Jerome Greaves while at the back Louis Keenan stepped into the centre of the defence to cover the suspended Jack Broadhead and Ioan Evans, who has played every minute of competitive football this season took the captains armband.

Aycliffe came out of the traps quickly and on 12 minutes after a pass from Ethan Wood, Liam Jarvie produced a cross for Liam Adamson at the back post but with the goal gaping he fired wide.

Two minutes later Jarvie found Adamson again and his shot along the ground brought a good save out of Kieran Preston.

In the 16th minute Jarvie and Adamson were at the heart of things again, with their build up play eventually creating a chance for Dean Thexton. He tapped in from close range but the flag was up for offside.

Belper's first chance came on 22 minutes when Harry Draper collected the ball 25 yards from goal but his shot cleared the bar.

A Kevin Bastos cross in the 33rd minute found Draper who nodded the ball into the path of Curtis Burrows but he saw his shot blocked.

Ten minutes before the break a Belper corner came out as far as Tavonga Kuleya, back from injury but his shot drifted wide. Belper at this point were improving by the minute.

And they took the lead on 38 minutes when Kuleya's right wing cross was flicked on by Jerome Greaves and headed home by Draper for his 23rd goal of the season.

Within two minutes the lead was doubled and it came from the right again. This time Bastos with a pinpoint cross across the six yard box and Greaves produced a great volley to put some daylight between the sides.

This daylight was halved in the final minute of the half when after a cross from the left Adamson fired off a shot which produced a great save from Preston with his feet but the Belper 'keeper could do nothing about the rebound which was smashed home.

The second half showed early signs that it would repeat the entertainment of the first when, two minutes after the restart Aycliffe levelled things. A long ball from the right back position caught out the Belper defence and Adamson ran through and produced a nice finish past Preston.

Belper responded well, within a minute Draper found himself through on goal but his shot was blocked, as was that of Greaves and then an effort from Bastos was deflected for a corner.

In the 57th minute a Bastos cross found Burrows whose shot from eight yards was saved by Jim Pollard.

On 62 minutes a corner from the right was only half headed away by Belper and Dale Elgie chanced his arm from just outside the box but his volley was over the bar.

The Nailers regained the lead in the 67th minute. Louis Keenan's corner put the ball on a plate for Bastos to volley home.

The lead this time lasted only four minutes. Jarvie collected the ball outside the area and went for a run with it, nutmegging the final defender and producing an unstoppable finish into the corner.

In the 74th minute Adamson's lay off found Toby Pascoe but he fired over the bar.

With two minutes remaining Keenan's long ball found Bastos who took a touch and fired off a shot but it was just wide.

The final action came in the 89th minute when substitute Larell King picked out Draper but he was unable to seal the win for Belper.

Overall a really good advert for the NPL, a great game played in an equally good spirit and it was easy to see why the hosts are 11 clear at the top of the 'goals scored' table.

The Nailers return to the north-east next weekend when Consett are the opponents, but have the small matter of a tough trip to Pontefract before that on Tuesday.

Newton Aycliffe: Pollard, Nelson, Pascoe, Brown, Elgie, Clarkson, Wood (C), Petitjean, Thexton, Jarvie, Adamson.
Unused subs: Gibson, Lincoln-Barrow, Ferguson.

Belper Town: Preston, Rhodes (King 55), Warren, Whitehead, Keenan, Evans (C), Bastos, Burrows, Draper, Greaves (Swales 68), Kuleya.
Unused subs: Crofts, Austin.

Referee: Macauley Gibson

Attendance: 229