After an uneventful opening first fifteen minutes, it was Belper who struck first. On the breakaway, Lewis Austin chipped a ball over the top of the Colliers’ back line and Jaanai Gordon, adjudged by the assistant referee to have beaten the offside trap, was first onto the scene to steer the ball around Ashington ‘keeper Ryan Catterick and walk it into an empty net.

Barely seconds later, the visitors doubled their advantage. Gordon produced a low cross into the penalty area following some nice interplay on the left wing, and Jonathan Wafula was on hand to rifle his effort home from close range.

Two goals in quick succession set the standard for what transpired to be a chaotic, end-to-end, first half. The home side responded well to going two goals behind, proceeding to pile the pressure on Kieran Preston’s goal.

After surviving a couple of corners, the deficit was cut in half as a cross from the right-hand side found Ryan Donaldson unmarked in the six-yard box, and the Colliers’ forward made no mistake in guiding a header beyond the reach of Preston.

Belper could, and should, have immediately restored their two- goal cushion. Kevin Bastos was unleashed behind the Ashington defence after a delicate through ball from Wafula, but, with only Catterick to beat, the Nailers’ winger blazed his effort high and wide. Moments later, Gordon was presented with an almost identical opportunity, but his effort also sailed over the bar.

The goalmouth action continued to flow, but this time it was the hosts who squandered a golden opportunity to level the game. Referee Thomas James showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot after Craig Spooner was caught by Mason Warren’s training right leg, but Kieran Preston, for the second game in succession, came to the Nailers’ rescue with a penalty save, this time to deny Jamie Holmes’ low driven spot kick.

Ashington were not to be disheartened and continued to press for the equaliser. With seven minutes until the break, Jamie Holmes, and Jordan Summerly combined neatly down the left flank and the latter floated an inviting cross into the danger area, where Craig Spooner found himself in space to bulge the net with his header to put the game back on level terms.

Belper appeared to regroup towards the end of the half following a frenetic passage of play. Curtis Burrows curled a free kick around the wall, but Catterick reacted smartly to palm the ball to safety.

If the first half contained a plethora of goalmouth action, the second half was the complete opposite as neither goalkeeper had their services called upon.

The Nailers recorded their fifth draw in the last six games and end the day just inside the play-off places in fifth position in the table, ahead of their nearest challengers, North Ferriby, by virtue of superior goal difference.

Ashington: Catterick, Wombwell, Summerly, Ross, Lowery, Williams, Spooner, Ellison, Fishburn, Donaldson (Sampson 80), Holmes (Errington 90). Unused sub: McIvor.

Belper Town: Preston, Rhodes, Warren, Austin, Broadhead, Keenan, Bastos (Greaves) 87), Wood (Crofts 81), Gordon, Wafula, Burrows. Unused subs: King, Whitehead, Attenborough.

Referee: Thomas Jones

Attendance: 416