With Evans serving a one game suspension Keenan played as a central defender while Wafula filled in admirably at left back.

Moran was named on the bench as he waits his opportunity for a first start, and he made the perfect case for his inclusion in the starting line up with two quick fire goals in the second half.

The visitors called for a penalty kick after Winters got goal side of Broadhead in the 23rd minute, but as the Diamonds striker got his shot away, the referee probably thought that there wasn’t enough in it to give a penalty.

Thomas forced a great save out of Preston on 23 minutes after connecting perfectly with a volley from a corner, however the Belper ‘keeper was relatively untroubled going forward.

The Nailers controlled much of the game after this and only a goal was missing from a comfortable opening first half, in which exciting approach play lacked the final pass to convert pressure into goals.

Tague warmed the ‘keeper’s hands with a snapshot from twenty yards in the 46th minute, and this set the pattern for the rest of the game.

Wafula was unfortunate to see his 49th minute volley touched over the bar by Elson, and then two minutes later Broadhead grabbed the lead for the Nailers with a header just inside the post from a Keenan corner kick.

Moran was introduced on 67 minutes and within eight minutes had scored twice and confirmed a ninth victory in thirteen games for the Nailers.

A long ball out of defence was seized upon by Moran and after turning his defender struck a perfect shot that curled past Elson and into the net.

Celebrations had barely died down when he was let loose on the right side and beat his man to the ball before lobbing over the advancing ‘keeper.

Despite a resurgence from the visitors in the final fifteen minutes there was little chance that Diamonds were going to recover, and subsequently the majority of the biggest crowd of the season went home happy.

Belper Town: Preston, Rhodes (Tsolakis 83), Wafula, Fankwe (Austin 78), Broadhead, Keenan, Bastos (Edwards 87), Burrows, Fenton, Gratton, Tague (Moran 68)

AFC Rushden and Diamonds: Elson, Hartley, Dawson (Seaman 91), Adegbola, Thomas, Dallas, Webster, Daldy, Winters, Ward (Poku 31), Graham (Mitchell 67). Unused sub: Sandy.

Referee: Joshua Howell

Att: 771

Match Sponsors: K Smithurst Building Contractors and Steve Bryan.

Match Sponsors Man of the Match: Jack Broadhead.