The Nailers were back to full strength for this clash at the Dog and Duck Stadium, and all-round utility player Wafula found himself playing the role that Fankwe had relinquished through his lengthy suspension.

Moran was preferred to Shaw on the left side while Bowman, a recent acquisition from Coventry Sphinx was included on the bench.

The Dough Boys, as Wellingborough are affectionately known were bursting with confidence as the game kicked off and played the ball around at a feverish pace in the early stages.

The Nailers countered with a couple of consecutive corner kicks which came to nothing, and on 13 minutes were caught cold when Wellingborough broke away down the left and Tomlinson deflected a well-aimed cross into the far corner of the net to put the hosts a goal up.

Preston got down well to save a fierce drive from Draper in the 20th minute, then the Nailers began to heap pressure on the hosts but couldn’t find a suitable opening to test Snedker in the Wellingborough goal.

The game continued at high tempo and the creative Gratton was the catalyst for a Belper equaliser in the 40th minute.

Gratton’s run just inside the penalty area left O’Connor in his wake but a subtle clip of the heals either by design or accident was sufficient for the referee to award a spot kick. Gratton stepped up and struck the ball past Snedke, and in off the post.

The second period inevitably saw the Dough Boys throw everything they had at the Nailers' rearguard and Draper found Preston in the way of a shot to the near post on 48 minutes and a similar save from a 53rd minute free kick.

By midway through the second half the Nailers were back on equal terms possession wise and on 69 minutes Burrows tested Snedker with a nicely placed free kick that was saved at the far post.

The referee had already been quite liberal with yellow cards but in the 75th minute he found cause to book three of the Wellingborough coaching staff at the same time.

Bastos was giving the Dough Boys’ defenders a hard time with some mazy runs, and they were beginning to struggle with the pace of Belper’s sporadic attacks.

Gratton spied Snedker way out of his goal on 87 minutes and wasn’t too far away with an audacious strike from forty-five yards that went very close to the upright.

Bastos was rewarded for his hard work terrorising the left side of the Wellingborough rearguard when substitute full back Green (L) clumsily brought him down inside the box in the 91st minute, and this time Gratton’s spot kick was perfectly executed.

The hosts’ best chance came on 94 minutes when Johnston headed against the cross bar when it looked easier to score, but as the game entered its twelfth minutes of added time Moran slid the ball home after a devasting break away for the clincher.

The usual healthy away following cheered their team off the pitch having witnessed an excellent Nailers’ away win.

Wellingborough Town: Snedker, Green C (Green L 58), Warburton, Slinn (Johnston 90+3), O’Connor, Walker, Furlong (Franklin 66), Draper, Tomlinson, Buckby, Carey. Unused subs: Pursey, Barnell.

Belper Town: Preston, Rhodes (Bowman 73), Keenan, Wafula, Broadhead, Evans (Austin 90+8), Bastos, Burrows, De Girolamo (Shaw 72, Gratton, Moran. Unused subs: Tsolakis.

Referee: Jonathan Lam

Att: 305