With Harry Draper returning to the starting XI, Lewis Austin was the unfortunate player to miss out on the squad and Wafula returned to his usual midfield role, Curtis Burrows moving to the bench.

Josh Mansell came in for his debut at right back and impressed until he was forced off with an injury to his ankle at half-time.

Belper, as they did on Saturday, came flying out of the traps and just a couple of minutes in a great ball from Mansell gave Jacob Gratton the chance to cross but Draper couldn't quite get a shot away.

In the seventh minute a lovely backheel from Tav Kuleya found Tom Eccleshall whose cross forced Boldmere to head behind for a corner. When this was recycled, it was then half cleared as far as Mansell who fizzed a shot over the bar from just outside the box.

In the 18th minute, more great close passing between Jack Edwards, Draper and Kuleya ended with the latter seeing a shot deflected wide from close range.

A minute later it felt like it might be another one of those nights... After a corner, first Draper then Edwards had shots blocked and after that it felt like half the team tried their luck before eventually an Ioan Evans effort cleared the bar, ending a true goalmouth scramble.

On 32 minutes, a deep cross from Edwards after Boldmere only half cleared a free-kick was headed just wide by Keenan.

Two minutes before half-time, Mansell picked out Gratton and his cross was headed down by Jordan Fankwe in to the path of Draper but, under pressure from the goalkeeper, his shot went over.

Mansell had picked up an injury just before the break and despite playing on initially, manager Lee Attenborough was forced to replace him at half-time.

Six minutes in to the second half, another clever backheel from Kuleya found Wafula but his shot was just over the bar.

In truth, the first real chance for the visitors came in the 53rd minute when Kyle Byrne cut in from the left and shot low but Kieran Preston was equal to it.

A couple of minutes later Byrne tried his luck again after Belper were unable to clear but this time his effort went wide.

The moment Belper fans had been waiting for arrived in the 59th minute. After a cross from the left, the ball fell to Edwards. His first attempted cross was blocked, but when he tried again luck was on his side and the ball fell in to the path of Wafula who headed the ball beyond the Mikes goalkeeper Adam Harrison to secure Belper's first goal of the season. A sigh of relief around the Raygar Stadium after a positive start to the season with little reward.

The Nailers went in search of a second goal but Gratton's effort went over in the 63rd minute then within seconds Kuleya found himself through on goal but Harrison did well to come out and block.

On 68 minutes, Edwards cut in and shot but his effort cleared the bar.

The final chance came three minutes from the end of normal time when Edwards found Kuleya with a great ball but the shot was dragged across the face of goal and no one could get on the end of it.

Belper saw out ten minutes of stoppage time, given due to an injury to Harrison and a total of seven substitution intervals across both teams, to secure three points and move up to 11th in the table. The Nailers defence have still only conceded one goal, one of only three teams to boast this and they are the only one who have played four matches.

With Jude Ayetine still to return from injury, the Nailers squad is looking stronger than ever and attention now turns to the FA Cup tie at Rugby Town on Saturday.

Belper Town: Preston, J. Mansell (Rhodes 46), Eccleshall, Fankwe, Evans (C), Keenan, Edwards, Wafula, Draper (Rogers 90+8), Gratton (Burrows 78), Kuleya.
Unused subs: Thompson-Matthews, Broadhead.

Boldmere St. Michaels: Harrison, Allison (Ealing 80), Lynch, Christophorou (C), Lima, Armstrong, Burgess, Doyle (Reka 68), O'Neill (Ngbeken 68), Atherton (B. Mansell 85), Byrne (Leydon 63)

Referee: Corey Green
Assistant Referees: Caine Lee and Karl Bainbridge

Attendance: 564

Match Sponsors (BTFC Ops Committee) Man of the Match: Jonathan Wafula