With Jordan Fankwe still unavailable through injury Lee Attenborough kept the same stating line up and included Harry Draper who had agreed to play one more game before his lengthy absence due to work commitments.

Although Draper couldn’t add to his season’s tally of six goals, his departure gives Lee Attenborough a real concern about who will get the goals for a Nailers team struggling in that department.

It was easy to see how Borough had climbed to the top of the table with their easy playing style and lightening speed on the break, but the Nailers had plenty of possession and looked dangerous themselves without causing Marcus Bald too many problems.

There was an early warning for the Nailers in the 9th minute when Tyrell Waite sent a far post header wide in Borough’s first meaningful attack.

The Nailers impressed with a swift break of their own soon afterwards with Draper setting up Jacob Gratton for a near post drive that Bald pushed around for a corner kick.

Wesley York should have forced Kieron Preston into a save with his header in the 10th minute but once again Borough had caught Belper on the break even if the finish was poor.

Ioan Evans blocked an effort from Waite on 22 minutes but in doing so injured himself and shortly afterwards he had to be substituted, but from the subsequent corner kick Borough had the ball in the net, and the Nailers were relieved that the referee had spotted an infringement.

A corner kick in the 31st minute this time from the opposite side found its way into the net with no player claiming it and more than likely was an own goal.

Draper surged forward in the 35th minute but couldn’t steady himself for a shot and almost immediately Jack Edwards’ first time pass put Josh Mansell in with a shooting chance, but he sent the ball wide of the far post.

The visitors gave a warning of what was to happen straight after half time with a lightening break in first half added time that saw York fire a good chance wide of the target.

The Nailers went two goals down in the 48th minute when a long clearance saw Gary Stohrer chasing the ball down and evaded two challenges before side footing the ball into the far corner of the net.

York brought the best out of Preston in the 51st minute after he had wriggled along the bye line and tried to curl a shot in the far corner, but Preston beat the shot away.

Belper’s best effort came in the 58th minute when Gratton turned and struck a well hit volley straight at Bald in the Borough goal, and after some good work from Kuleya in the 75th minute, Gratton’s volley again flew straight at the ‘keeper.

Belper continued to send waves of attacks and crosses into the Rugby penalty area without getting any clear cut chances, and in the 85th minute the Nailers were grateful to see Thabang Dube’s shot hit the post otherwise the outcome would have been worse for the hosts.

Belper Town: Preston, Mansell, Eccleshall (Ayetine 82), Burrows, Keenan, Evans (Broadhead 24), Edwards (Rogers 72), Austin (Wafula 56), Draper, Gratton, Kuleya. Unused sub: Rhodes.

Rugby Borough: Bald, Myles, Rowe, Pursey, Rowe-Turner, Stohrer, Armeni (Carey 72), Collins, Waite (Dube 82), York (Nnaji 75), Shorrock. Unused subs: Adueni, Lundoloki.

Referee: Julia King

Att: 486

Match Sponsors: Carlsberg Britvic

Sponsor’s Man of the Match: Tav Kuleya