It wasn’t a pretty contest by any means and it didn’t make for entertaining viewing, but the Nailers stuck to their task against a determined Corby outfit to win by a single goal.

On an overcast, blustery and above all cold afternoon at Steel Park, the pattern of the game was cast in the early stages, as both sides cancelled each other out in a frantic opening spell.

The Steelmen almost drew first blood in the 7th minute when a misunderstanding in the Belper six yard area nearly led to an opportunity for the hosts, but the Nailers fought back against the biting wind and Brodie Litchfield was just wide with a curler on 15 minutes.

Josh Flanagan provided a perfect cross that Jordan O’Brien headed wide moments later for the Steelmen, then the Nailers created a half chance of their own on 19 minutes when Danny South’s clever header almost let Nathan Curtis in, but Matt Hall just beat him to the ball.

The wind was affecting adversely the quality of football for both teams and as the first half drew to its close, a long range effort from South on 33 minutes and a unproductive free kick after Karl Demidh was tripped after breaking through was all that the Nailers could muster.

Belper, with the wind behind them started the second period well and Curtis had a half chance to break the deadlock on 52 minutes but could only shoot straight at the ‘keeper.

The game was beginning to have 0-0 written all over it, but the Nailers put that theory to bed in the 65th minute when they took the lead.

Arguably the best player on the field, Brodie Litchfield, had sight of goal just inside the centre of the penalty and drilled a low shot just wide of Hall to bring joy to Nailers’ supporters just behind the goal.

Litchfield came close to adding to the score with a fine volley just over the bar on 67 minutes, and one of Belper’s better moves of the afternoon resulted in another Litchfield effort that forced Hall to move smartly to his left to save at the foot of the post.

Substitutions made made by Corby manager Gary Mills started to turn the game the Steelmen’s way in the last 15 minutes and Belper had to be at their best defensively to preserve their slender lead.

However the closest they came to rescuing a point was in the 89th minute when Curtis Hartley hit a thunderous volley from 16 yards that was blocked by a Belper defender as the Nailers suffered a rare moment of panic.

Three points for the Nailers maintained their second league placing as the season reached the half way mark.

Corby Town: Hall, Flanagan, Kamy-Gille (Diggin 69), Hartley, White, Mulligan, Furey, Curtis, Sandy, Idiakhoa, O’Brien (Westwood 75). Unused subs: Grubor, Gee, Libiad.

Belper Town: Battersby, Woodcock, Beejer (Goode 57), Waldram (Leak-Blunt 75), Bertram, Wilson, Curtis, Mancinelli, South, Demidh, Litchfield. Unused subs: Nelthorpe, Kozluk, Peterson.

Referee: Seth Sheehan-Galia

Attendance: 371