Belper Town get back on track thanks to dramatic late winner

Manager Lee Attenborough welcomed back Louis Keenan from suspension at left-back while Kevin Bastos made his second debut as part of a three-pronged attack alongside Luke Rawson and Jack Watson.

The first half will not live long in the memory, producing just three moments even close to being good goal scoring opportunities.

In the sixth minute Ben Atkinson tried his luck from long range but Kieran Preston was able to watch it sail over his crossbar.

On 12 minutes a Ben Rhodes cross to the back post eventually reached Jack Watson but his shot was cleared by a flying defensive header on the edge of the six yard box when it was heading for goal.

The next action came three minutes before half time when a Rhodes pass found Kevin Bastos, his cross picked out Mason Warren but the shot with his weaker right foot was easily saved by Luke Jackson.

Four minutes into the second half Dylan Wilkinson's pass reached Jack Dyche who flashed a shot across the face of goal.

Belper took the lead in the 53rd minute when a long ball from Louis Keenan picked out Watson. His first touch was sensational and after cutting into the penalty area he produced a fantastic cross for Luke Rawson to slide home.

Watson himself had a great chance to double the lead on 57 minutes when Preston's long ball evaded the Sedge defence but the Belper wide man chipped over under pressure.

A couple of minutes later Bastos brought the ball down and fed Rawson but Jackson tipped his shot around the post.

The hosts nearly levelled on 72 minutes when after a long ball Jack Carr laid the ball off for Desmond Amponsah but Preston saved well with his feet.

However Sedge weren't to be denied for long and in the 81st minute a cross from the right dropped right into the path of Joe Walton and his finish evaded Preston to nestle into the corner of the net.

While this could have shifted all of the momentum to the home side, Belper stuck in and were rewarded in the final minute of normal time. Keenan's corner from the right met the head of skipper Jack Broadhead who ensured the Nailers returned to winning ways - and the summit of the NPL East - albeit by a single point with Cleethorpes holding three games in hand.

The whistle that signalled the end of the match also meant that Lee Attenborough and Matt Wain had completed 100 games in charge of Belper Town and they have them well placed for a promotion push in the final third of the season.