Belper Town progress to FA Trophy first round for the first time

While this wasn’t a vintage Nailers display there was too much in the tank for a NPL Midlands side whose only wins this season have been in the Trophy.

Languishing in last place in their league, the Nailers could have expected a comfortable afternoon, but as so often is the case, what should be an easy victory, turned out to be anything but.

Harrison Poulter came into the side for his first start and home debut, while Luke Rawson had to settle for a place on the bench. Kelen Swales was cup tied.

Belper suffered a torrid first ten minutes in which the visitors could have established a two-goal lead. Aaron Nuttall was allowed to move with the ball for far too long before setting up an easy opportunity for Ben Humphries, however there was relief all round when he scooped the ball over the top.

Liam Reed was given plenty of space to pick his spot three minutes later and contrived to send his effort wide of the far post. Belper did show up at the other end in the 5th minute when Harry Draper headed straight at Jake Leban, and Belper’s top marksman made no mistake with his next opportunity.

It arrived on 13 minutes after the Knitters’ defenders lost track of a long clearance, leaving Draper to execute a finely struck volley into the net. This was better from Belper and in the 17th minute Poulter was unfortunate to see his low shot hit the outside of the post.

A bumper crowd expected the Nailers to push on after this, but the game went flat with only Paulo Aguas registering an effort on goal before the interval.

A double substitution was made at half time with Lewis Austin and Keaton August swapping for Whitehead and Warren. Good things were expected and in fact some excellent work from Nathaniel Crofts set Draper up with a chance on 53 minutes, but the Belper front man blazed over the top.

The next twenty minutes or so proved to be a struggle for the hosts who couldn’t string passes together and looked short of ideas. When Kieron Preston got into an awful muddle with his fellow defenders on 62 minutes, Dominic Brennan scored an equaliser from thirty-five yards.

Gradually the momentum swung back to Belper, and a sense of urgency ensued. Draper volleyed over the bar from a Aguas cross on 70 minutes, then with Luke Rawson on as a substitute, he sent August away down the right side, and he scored a brilliant goal from the narrowest of angles.

The threat diminished from Hinckley and the Nailers had regained some sort of control and in the 6th minute of added time Draper removed any doubt when he ran on to a long Preston clearance to flick the ball over the advancing ‘keeper and into the net.