Ryan Musselwhite, Cameron Clark, Danny Gordon, Phil Watt, Rice Bertram and George Milner had all taken the decision to pursue their careers elsewhere and manager Grant Black has had to work hard over the enforced break to replenish his playing resources.

But, on the evidence of this opening fixture, the Nailers boss has succeeded in filling the gaps with some quality replacements, although they had to work hard to overcome a resilient home side and a quirky artificial pitch.

With fans now allowed back into non-league grounds, there was a buzz of anticipation in the air as the teams entered the Coles Lane pitch with a large contingent of Belper supporters making their presence felt in a sizeable crowd.

The opening stages produced little in the way of goalmouth action as both teams struggled to come to terms with the artificial pitch.

Ball control was a seemingly difficult art on the lively playing surface, with the ball ricocheting around the park as though on a giant pinball machine.

Belper though started to get a grip on proceedings and broke the deadlock after 24 minutes with a goal of exquisite quality.

After a partially cleared corner, Craig Nelthorpe swung a cross into the box where Sutton ‘keeper, Lewis Gwilliams punched the ball as far as the edge of the penalty area where Corey Gregory composed himself before smashing the ball into the top left hand corner of the net.

Sutton tried to get back into the game but chances were few and far between.

Edwin Ahenkorah latched onto a cross from Adam Garmson but his scuffed shot was easily claimed by Leigh Overton.

Joel Powney then curled a free kick wide of the post as Sutton tried to get back on terms but the Belper defence, marshalled excellently by Danny South and Ben Rhodes, kept the Sutton strike force at arms length throughout.

The Nailers continued to probe the Sutton defence but the final delivery often lacked quality and Gwilliams was seldom troubled in the Sutton goal.

Sutton were showing signs of getting back into it when Aris Christophorou’s cross into the penalty area saw Ryan Moore’s header shaving the crossbar but that represented Sutton’s closest and last moment of danger.

But Gwilliams kept the home club’s hopes alive with a stunning reaction save to keep out Sam Wright’s close range effort after a fine cross from young full back, Josh Woodcock opened up the Sutton defence.

From that point, Belper played out the remainder of the game by dominating the aerial battles and closing down the opposition though intense work rate and tenacity.

This wasn’t a classic game of football by any stretch of the imagination but it was an important victory which provides the perfect platform for the battles ahead.

Sutton Coldfield Town: Gwilliams, George, Christophorou, Sufyan, Mutton, Hurst, Moore, Ballantyne, Garmson, Ahenkorah, Powney.

Belper Town: Overton, Woodcock, Nelthorpe, Gregory, South, Rhodes, Robson, Wright, McDonnell, Litchfield, Curtis. Subs: Ridley, Dawes, Spence, Robinson, Mitchell, Edwards, Dolan

Attendance: 249