After the Nailers’ heroics at Dunston the previous Saturday, and the visitors poor form in recent weeks, there should only have been one result as far as Belper supporters were concerned.

In fact, a huge crowd of 527, almost unheard of for a Tuesday night fixture had every right to expect a comfortable Belper win and a ninth victory in eleven games.

The reality was a poor performance in most areas of the pitch although credit must be given to the visitors who had enough in their locker to keep Belper at arm’s length while netting two goals themselves.

Lee Attenborough gave a debut to Luther Munakandafa who arrived on a short-term arrangement from Spalding United, while Harry Draper came into the side after a two-game absence. This meant that Luke Rawson and Keaton August, key performers at Dunston were named on the bench.

The visitors started better than the Nailers although Kelan Swales was prominent on the right for the Belper and provided a couple of crosses that with more luck might have led to a goal.

Swales nearly scored himself on 16 minutes when he cut inside and fired a low drive to the near post, however Kyle Trennery was alive to it.

Then in the 20th minute, and seemingly little danger to the Belper goal, Niah Payne cut inside and curled a shot just out of Keiron Preston’s reach and scored what could be best described as a goal of the season contender.

The goal added a spring to the step of the Brighouse players while the Nailers found it hard to raise their game to the levels required. Harry Draper came closest to an equaliser on 28 minutes when his attempted lob over Trennery bounced agonisingly past the far post.

The visitors were on the back foot for the last 20 minutes of the half, adopting the long clearance to keep Belper continually having to work the ball back up front again.

There couldn’t have been anyone in the ground who didn’t think that the Nailers would push on for a win. However, in the 52nd minute Nat Crofts looked certain to strike the ball over Trennery who had rashly come well clear of his goal, but the ball struck the hand of the ‘keeper and an equaliser was prevented.

Brighouse worsened Belper woes in the 55th minute when Payne took advantage of a goal mouth scramble to score the second goal, but there was still hope that Belper could turn the game around as they had against Dunston.

As on Saturday, Curtis Burrows had a chance to get Belper back in it on 68 minutes, but this time his well struck free kick went straight to the ‘keeper’s arms.

Despite having plenty of the ball and making the visitors work hard nothing fell right for the Nailers and even their dead ball situations created nothing in front of the visitors’ goal.

Crofts 78th minute shot just wide was the best that Belper could offer inside the final fifteen minutes, and the team that had won five in a row had to concede defeat to a team who had just lost five in a row,

Belper Town: Preston, Rhodes, Warren (Rawson 67), Whitehead (Aguas 32), Broadhead, Evans, Swales, Burrows, Draper, Crofts, Munakandafa (August 43). Unused subs: Austin, Poulter

Brighouse Town: Trennery, Nebard, Senior (Acquah 87), Harris, Dando, Shaw, Wood, Waldram, Dunne (Vaughan 79), Payne, Plater (Morrison 71). Unused subs: Green, Hinsley.

Referee: Thomas Viles

Att: 527