Paul Bowyer narrowly fails to connect with Belper goalkeeper Ian Ogden. Picture by Sue Wilson

Two goals from David Howells, his first in three seasons with the club, kept Market Drayton Town among the UniBond League South front runners with a hard earned victory over a dangerous Belper Town outfit at Greenfields.

Playing on the left, Howells broke his duck during a brief switch to the right with a somewhat speculative 32nd minute strike, his shot from the edge of the area looping over keeper Ian Ogden and dipping under the bar.

His second, on 63 minutes, could not have been a greater contrast, stroked home with the emphasis on accuracy after some excellent build-up play by Martyn Davies and defender Paul Bowyer, operating as a fill-in striker.

Belper, who could have been out of sight by that stage, belatedly got off the mark with sub Anthony Wilson heading home a 73rd minute corner to trigger a lively closing session.

On the balance of play, they probably deserved a draw, if only for a series of slick first half attacks that brought the best out of Town keeper Andrew Pryce or the worst from their strikers.

But Town battled through, stamped their authority on the second half and now find themselves in the unlikely situation of sharing – if only on points – second place in the division with Witton and Rushall Olympic.

All have 28, three fewer than leaders Sheffield FC – but Town have at least two games in hand over all of them.

“It’s hard to believe,” admitted coach Mick Murphy. “I have to keep pinching myself to be convinced this is all happening.

“We have lost two managers and almost half a dozen players this season so far – but whatever team we turn out, they battle away to come up with the goods. It’s magical; superb.

“I think it’s probably because the people we have left – on and off the field – together with the people we have brought in, now really want to do their best for the club.

“They are giving their all and it shows in the results.”

Unfortunately, it also showed in an overly fussy referee Mr A M Garratt’s notebook.

He yellow carded five Town players – club captain Pryce, team captain Davies, Paul McMullen, Bowyer and sub Gareth Gates – who also got a red after the game when he told him what he thought of his yellow!

By that yardstick, he should have sent half the fans off too – few saw it the way he did in a hard fought but invariably fair encounter.

Why he ruled out Bowyer’s superb headed second half goal and later booked Belper’s Tom Naylor for a foul on Davies in the area and then refused to give a penalty mystified even the Belper fans.

Town’s beleaguered band of battlers could soon be further depleted by the departure of defender McMullen.

His old boss, Simon Line, has put in a formal seven day notice of approach.

By TERRY MORRIS