LEEK Town moved to within four points of the play-off zone after beating title-chasing Belper ... their opponents' second defeat in four days.

Paul Rutter bagged his sixth goal in eight games as Town got off to a flier.

Leon Ashman made sure of the points in injury-time, although Belper still had time to net a late, late consolation.

Delighted manager Wayne Johnson said: "That was an excellent result. We dominated the first 35 minutes, during which we took the lead, and then for some reason we took our foot off the pedal.

"You can't afford to take your foot off against sides like Belper – they had more possession in the second half, but Steve Hodgson had little to do really.

"In the opening half we played some of the best football I've seen for a while and, although we took the lead, we created numerous other chances, while Steve Hodgson pulled off a couple of good saves to keep us in it at times.

"It was a good, all-round performance. We played with grit and determination and deserved to get the points," he added.

Town threatened early on when Nick Ward split the Nailers' defence with a ball into the box for Dan Cope.

The Blues striker just reached the ball, but Adam Ogden was quickly off his line to clear the danger.

Cope had another chance on five minutes, but his looping header flew straight into the Belper keeper's arms.

At the other end, Jon Froggatt teed up the away side's top scorer Lee Stevenson, but he struck wide of the far post.

Dean Oliver then steered his header wide of the upright as Belper continued to press.

Leek came close in the 13th minute when Hodgson hurled the ball out of his box to Matt Johnson wide on the right.

He played a forward ball up for Rutter, who cleared the crossbar from outside the box.

One minute later, Paul Taylor played a free-kick short to Wayne Corden, who shot through a sea of legs. But Ogden was well placed to make the save.

Leek broke the deadlock in the 16th minute when the referee played advantage after Rob Hawthorne was brought down from behind.

Matt Johnson hit a low cross into the box with pace and it took a deflection off a defender, leaving Rutter with an easy chance to give Leek the lead.

Blues looked to press home their advantage and four minutes later Cope's diving header cleared the crossbar following a Matt Johnson corner.

Paul Taylor then curled a free-kick over the crossbar as Leek continued to push forward.

In the 24th minute, Matt Johnson again fired in a telling cross and Rutter threw himself full-length, only to steer his header over Ogden's crossbar.

Belper put an attack together in the 28th minute when a ball was crossed in from the right.

But Stevenson shot straight at Hodgson, who made a comfortable save.

The visitors carved out another chance in the 40th minute and Froggatt should have done better with his header.

Moments later, Stevenson and Oliver Ryan combined to set up Froggatt.

However, with only the keeper to beat, Froggatt's shot was beaten out by Hodgson.

On the stroke of half-time, Stevenson played wide to Froggatt, who turned past Paul Taylor only to shoot straight at Hodgson.

Blues were denied a double penalty appeal in first-half stoppage time.

Rutter appeared to have been pushed at the back post before heading into the path of Cope. The striker's looping header then looked to have be handled in the six-yard box – but both appeals were turned down.

Three minutes into the second half, Matt Johnson and Hawthorne combined to set up Ward, whose attempt from distance flew over the crossbar.

Three minutes later, Corden's clever ball over the top saw Cope outpace James Colliver before driving wide of the far post with only the keeper to beat.

One minute later, Leek skipper Andy Taylor limped out of the action. Ward filled the gap in defence with Richard Bailey introduced into midfield.

On the hour mark, Leek almost stretched their lead when Matt Johnson fired another pin-point cross into the box and Cope was inches wide of the upright with a diving header.

Belper pushed forward looking for the equaliser, but they found it difficult to get the better of Blues' back four.

In the 76th minute, Ward played a long ball up to Rutter. He rolled it along the edge of the box to Corden, who then drove wide from 16 yards out.

In the 81st minute, Froggatt's header struck Paul Taylor in the penalty area before being hacked clear.

Two minutes later, a ball to the right flank found Dean Crowe, who raced into the box. His angled shot beat the keeper, but the ball flew agonisingly wide of the back post.

Belper substitute Luke Fedorenko then headed wide following a corner in the 85th minute, before Tom Naylor's shot was blocked.

The visitors almost drew level in the 87th minute when Fedorenko raced down the right to cross in for the unmarked Stevenson.

His classic downward header bounced up off the turf before clearing the crossbar to keep Leek in the ascendency.

One minute into added time, Leek doubled their advantage when Matt Johnson spread the ball wide to Ashman.

He raced unchallenged into the Belper box before firing across the keeper and into the bottom corner.

However, with two minutes of added time still remaining, Stevenson drove home a 22-yard free-kick with the aid of a deflection.

But it wasn't enough and Blues took the points to move up to eighth place.

LEEK: Hodgson, P Johnson, P Taylor, A Taylor (Bailey 57), Ruddock, Hawthorne (Crowe 71), M Johnson, N Ward, Rutter, Cope (Ashman 63), Corden.

Attendance: 315.