Alfreton Town tasted defeat for the first time this season when they were turned over by neighbours Eastwood Town at Coronation Park on Tuesday night in front of a bumper crowd.
Eastwood fielded no fewer than six former Reds in keeper Ross Turner, defenders Ben Chapman and Mark Hume, midfielders Emeka Nwadike and Anton Foster and striker Peter Knox.
And to add even more spark to an eagerly awaited encounter, with the sides meeting in league action for the first time in seven seasons, Alfreton had three former Badgers in Andy Todd, Liam Hearn and Anthony Howell.
It was a fast-paced game that produced many counter attacks, but Alfreton were stunned by the late winner from Ian Holmes with just three minutes remaining when the sub rolled the ball into the net unchallenged after a swift break downfield had caught the Reds cold, Martin Foster's cross from the right providing the essential tee-up.
Richard Pell had given Alfreton a 20th minute advantage when he headed home an Ian Ross corner from eight yards, but a suspiciously off-side Lindon Meikle had pulled the home side level on 40 minutes with a 20 yarder from Anton Foster's cross-field pass.
Kicking down the prominent slope Alfreton's first chance came in the third minute when Howell needed a moment too long to turn on a Dominic Roma throw in sight of goal, then a Pell header from a fifth minute Ross corner was cleared by Knox, but moments later Danny Holland's angled drive at the other end had to be turned behind by Reds' keeper Craig Dootson.
A stifled Anton Brown effort was held comfortably by Turner from Howell's 15th minute pass, but two minutes later a Knox header had to be scrambled behind for an Eastwood corner.
Liam Hearn won the corner that led to Pell's goal with a neat turn and shot that took a deflection as it flashed across the face of goal, then on 27 minutes Hearn looked sharp again as he embarked on a run across the edge of the area before firing hard and low with Turner smothering the ball.
Eight minutes into the second half Anton Brown ran into the area and squared the ball to Hearn, whose shot spun back to Brown off defender Paul Robinson only for Turner to block at the near post, then in response Knox was sent clear only to be denied by Dootson's one-handed save.
When Howell was fouled by Robinson right on the edge of the area in the 58th minute Ross delivered a lethal free-kick that Turner reacted to very late in flight, but just managed to claw around the post.
Four minutes later Todd fired wide from Kyle McFadzean's pass, then on 69 minutes Todd's angled drive from another Ross corner was blocked by the keeper's legs.
McFadzean's through-ball on 74 minutes left Hearn shouting in vain for a penalty as his cross struck Robinson's hand, then moments after Paul Clayton's 77th minute introduction a long clearance from Dootson bounced over Chapman and allowed Hearn to set up Clayton for a shot that only just evaded the back post.
Nwadike was allowed a free header from a right-wing corner, but he placed it beyond the far post just two minutes prior to the winning goal, and a shocked Alfreton could only respond with a 90th minute glancing header from Clayton that drifted wide.