Although Alfreton Town dropped their first points and conceded their first goals of the season at home to Vauxhall Motors on Saturday, the Reds showed character and determination in pulling back a two-goal deficit within the opening 10 minutes.
However, seven points from the first three games and second spot in the Blue Square North is a vast improvement on the previous two seasons - Alfreton had four points at this stage last year and in Nicky Law's first season the Reds were propping up the other teams having lost all three opening games.
Motors caught Alfreton cold with goals from Karl Noon on eight minutes and Josh Wilson two minutes later but the first goal, although well executed, was suspiciously offside as Noon ran on to a Jordan Holmes cross before chipping over the advancing Craig Dootson.
A tenth minute James Holden corner then picked out an unmarked Wilson for a firm header that gave Vauxhall a surprise 2-0 lead and it was some time before a shocked Alfreton responded.
With Paul Clayton rested, Anthony Howell played up front with Andy Todd making his first start for the Reds, but it took 21 minutes before visiting keeper Danzelle St. Louis Hamilton was tested when Howell unleashed a 20 yarder following Josh Law's penetrating run.
Four minutes later an Ian Ross free-kick was blocked by Chris Lane and Anton Brown's angled drive from the resultant corner was turned behind by Alan Griffiths, Alfreton cutting back the deficit by the 26th minute when Todd fired past Hamilton from 18 yards after a tidy run from Howell's cross.
Noon missed an absolute sitter for Motors on 28 minutes when set up by Josh Hine, then ten minutes later Lane was allowed another free header from a Holden corner which he glanced wide.
Howell then missed a gilt-edged chance for the Reds two minutes prior to the interval, when he blazed over from six yards after Todd had headed back a deep Dominic Roma cross from the right.
Richard Pell had a shot from a Ross corner blocked by Griffiths, then in first-half added time Law's angled drive was blocked by the keeper from a quickly taken Ross free-kick.
After the break the Reds looked sharper in all departments and a 51st minute through-ball from Ross sent Howell scampering toward goal only to be outwitted by Lee Dames, then seconds later Ross drilled a shot just wide of the target after Howell had played Liam Hearn in on the left.
Law hooked over on 54 minutes after Kyle McFadzean had sent Howell through, then four minutes after that Hearn's powerful header had to be tipped over by Hamilton from Todd's astute cross.
Vauxhall sliced open Alfreton's defence again on 76 minutes with Robbie Booth allowed to advance along the by-line before pulling the ball back to Noon, whose header was parried away by Dootson, and despite Hine smashing the rebound against the bar the latter had strayed offside.
By the 77th minute the Reds were back on level terms when Brown smashed home an unstoppable drive from just outside the area, having been teed up by Hearn, but the drama was still to develop three minutes later.
Holden put Noon through on a menacing run at goal which was halted by Pell's intervention, the referee pointing to the spot and sending off the central defender in the process. However, Alfreton were reprieved when Griffiths fired the spot-kick well wide and from that point the Reds looked capable of snatching a win.
With seven minutes left Clayton teed up fellow sub and former Vauxhall midfielder Mattie Burke for a rasping drive that Hamilton tipped over, then in stoppage time a Ross free-kick was headed over at the back post by Clayton and Holden had to head off the line as Clayton tried to curl the ball in following a mistake by the keeper.