2009/2010 Season. Match no. 10. Blue Square Conference North match no. 10.
Saturday, September 12th, 2009

Alfreton Town 4, AFC Telford United 0

Match pics by Dave Purseglove here

Alfreton Town recorded an emphatic, confidence-boosting win over fellow Blue Square North title contenders AFC Telford United at a sweltering Impact Arena on Saturday, despite key injuries which kept out Mattie Burke and Josh Law.
In a reshuffled side, Ian Ross was rested to the bench, Dominic Roma was moved into midfield to take Law's role and Matt Wilson returned from injury at right back in a defence which stood supremely strong and restricted the visitors to less than a handful of openings throughout.
Alfreton produced four quality finishes with all the goals coming in the second half, but the Reds could count themselves unfortunate not to have been in front by half time.
Liam Hearn opened the scoring for the Reds on 49 minutes with strike partner Paul Clayton adding the second 20 minutes later, but the talking point was undoubtedly the brace of goals scored by Andy Todd after he had been brought on with just six minutes of the game remaining.
Todd, who has featured very little with only two starts since his move to Alfreton just before the start of the season, even took a bow after he had precisely steered home Anthony Howell's return pass across Young and into the far corner less than 40 seconds after coming on for a shattered Liam Hearn. It was perhaps the only place the shot could have gone to register a goal.
Todd then embarked on a solo run past three defenders in the 90th minute before stranding visiting keeper Ryan Young for a second time with a low accurate shot inside the left hand post from ten yards.
The opener from Hearn stemmed from a Kyle McFadzean throw on the left that was played back to the Reds' skipper, Clayton directing McFadzean's eventual cross into Hearn's path before Young was beaten by the sheer pace of the shot from six yards.
Clayton's contribution was the result of an incredible run by Howell, who produced a piece of incredible skill as he virtually walked past three embarrassed Telford defenders in the penalty area before setting up last season's top scorer to steer a superb shot around Young and into the far top corner of the net.
The first action of a quiet first half had seen Howell's towering header from a corner flash inches wide in the fourth minute, while nine minutes later Jordan Hall's through-ball allowed Hearn to turn and fire in a shot that Young saved.
Iseyden Christie wasted a chance for the Bucks when he fired yards wide on 23 minutes, then a Jordan Hall corner at the other end four minutes later saw Richard Pell's glancing header cleared off the line by Jon Adams just inside the far post.
The referee arranged a welcome break for the players to take on water in the stifling heat before a long run by Hearn led to Young turning his 37th minute shot behind for a corner, the keeper also having to thwart Clayton in first half added time.
In a second half that Alfreton almost completely dominated, Craig Dootson had just two saves to make, Sean Newton's 54th minute free-kick hardly troubling the Reds' keeper while Liam Blakeman's bid for a late consolation was comfortably held by the home keeper.
Meanwhile at the other end Young had to clutch Aden Flint's 61st minute header under the crossbar, then six minutes after that Hearn's drive from Howell's pass needed diverting by Stuart Whitehead.