2004/05 - Match No. 47
Nationwide North
Saturday, March 5th, 2005
Alfreton Town 0, Altrincham 2
Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD). Pics by Phil Lucic and Kev Miles.

IT WAS more of the same as far as Alfreton Town were concerned as they fell to two early goals against Altrincham at the Impact Arena on Saturday.
The Reds were left to reflect on more of the same hard work, more of the same lack of an end product, and more of the same ill luck which has dogged them during the last three months.
However, assistant manager Charlie Wiliamson reflected afterwards: “We can’t go on blaming injuries and bad luck.
“We’ve got to maintain a positive and professional attitude if we are to turn things around.
“After all, these are largely the same players who did so well and got us to the top of the league early on.
“Success breeds confidence, but at the moment what we’re experiencing is the exact opposite.”
One could not help but feel some sympathy. Two new players had been recruited in a bid to bolster the squad and freshen things up – and both Nick Heinemann, a left-sided defender on loan for the rest of the season from Scarborough, and Lee Featherstone, a left-side midfielder – fell victim to injury.
Add to that the fact that Mick Godber had become the latest victim of the virus which has gone through the club, and Dave Lloyd and Williamson can be forgiven for thinking they must have shot a robin.
Even so, Williamson refused to attribute the defeat to any of that, and pointed out that two relatively easy goals had been given away, after which it was an uphill task to get back in the game.
That task was not made any easier by the fact that there was no clear link between the midfield and Mark Sale and Peter Duffield, who were starved of quality service, nor by Carl Bradshaw seeing his 67th-minute spot kick well saved when a lifeline looked to have presented itself.
And the match ended with the Reds still not having scored a home league goal in 2005 after five attempts.
From the fans’ point of view, there was some pleasure in seeing Chris Bettney in a red shirt again, and one hopes that his well-documented spat with the management has been ironed out.
However, on reflection, the writing was on the wall from the first minute, when Lee Butler brilliantly saved Rod Thornley’s downward header from Colin Potts’ hanging cross.
But Potts was destined to be a thorn in the side, and he it was who provided the centre for the 11th-minute goal that broke the deadlock, Colin Little receiving at the near post and deftly flicking it over Lee Butler and into the net.
In reply, Sale got in a strong header under pressure from Mark Maddox following Bradshaw’s well-placed free kick, and forced Stuart Coburn into a save.
The game threatened to boil over in the 16th minute, with Sale and Gary Talbot booked following a melee sparked by Emeka Nwadike’s foul in the centre circle.
When order was restored Talbot was not picked up in the area, and gleefully guided Steve Aspinall’s long free kick home with a free header.
With Sale booked, the big striker became the target for blatant provocation by the visitors apparently trying to goad him into a second card, and by Maddox in particular.
And after Sale had brought another fine save out of Coburn from Duffield’s neat head down, Maddox – who has twice been sent off against Alfreton – went in heavily on him with the referee’s back turned. Sale needed treatment, but nothing was given.
Nwadike was winning a lot of midfield possession for Alfreton, and when he won the ball and launched a well-worked crossfield move, Featherstone’s final shot was clawed away by Coburn under pressure from Ian Robinson, the keeper needing treatment.
Bradshaw headed on to the roof of his own net as Little threatened again towards the end of the half before, in stoppage time, Maddox went in on Sale yet again, the yellow-shirted Altrincham players steaming in to get involved. But again the referee was looking the other way, and both players escaped with a lecture.
Featherstone did not re-appear for the second half, being replaced by David Holmes.
As Alfreton began to show more attacking ideas a super cross by Bettney was headed back by Duffield for Sale, but Aspinall was alert to take the ball off his toe as he was about to shoot.
In the main, though, Altrincham’s defence was well organised and the home side found it difficult to prise open a gap.
At the other end Luke Foster, again impressive, made a crucial last ditch tackle on Little with Butler in no man’s land after parrying Thornley’s initial effort.
And it was Nwadike’s turn to make another telling challenge on Potts as the Robins broke swiftly three on two from a Reds free kick.
A lifeline was thrown in the 67th minute when Coburn clattered into Holmes from Grant Brown’s long free kick. But when Holmes recovered from treatment, the keeper atoned by going down to his right to push away Bradshaw’s spot kick.
And three minutes later Alfreton’s woes were almost compounded when Chris Adams’ curling cross-cum-shot from the left appeared to deceive Butler, who was relieved to see it come back off the angle.
But they did suffer another setback when Heinemann had to be helped from the field after making a saving tackle on Robins substitute Josh Mitten.
MATCH DETAILS
ALFRETON: Butler, Bradsahw, Heinemann (Chapman 80), Foster, Brown, Nwadike, Bettney, Robinson, Sale, Duffield, Featherstone (Holmes h/t). Subs not used: Woolley, Cooper, Teather.
ALTRINCHAM: Coburn, Aspinall, Adams, Maddox (Melling 72), Talbot, Hussin, Potts (Norris 85), Owen, Little, Thornley (Mitten 63), Scott. Subs not used: Hilton, Lugsden.
REFEREE: Alf Greenwood of York.
ATTENDANCE: 371.
SCORERS: Altrincham – Little 11; Talbot 17.
CAUTIONS: Alfreton – Sale 16 (brawl); Nwadike 24 (foul on Owen). Altrincham - Talbot 16 (brawl).
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Emeka Nwadike.