2004/05 - Match No. 28
Nationwide North
Saturday, December 4th, 2004
Alfreton Town 1, Barrow 1
Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD). Pics by Phil Lucic.

ALFRETON’S lead at the top of Nationwide North was cut to two points as they allowed relegation-threatened Barrow to make the long journey home with a deserved draw under their belts.
Indeed, the Bluebirds might have had even more cause for celebration, but for a tight offside decision some seven minutes after they had cancelled out the Reds’ interval lead.
Had that been the case, then there could have been few complaints after the home side failed to capitalise sufficiently on their first half superiority and then played second fiddle to their lowly visitors for most of the second period.
Assistant manager Charlie Williamson admitted afterwards that the Reds could and should have been far more than one goal to the good at the turn round.
“We played some excellent stuff in the first half,” he commented afterwards, “but for once we were not clinical enough in front of goal.
“The 1-0 half time scoreline flattered Barrow a bit, and we knew that it would be a tough second half for us.
“They are down there with something to fight for and they’ve got some good players.
“I don’t think we played badly in the second half either, but we didn’t create the clear cut chances that we know we can. They’ve defended well, and their keeper has made some good saves, as has ours.
“Dave (Lloyd) and I did consider changing things but decided against, because when you’re up against a side with their tails up and you send someone on, he needs five or 10 minutes to settle into the game.
“That might have been different if Mark Sale had been fit – he would have given us an extra option against their big man Karl Colley.”
Barrow adopted a no-nonsense approach in the first half, and put themselves under some pressure by conceding too many free kicks around their own penalty area.
That pattern was set in the fifth minute, when James Cotterill, who was very close to joining the Reds from Scunthorpe a couple of seasons ago, brought down Emeka Nwadike on the semi-circle after some good work by Mitch Ward – whose quality distribution was a feature of the match – and the busy Peter Duffield. But Ward’s free kick flew well wide.
Three minutes later another Ward free kick was headed goalwards by Mark Blount, who saw Ian Kilford pop up to clear off the line.
Apart from one 13th-minute threat when Lee Butler was forced to concede a corner, Barrow never looked likely to pierce the home defence until late in the half.
But at the Reds’ sharp end, Matt Fisher saw a low shot clawed away by Adam Capp after Duffield had dispossessed Cotterill, and Duffield himself pulled a cross shot from the right beyond the far post, before Alfreton took a 34th-minute lead.
Almost inevitably it came from another free kick from just outside the area in the inside left position. This time Chris Bettney took the responsibility and guided it directly under Capp’s left hand angle.
Capp showed his prowess again, tipping Mick Godber’s finish for a corner after a delightful interchange with Duffield.
But it was Butler’s turn to show his capabilities three minutes before half time, going down full length to his left to divert Graham Anthony’s fizzing 25-yard snap shot around his post.
Alfreton had the last word of the half, though, when Godber timed his run onto Duffield’s through ball to beat the offside. However, the alert Capp was quickly off his line to win the ball on the edge of the area as the striker pushed it fractionally too far ahead.
Barrow made a double substitution at half time, sending on Andy Hill and Gareth Simpson.
And, after the breakaway from the second of two successive Reds corners, the visitors began to show that they were a force to be reckoned with as Mike Kewley ran clear but shot too hurriedly wide.
Butler had to spread himself to save with his legs to deny Glenn Murray, but Alfreton should have gone two up in the 55th minute.
Godber set up Fisher on the right, and Capp could only take the sting out of the midfielder’s cross shot, but Nwadike was too slow to react with the goal at his mercy.
The miss was punished two minutes later. Kewley and Hill combined on the Barrow right, and although Butler blocked Hill’s first effort, the substitute had got himself into a good position to snap up the rebound and stretch the net from 10 yards.
Boosted by the equaliser, Barrow grew in confidence, and Butler had to claw the ball off Murray’s feet, after the striker had been put through by Kewley.
The Bluebirds thought they had taken the lead in the 64th minute when Murray headed in Anthony’s far post cross from the right, but their celebrations were cut short by an offside flag, to the relief of the home fans.
Butler again denied Murray who had got away as Grant Brown dived in unsuccessfully and was left standing.
Alfreton did raise their game in the last 15 minutes, but the closest they came was Duffield’s wickedly dipping 35-yard snap shot which Capp just managed to divert over his bar.
ALFRETON: Butler, Robinson, Blount, Chapman, Brown, Ward, Bettney, Fisher, Godber, Duffield, Nwadike. Subs not used: Knapper, Goddard, Dolby, Holmes, Woolley.
BARROW: Capp, Heffernan, Maxfield, Cotterill, Colley, Warren (Simpson h/t), Kilford (Hill h/t), Anthony, Murray, Kewley (Rowland 82), Ridley. Subs not used: Burgess, Bishop.
REFEREE: David Lawrence of Barnsley.
ATTENDANCE: 473.
SCORERS: Alfreton – Bettney 34. Barrow – Hill 57.
CAUTIONS: Alfreton – Fisher 61 (foul on Hill); Ward 90 (foul on Simpson).
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Lee Butler.