2004/05 - Match No. 49
Nationwide North
Saturday, March 12th, 2005
Barrow 0, Alfreton Town 3
Report by Kev Miles
ALFRETON Town ended a four-match league losing run in style as they convincingly and deservedly picked up the points in Cumbria on Saturday.
The seeds for this confidence-boosting victory were sown in midweek with a return to form despite defeat against Kettering Town. In that fixture the Reds created a number of chances and only took one.
Here, they again carved out a good number of scoring opportunities, but the difference this time was that three of them were taken.
Indeed, the margin of victory could have been even higher.
Assistant manager Charlie Williamson commented after the game: "We took a lot of positives out of Tuesday's performance and we them carried into this game. We have always felt within the camp during the recent poor run that we weren't creating chances like we know we can, and like we did in the early part of the season.
"But, after the opening ten minutes we were comfortable and in the end it was a resounding victory which could have seen us win by four, five or six quite easily".
Asked if the play-off places were beyond them, Williamson added: "We are never, ever going to say we aren't going to get in there. You only have to look how tight it is and the way the results are going. Quite a few of the results have gone for us today.
"We are now looking something like again and we will have plenty of people coming back off injuries in the next few games".
Manager David Lloyd made just one change to the starting line-up, and that was forced, with Richard Cooper coming in at right-back for Carl Bradshaw who suffered a badly gashed leg in midweek which will keep him out for three to four weeks.
Two other plusses were the returns to the bench of Mark Blount and Lee Featherstone - both having recovered from recent injuries.
The hosts began the better and Campbell shot wildly wide from Forde's cross with just three minutes gone. Three minutes later and Hill's cross ended with Knight glancing a header wide.
Alfreton's first chance - albeit it momentarily, came on seven minutes when Peter Duffield forced the ball into the area and for just a moment Mick Godber was totally clear but he had to stretch to reach the ball and James Cotterill forced him and the eventual shot wide.
Alfreton had strong penalty appeals turned aside on 16 minutes when Emeka Nwadike appeared to be held by right back Armstrong as Richard Cooper's curling cross came in after Bettney had got to the byline on the right and pulled back.
Barrow returned fire and from Armstrong's cross Colley got in a header which Butler easily dealt with.
The Reds had settled well by now though and on 23 minutes Mick Godber set up Ian Robinson and his 25-yarder was superbly tipped over by home 'keeper Bishop.
From the corner taken by Bettney, the ball landed right on the near post and with Bishop under pressure from Duffield and Godber he could only push it out as far as Grant Brown whose strong header smacked against the bar before being cleared for another corner, this time on the left.
Peter Duffield took the flag-kick and LUKE FOSTER got up highest to head in from eight yards - for his third league goal in the last four league games.
It nearly became two as the Reds - buoyed by the lead - attacked again a minute later but after Godber set up Duffield his drive clipped the angle of bar and post before going over.
Lee Butler hadn't had a lot to do but he earned the plaudits for a superb save to prevent Colley's close range header from being the equaliser on 31 minutes.
A minute later at the other end the prominent Duffield and Fisher set up Robinson for another 25-yarder which was held by Bishop.
Alfreton went 2-0 up in route one fashion on 34 minutes. The Reds were under pressure when Heinemann sent a long clearance forward.
MICK GODBER picked up possession just inside the visiting half, and advanced past the two home centre-backs to clip a neat lob over the advancing Bishop who, despite getting his hands to it, couldn't prevent it from entering the net and Town went into half-time in a strong position.
The second half opened with Lee Butler comfortably fielding a long range effort from Armstrong while at the other end Godber couldn't direct a chance on target after a Robinson through-ball was helped on by Duffield to his fellow strike partner.
The Reds were also denied by a goalline clearance on 67 minutes. The architect was Nwadike down the left. He appeared to be going nowhere but changed direction and upped his pace to leave everybody for dead and put in a strong cross. Duffield got a good header in, Bishop parried but Maxfield cleared off the line just before Bettney could finish at the far post.
Matt Fisher did well a minute later to chaperone a run by Ridley and force him to the byline where the home player eventually conceded a goalkick.
A minute later though Butler had to produce a smart save to keep out a Knight header.
Duffield saw a 73rd minute shot saved after Cotterill had mis-kicked 12-yards out and let the visiting player have a sight of goal.
Butler was again in action a minute later when substitute Tarrant sent in a shot which deflected off a defender and Butler reacted well in coming out to block from Forde. Then, within the same 74th minute, Forde fired in a 20-yarder which Butler tipped over for a really good save.
The Reds hit back again and from a Bettney corner, Nwadike had a header parried by Bishop.
Alfreton's attacking impetus earned them the third goal which put the game beyond their hosts on 80 minutes. Luke Foster emerged out of the Alfreton defence and advanced straight through the centre of the park before he was felled by Maxfield on the edge of the area.
The Barrow defender was cautioned and PETER DUFFIELD wrapped up three very good points with a smart free-kick from the left-hand edge of the penalty area which curled around the wall and hit the opposite far corner of the net.
Home substitute Swarbrick forced Butler into conceding a corner with nine minutes left but Alfreton kept going right to the end and substitute Mark Sale latched onto a half chance following a Duffield raid but saw his 35-yard strike held by Bishop.
The result but especially performance suggests the Reds have just maybe turned the corner.
MATCH DETAILS
BARROW: Bishop, Armstrong, Maxfield, Cotterill, Colley, Ludlam (Swarbrick 61), Forde, Hill (Simpson 35), Cakpbell (Tarrant 65), Knight, Ridley. Subs not used: Warren, Waite.
ALFRETON TOWN: Butler, Cooper, Heinemann, Foster, Brown, Fisher, Bettney, Robinson, Godber (Sale 86), Duffield, Nwadike.
Subs not used: Blount, Teather, Chapman, Featherstone.
REFEREE: Mr T Conway from Preston.
ATTENDANCE: 816.
SCORERS: Alfreton - Luke Foster 24, Mick Godber 34, Peter Duffield 80.
CAUTIONS: Barrow - Cotterill (37 dissent); Maxfield (foul on Foster 80). Alfreton Town - Grant Brown (38 foul on Knight); Matt Fisher (60 persistent fouling).
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Luke Foster.