2004/05 - Match No. 38
Derbyshire Senior Cup, semi-final
Tuesday, January 25th, 2005
Alfreton Town 1, Belper Town 1, after extra time
(Belper Town won 4-2 on penalties)
Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD).
ALFRETON Town bowed out of the Derbyshire Senior Cup on Tuesday night after failing in a penalty shoot-out against a Belper side who these days play their football two divisions below.
Peter Duffield's 72nd minute goal cancelled out former Red Anton Foster's sixth-minute opener, but extra time failed to produce a winner.
And while Alfreton missed two of their four penalty kicks, the Nailers put away four of their five to clinch the tie.
And Reds' woe was heightened as they lost versatile Ian Robinson late in the first half with what looked a serious ankle ligament injury.
Alfreton had the first attack of note in the fourth minute, when Richard Cooper's 22-yard drive from Stephen Woolley's strong run and cross flew not far wide.
But it was the Nailers who grabbed a sixth-minute advantage. Daniel Hudson's ball in from the left went via Jason Maxwell and Ben Walker to ex-Red Anton Foster, who gleefully blasted in from the right of the box.
Belper almost struck again four minutes later. Walker, put through by Michael Lyons, tried a neat lob over the advancing Lee Butler but saw it fly just wide.
Alfreton tried to respond, and Belper keeper Lee Wilson clawed the ball off the feet of Mark Sale from David Holmes' probing pass into the box and Hudson completed the clearance.
The middle period of the half went through a quiet spell with little action at either end.
But on the half-hour Holmes headed back a deep cross from Woolley for Cooper whose effort was blocked on the line. Holmes played the ball back in for Woolley whose finish was too high.
There was a setback for Alfreton when Robinson had to be helped from the field following a challenge by Lyons, and was replaced by Paul Teather.
Hearts were in mouths in stoppage time as Lyons again put Walker through, but from the left of the area he could only find the side netting.
Walker curled a shot around the far post from the right early in the second half.
But as the Reds began to take the upper hand, Woolley dwelled too long on the ball in the area from Cooper's cross and was quickly closed down.
Duffield's follow-up was blocked, and Woolley could not force the ball back in from the left.
However, Butler needed to make a superb double save on 58 to deny Walker and then Jason Maxwell's follow-up.
But it was the Reds who hauled themselves level in the 72nd minute. Woolley knocked the ball forward along the left to Holmes who crossed for the unmarked Duffield in space to hit home from 10 yards.
Holmes shot straight at Wilson after a run through the middle, and Woolley and Chapman both pulled crosses back which were just too high for Duffield to meet.
Mark Sale, who moments earlier had taken a knock, could not force the ball over the line from another Holmes cross right on the final whistle, and the extra half-hour ensued.
Still Alfreton posed the greater threat, but Duffield had the ball taken off his toe by Hudson before he could steer in Holmes' cross, while Woolley tested Wilson who needed two attempts to hold.
Wilson from Duffield and Butler from Wayne Thornhill both produced excellent saves in the second period.
But it took a piece of superb defending by Mark Clarke to shut out Holmes right at the death.
Alfreton were always trailing in the penalty shoot-out after Wilson saved Reds' first effort from Duffield.
Then with the score at 3-1 Grant Brown pulled his spot kick wide.
Butler saved from Rudi Coleano, and although Mitch Ward kept Reds in contention, when Walker rolled in his attempt as Butler went the wrong way the Reds were out and Belper were into the final.
MATCH DETAILS
ALFRETON: Butler, Robinson (Teather 39), Blount, Chapman, Brown, Cooper (Fisher 102), Holmes, Nwadike (Ward 58), Sale, Duffield, Woolley.
BELPER: Wilson, Clarke, Thornhill, Hudson, Peet, Coleano, Foster (Jones 117), Danylyk, Maxwell, Walker, Lyons. Subs not used; Carter, Lambert.
REFEREE: Paul Thompson of Chesterfield.
ATTENDANCE: 171
SCORERS: Alfreton – Duffield 72. Belper – Foster 6.
SHOOT-OUT (Belper first): Hudson 1-0; Duffield missed; Danylyk 2-0; Blount 2-1; Lyons 3-1; Brown missed; Coleano missed; Ward 3-2; Walker 4-2.
CAUTION: Belper – Peet 90 (foul on Sale); Danylyk 101 (unsporting conduct).
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: David Holmes.