Alfreton Town Football Club

2007/2008 Season. Blue Square Conference North. Game no. 5
Monday, August 27th, 2007
ALFRETON TOWN 2, Boston United 1

Pic by Bill Wheatcroft shows Brian Cusworth (9) in aerial action. More pics from Bill further down.

IF EVER a match came close to lifting the phrase ‘a game of two halves’ above cliché status, then Monday’s contest at the Imapct Arena was the one.
The Reds had looked a poor, disjointed outfit in the first half against a far better Boston United side.
And at half time surely no-one would have envisaged that Town would turn it round and gain their first win over the Pilgrims since Boxing Day 1963, when they hit them for six.
No-one, that is, apart from Reds boss Nicky Law and his management team.
But an injection of pace with the introduction of Matt Glass and Daniel Douglas-Pringle at last enabled the home side to have a go at the former Football League side and silence their noisy fans.
There may have been a touch of the bizarre about the equaliser, an own goal by United’s keeper Lee Crockett, who dropped Mark Barnard’s high cross into his own net as Glass challenged.
But by that stage it was no more than the revitalised Reds deserved, and they wrapped victory up with a thumping Brian Cusworth header onto a corner nine minutes later.
Boston simply could not believe it. They had been so much on top in the first half that it was almost embarrassingly easy for them.
However, all they had to show was a single 14th-minute goal from Jon Froggatt, and the Reds made them pay the maximum price for failing to turn their first half superiority into a comfortable lead.
Asked what he had put in the half time oranges, Law agreed that it had been a lack lustre first half by his men.
But he explained: “We were undoubtedly carrying a hangover from Saturday’s win at Tamworth which took a lot out of us.
“Boston were able to rest five players on Saturday who played today, but we don’t have that luxury, and although we did extremely well on Saturday it did take it out of us mentally and physically.
“It was clear we needed to make changes at half time, and fortunately they worked for us.
“Matt Glass may not have got a goal for himself, but he effectively got one for the team and Brian Cusworth’s header showed just what he’s all about.”

Tommy Hannigan came in at right back for his first start of the campaign for the injured Kyle McFadzean was the only change to the starting line up which won at Tamworth.
The game was slow to get going, but Boston had the better of the play from the start against a home side who appeared to show their visitors too much respect.
And United grabbed the lead in the 14th minute. David Galbraith floated a free kick in from the left which reached Froggatt, who flicked a neat header past James Lindley from inside the six yard area.
The Reds responded with a promising through ball from Laurie Wilson looking to pick out Scott Rickards, but Crockett was quickly out of his goal to win the race for possession.
Lindley had to do likewise at the other end to deny Froggatt, and then when the home defence struggled to clear their lines leaving the Pilgrims striker with another chance, the keeper again thwarted him, doing we ll to turn the ball for a corner.
Lindley had to stretch upward to turn Paul Ellender’s looping header from Galbraith’s corner for a second flag kick.
Despite a lack lustre overall show by Alfreton though, Cusworth was showing some neat touches for a big man, and he launched a 33rd minute move which could have brought an equaliser, albeit against the run of play.
Cusworth fed the ball wide to Rickards who crossed from the right for Kris Bowler to try to tee up Chris Walton with a downward header, only for Tony Crane to get in a clearance.
Boston continued to win the 50-50s, but in another rare home rade Crockett smothered the ball at the feet of Rickards who had been put in by some neat work by Bowler on the left.
But as the players went in for half time most home fans feared what was to follow.
The double substitution and some newly discovered enterprise soon allayed those fears, and Alfreton had seeming cause for complaint when Crane appeared to push Pringle in the back just inside the box in the 52nd minute, but Mr Bell remained unimpressed.
Glass then saw his smart angled drive held under the bar, but Boston were by no means out of it, and when their half time substitute Dwayne Clarke ghosted in to meet a cross from Galbraith his header was just over the far angle.
The transformation in the home side had to be seen to be believed though, and when Glass evaded the challenge of Liam Green to break down the right and cross, Cusworth was a whisker away from making a telling headed contribution.
A minute later the equaliser arrived. Barnard lofted in a high angled cross from the left touchline and Crockett appeared to take it cleanly at his near post. But as Glass went up with him the keeper was sufficiently distracted to drop the ball over his own line.
Nine minutes later Bowler played a great ball to Pringle on the right. He cut in to win a corner, when he could have crossed to the waiting Cusworth at the far post.
But Bowler’s ensuing flag kick was tailor-made for Cusworth to leap highest and plant a firm far post header which stunned the away following.
Boston huffed and puffed after that but never looked like rescuing the match, with Cusworth popping up in defence to clear a free kick.
Indeed as the game entered stoppage time another effort from Pringle had Crockett struggling to hold it.
MATCH DETAILS
ALFRETON: Lindley, Hannigan, Barnard, Matt Wilson, Young, Laurie Wilson, Brown, Walton (Douglas-Pringle ht), Cusworth, Rickards (Glass ht), Bowler. Subs not used: Outram, Jamie Green, Cockerill.
BOSTON: Crockett, Bloomer, L. Green, Ellender, Crane, Talbot, Medine, Nicholls, Froggatt, Leabon (Clarke ht), Galbraith. Subs not used: O’Haliorn, Matthews, Thompson, Quistin.
REFEREE: Mick Bell of Rotherham.
ATTENDANCE: 563.
GOALS: Alfreton - Crockett og 71; Cusworth 80. Boston - Froggatt 14.
CAUTIONS: Alfreton - Hannigan 45 (foul on Galbraith). Boston - Crane 74 (dissent).
MAN OF THE MATCH: Brian Cusworth

Pictures below are courtesy of Bill Wheatcroft. A selection of Phil Lucic's follow on further down.