ALFRETON Town and Corby Town were scheduled to replay their FATrophy third qualifying round tie in midweek after a dull affair at Rockingham Triangle was overshadowed by an horrendous cheek bone injury sustained by midfielder Ian Ross in the 41st minute.
Former Nottingham Forest striker Jason Lee was cautioned for his part in the incident, and as Ross collapsed during treatment there was a scuffle among players that was brief but unsightly.
Ross was stretchered off after a four-minute delay and was later taken to Kettering General Hospital, and as it had been his third instance of treatment during the game there was no less than nine minutes of first-half stoppage time to endure.
Clearly affected by the injury, Alfreton scarcely came out of the blocks after the interval and a spell of Corby pressure produced a 58th minute goal that cancelled out debutant Ben Mills's ninth minute opener.
Rain and blustery wind swept across the athletics track that made viewing difficult throughout the tie, Matt Wilson the first to try a shy at goal from 25 yards that home keeper Mark Osborn held comfortably in the fourth minute.
Ross took his first knock in the eighth minute when stretching to concede a corner as Joe Francis threatened to break through, then a minute later the Reds were ahead when Mills rolled the ball very gently past Osborn from 25 yards after Corby defender Philip Watt had unwittingly headed him through from Wilson's ball down the right flank.
Andy Todd cut in from the left on 14 minutes following Kris Bowler's ball down the wing but his shot was held at his near post by Osborn, then three minutes later a low drive from Lee was held by Reds' keeper Paddy Gamble.
Osborn fumbled an innocuous 20 yarder from Richard Pell in the 34th minute before quickly recovering, then with 7 minutes of added time elapsed Anthony Howell did well to prevent Steve Towers' progress at the expense of a corner.
Dave Deeney played Leon Mettam through in the 52nd minute but a slip at the vital moment meant an easy save by Gamble, then seconds later at the other end Todd chested down Josh Law's cross but dwelt a fraction too long allowing the keeper to gather.
Deeney, Lee and Towers all went close before a right-wing corner led to the leveller when it was cleared only as far as Mettam, who rammed it past Gamble from ten yards.
A slip by Pell in the 69th minute let in Mettam but he sliced wide from the edge of the area, then a minute later Pell made amends with a superb tackle as Stephen Diggin played Mettam through again.
Phil Gulliver headed wide from an inviting cross by Francis on 77 minutes, then a magnificent block by Gamble a minute later denied Diggin before the game petered out rather tamely.

 
Corby Town: Mark Osborn, Chris Hope, Paul Mayo, Philip Watt, Phil Gulliver, Steve Towers, Dave Deeney (Jamie McGhee 58), Brett Solkhon (Leon Hibbert 54), Jason Lee (Stephen Diggin 58), Leon Mettam, Joe Francis.
Substitutes not used: Dean West, Tom Cross.
Alfreton Town: Paddy Gamble, Matt Wilson, Kris Bowler, Aden Flint, Richard Pell, Ian Ross (Josh Law h/t), Jordan Hall, Anthony Howell, Paul Clayton, Ben Mills (Damian Reeves 90), Andy Todd.
Substitutes not used: Dominic Roma, Lloyd Kerry (only four named).
Referee: Mr Mark Howes of Solihull.
Attendance: 306.
Goals: Corby Town - Leon Mettam (58). Alfreton Town - Ben Mills (9).
Bookings: Corby Town - Jason Lee (foul on Ian Ross, 41). Alfreton Town - Anthony Howell (foul on Steve Towers, 37).
Reds man of the match: Ben Mills.