ANY play-off hopes nurtured by Alfreton Town all but disappeared as they suffered a single goal defeat on Saturday.But Farsley, in their debut Conference North season enhanced their own hopes thanks to a 29^th-minute deciding goal from Ryan Crossley.It was the Reds’ second successive defeat, and the run of improved form sparked by the change of management seems to have cooled.
The Reds’ cause was not helped by injuries to three key players – central defender Nathan Winder, left back Mark Barnard, and player-manager Marcus Ebdon.
But Ebdon was not prepared to use this as an excuse for the result.
“That’s part and parcel of football and you have to get on with it,” he said afterwards.
“We did not play well as a team in the first half, it wasn’t good enough. We had more of a go in the second, but we have to get back to working hard and doing what we are good at.
“It wasn’t a good time to lose a goal when we were just starting to play a bit, but what time is?”
With new loanee Steve Scoffham (pictured above left) starting up front alongside Mark Rawle, expectations were high that the Reds might put the previous week’s heavy defeat at Gainsborough behind them and rediscover their recent exciting form.
But it was not to be, and now Ebdon urgently needs to address his lack of defensive options, should Winder and Barnard not recover quicklyenough.
At least there is no midweek match which gives them a week.
The match itself never reached the heights, and Alfreton, notoriously slow starters, spent most of the first 20 minutes on the back foot.
Nevertheless, apart from a second minute direct free kick which was way off target, it was not until the 16^th minute that either side managed a shot at goal. It fell to Ryan Sugden, but his 20-yard drive was well saved by Dale Roberts at the foot of his post.
By this time Winder was already injured, although he played manfully on until just before the hour mark, and to good effect too.
Alfreton’s own first threat was in the 19^th minute when, from their first corner of the match, both Scoffham’s initial headerand his follow up were blocked on the line. And Emeka Nwadike should have scored four minutes later, but could only lift the ball over the bar from close range after Mark Rawle’s shot had come back off the body of the spreadeagled keeper following  Barnard’s accurate centre.
Alfreton were back in the match and enjoying their best spell at this stage, and keeper Tom Morgan twice thwarted Scoffham with fine saves.
But the recovery was dealt a blow when, from a Farsley corner, Chris Thackray’s blocked effort fell to Crossley who made no mistake from close range.
It might have been 2-0 four minutes later but for Roberts saving Jason Knowles’ skidding 35-yarder.
But Roberts was a touch fortunate five minutes into the second half Craig Midgley’s swirling shot struck the unsighted keeper on the knees, Tommy Hannigan clearing.
The home fans were prematurely acclaiming the equaliser in the 56^th minute when Scoffham got clear and lobbed over the advancing keeper, but they and he watched in agony as the ball dropped the wrong side of the post.
Three minutes later the courageous Winder limped out of the action with the versatile Nwadike filling in at centre back.
The down side was the loss of his tenacious midfield dynamism. Two minutes later Barnard limped out of the action after a foul which earned Damian Dunne a booking.
Farsley won four corners in quick succession, during which Ebdon suffered his neck injury.
Roberts acrobatically cut out Damian Reeves cross which was destined for the unmarked Midgley, but it was Alfreton who finished the stronger without ever quite looking like rescuing the situation.
Five minutes into seven of overtime Alfreton threw everyone but Roberts forward for a corner. It was cleared, and Farsley had men over on the breakaway, but Matt Glass did very well to get back and deny the visitors a chance of a second goal.
ALFRETON: Roberts, Clarke, Barnard (Tiday 64), Hannigan, Winder (Brown 59), Nwadike, Burbeary, Ebdon (Glass 77), Scoffham, Rawle, Whitman. Subs not used: David Reeves, Sleath.
FARSLEY: Morgtan, Thackray, Stabb, Knowles, Crossley, Serratt, Dunne (Tuck 90), Sugden (Stamer 68), Damian Reeves (Sanasy 90+3), Midgley, Bambrook. Sub not used: Cuss.
REFEREE: Stephen Pardoe of Crewe.
ATTENDANCE: 243.
SCORER: Farsley – Crossley 29.
CAUTIONS: Alfreton – Burbeary 90+2 (dissent). Farsley – Dunne 61 (foul on Barnard).

REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Emeka Nwadike.