Alfreton Town Football Club

2007/2008 Season. Game no. 35. FA Carlsberg Trophy, second round replay
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008
ALFRETON TOWN 0, Farsley Celtic 2

Report by Kev Miles

ALFRETON Town’s first failure in front of goal in 20 games brought an end to their FA Trophy hopes on Tuesday night.
The Reds created a glut of chances in each half and just couldn’t take any of them although they were held at bay in the main by a superb show by Farsley keeper Tom Morgan and a resolute show by his defenders.
Nicky Law welcomed back striker Danny Reet after suspension and handed him his first start since January 5 in an attacking formation which alternated from 4-4-2 to 4-2-4.
Celtic manager John Deacy made wholesale changes and there were just five players in the visiting line up who had started the drawn first game on January 12.
Former Red Tristram Whitman was recalled but Georges Santos who had switched clubs following the first game was reduced to being an interested onlooker.
Following two postponements of the tie both sides set off looking to make up for lost time.
Despite steady rain since around 4pm, the teams ignored a greasy, heavy surface to serve up an entertaining first 45 minutes of end to end attacking.
Brian Cusworth proved a real handful for Celtic in the opening exchanges with his aerial threat as Alfreton mounted attacks which brought them a staggering 10-2 corner count in the first half alone.
However, the first real attack from the visitors brought them the lead on six minutes. Alfreton couldn’t clear a Knowles corner and Amjad Iqbal, who was suspended for the first clash, coolly created just enough space in a packed area to crack home a low right-footed shot past a stranded Sutcliffe.
As Alfreton hit back strongly, Law’s corner was met by a powerful downward header by Tony Butler which appeared destined for the top corner on its way back up but Morgan took off to one-handedly tip the ball over the angle.
Morgan then tipped over Reet’s flag kick before Lee Tuck blocked Butler’s goalbound shot and Iqbal threw himself in front of Knox’s shot.
Mark Jackson appeared to restrain Knox deep in the penalty area but the Farsley man somehow got the benefit of the doubt as Alfreton continued to press hard.
However, the visitors should have doubled their advantage on 24 minutes when Bentham’s left flank cross arrived at the totally unmarked Simeon Bambrook on the far post. Fortunately for Alfreton the striker could only side-foot his shot straight at a relieved Sutcliffe.
Law put Town's seventh corner of the half on the roof of the net but as the game continued to flow quickly from end to end, Knowles’s cross ended with Bambrook volleying a yard wide.
And Bambrook made it a hat-trick of misses on 25 minutes when he lashed wildly over when left totally unchallenged again.
Alfreton came again and Reet blasted an 18-yarder a yard past the far post with Morgan scrambling then McNiven needed treatment for a bloodied nose.
But for all the home side’s aerial dominance, the visitors were impressive on the break, particularly down the wings and they gave Alfreton plenty to think about with some neat link up play.
The best chance of the half for the Reds came on 29 minutes when Reet’s pass split the visiting defence but under pressure, Knox scuffed a 15-yard shot well wide.
Another Law corner saw Morgan punch clear as far as the edge of the penalty area where Walton crashed a shot wide.
McNiven became the game’s first booking on 35 minutes for clattering into Cusworth as he delivered a left flank cross. From Law’s free kick McNiven headed clear and Cusworth, clearly struggling for mobility was replaced eight minutes later with an ankle injury.
Just before that Brown had set the busy Law free and there were home shouts for a penalty when Bentham appeared to clip the Reds wide man but nothing came of it and half time arrived with Alfreton still trailing.
With the exit of Cusworth, Alfreton lost some direction in the second half and although chances still came, there were definitely fewer of them.
Celtic’s Bentham scooped a shot across goal for the first chance of the second half but as Law responded with a surging run he couldn’t find the end product and shot wide.
Still the Reds attacked and Laurie Wilson’s 25-yarder was cleared off the line by Kirk Jackson before Reet saw an 18-yarder parried by Morgan.
Laurie Wilson was booked for failing to retreat the full ten yards at a Farsley free kick a minute before Whitman made way for Colin Heath.
Walton sent another volley wide on 70 minutes and a minute later came the clearest chance of the night but Reet, inside the six yard box, pulled his shot across Morgan and past the far post.
Morgan’s exploits continued with a superb diving save low to his right to keep out Reet’s ten-yard shot on 73 minutes then Hotte came on for Tuck before Reet was cautioned for a foul on Jackson.
Farsley’s victory was sealed on 81 minutes when substitute Colin Heath punished hesitancy between Matt Wilson and Anton Brown on the edge of the home penalty area. He stole possession to advance and roll the ball across the area and give Reeves a simple task.
With McDonald on for Knox, Alfreton kept going to the end and the last action saw Warne advance but his shot clipped off Jackson and landed on the roof of the net to compound one of those nights when nothing went for the Reds.

MATCH STATS
Alfreton Town: Kyle Sutcliffe, Kyle McFadzean, Anton Brown, Matt Wilson, Tony Butler, Steve Warne, Josh Law, Chris Walton (Mark Barnard 81), Brian Cusworth (Laurie Wilson 43), Peter Knox (Massiah McDonald 81), Danny Reet. Subs not used: Matt Glass, Phil Senior.
Farsley Celtic: Tom Morgan, Mark Jackson, Amjad Iqbal, James Knowles, Simeon Bambrook, Damien Reeves, Andy Watson (Steve Torpey 87), Lee Tuck (Mark Hotte 74), Scott McNiven, Tris Whitman (Colin Heath 65), Craig Bentham. Subs not used: Gareth Grant, Roy Stamer.
Referee: Shaun Procter-Green (Gainsborough).
Attendance: 268.
Goals: Farsley Celtic - Amjad Iqbal (6), Damien Reeves (81).
Cautions: Alfreton Town - L Wilson (63, failing to retreat); Reet (85, foul on Jackson). Farsley Celtic - McNiven (35, foul on Cusworth).
Reds man of the match: Josh Law.