2009/2010 Season. Match no. 25. Blue Square North.
Saturday, November 28th, 2009

Alfreton Town 1, Fleetwood Town 4

Match pics album by Dave Purseglove here

ALFRETON Town will quickly want to forget the events of Saturday when Fleetwood Town inflicted upon them a second successive defeat at the Impact Arena inside four days.
Young defender Aden Flint was sent off in contentious circumstances, having tried to step over the floored Steven Connors who had gone down under a 75th minute challenge from Ian Ross, which was construed by the assistant referee as a stamping offence.
And to make matters worse, Alfreton had to play out the closing stages with just nine men as they had already used both of their only available substitutes when Richard Pell limped off in the 84th minute with a hamstring problem, but by that time the horse had bolted anyway.
Fleetwood were first to attack in the second minute when Adam Warlow headed over from an Alan Wright cross, then in response four minutes later Ross fired from 25 yards with the ball skimming off Steven McNulty for a corner from which Pell headed over.
Jamie Mullan cut in from the left in the eighth minute and won a corner following Pell's slip, which led to Mullan heading over before Paddy Gamble needed to push aside Connors' firm drive two minutes later.
 Sixty seconds further on, Fleetwood's pressure was maintained with Warlow's angled drive taking an awkward deflection off Flint before being gathered safely by Gamble, then eight minutes after that Wright's 20 yarder fizzed inches over the bar.
Gradually the Reds managed to push forward and Anthony Howell's stifled drive from the edge of the area was scrambled clear with difficulty in the 26th minute, then four minutes later Alfreton had the lead as Andy Todd took the ball around keeper Danny Hurst to score from a tight angle from Josh Law's pass through a forest of legs.
 Almost immediately though Fleetwood were level after Pell had tripped Connors and McNulty succeeded from the penalty spot despite Gamble getting his hands to the ball, the equaliser timed at 32 minutes.
Flint had to hack clear a Sean Clancy shot after a rare fumble by the Reds' keeper in the 39th minute, but less than a minute later Clancy lashed home from 12 yards to give the visitors an interval lead after the ball had bounced around the area interminably.
Just three minutes into the second half the margin was extended when expensive sub Gareth Seddon hooked in from six yards from a through-ball possibly from Michael Taylor, then four minutes later at the other end Ross fired wide from 20 yards from a Ben Mills cross.
Flint headed over from a Ross free-kick on 65 minutes, but an awful mistake three minutes later by Pell gifted Michael Wilde with a free run at goal before squaring the ball for Steven Torpey to fire wastefully over.
The fourth goal arrived eight minutes from time with a simple conversion from close range by Seddon from Wilde's cross, then in the first minute of stoppage time Gamble prevented an even worse score-line by tipping over Jamie McGuire's drive from 20 yards.

Alfreton Town: Paddy Gamble, Jordan Hall, Dominic Roma, Aden Flint, Richard Pell, Ian Ross, Josh Law, Anthony Howell, Ben Mills, Kris Bowler (Lloyd Kerry 46), Andy Todd (Paul Clayton 62).
Substitutes not used: no others, only two named.
Fleetwood Town: Danny Hurst, Shaun Beeley, Alan Wright, Michael Taylor, Steven McNulty, Jamie McGuire, Sean Clancy (Steve Torpey 57), Steve Connors (Nathan Pond 79), Michael Wilde, Adam Warlow (Gareth Seddon, h/t), Jamie Mullan.
Substitutes not used: Jamie Milligan, Tom Cahill.
Referee: Mr Barry Gordon of Chester-le-Street.
Half-time: 1-2.
Attendance: 485, 30 in the visiting section.
Goal - Alfreton Town - Andy Todd (30). Fleetwood Town - Steve McNulty (32, penalty), Sean Clancy (40), Gareth Seddon (48 and 84).
Bookings; Alfreton Town - Richard Pell (31, foul on Steve Connors), Anthony Howell (58 persistent infringements), Jordan Hall (61 foul on Jamie Mullan). Fleetwood Town - Adam Warlow (26, foul on Ian Ross), Danny Hurst (73, unsporting conduct), Steve McNulty (79, foul on Ben Mills).
Sent off: Aden Flint (Alfreton Town, 75, alleged stamp).
Reds man of the match: Anthony Howell.