2005/06 season match No.21
Nationwide North
Saturday, December 10 th, 2005
Gainsborough Trinity 2, Alfreton Town 2
Match report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD) and Pics by Phil Lucic.

ALFRETON clawed what at half time had seemed a very unlikely point from Saturday’s local derby at Gainsborough thanks to a second half transformation and, in former boss Paul Mitchell’s view, a benevolent referee.
The Reds had turned in a dire first half performance and could have no complaints about going in for half time two goals down.
But the turning point came early in the second half, after a couple of changes, when Shaun Bodkin made an unbelievable save to prevent a killer third goal.
Within a few minutes Peter Duffield had pulled one back, then the striker slotted what most people thought was a highly dubious penalty to pull the Reds level.
Gainsborough subsequently had two penalty claims denied, one of them a realistic one and the second more optimistic, and also had skipper Richard Pell sent off towards the end for a professional foul on Mick Godber who had looked set to score the winner.
The Northolme tends to be a happy hunting ground for Alfreton, but there were few signs of that in an abysmal first half from their point of view, as manager Gary Mills admitted afterwards.
“It really couldn’t have got any worse,” he said. “It just wasn’t good enough from start to finish.
“I’ve been saying lately how well we have been playing, but in the first half today we looked like a team in the bottom three, lying down to lose the game.
“I’ll leave people to draw their own conclusions what was said at half time - that remains within the dressing room - but we made the changes which had to be made and in the second half we played as we have been playing, like a team wanting to win.”
After their all-action showing against Kettering in midweek, the first half was an unbelievably poor follow-up.
The Reds lacked cohesion, they lacked imagination and, worst of all, they lacked heart for the battle.
On the other hand Mitchell had his troops fired up against his former club, and they certainly looked more up for it.
In particular, the experiment of playing Mansfield Town loanee Callum Lloyd on the left did not come off. Lloyd, who has looked effective in central midfield, was like a fish out of water and made way for out and out wide player Chris White at half time, while Mills himself, at 44 years old, also took to the field for the second half to show how it should be done, replacing Lee Featherstone.
There were exceptions to the overall condemnation, none more so than Chris Bettney who was always troublesome on the right, although for 45 minutes even his enterprise could not lift his team mates to greater heights.
On the other hand Trinity’s Ryan Mallon, on loan from York City, proved a real handful for the Reds’ defence, and looked a completely different player from the one who showed little when he spent some time at the Impact Arena last season.
The match made a slow start, and it was not until the 18th minute that Bettney’s free kick into the home area was cleared to Mallon who broke away, cut in, and saw his finish deflect over the bar off Featherstone.
The warning went unheeded and a minute later Trinity were in front. Jamie Sherlock split the Reds defence with a piercing through ball to Mallon in the right of the area, and Jamie Smith ran in at the far post to tuck away the ensuing low cross.
It should have been 2-0 five minutes later when Mallon escaped the attentions of Bettney and Liam Powell on the left and crossed to Smith in front of goal, but this time Bodkin was out smartly to smother the ball at the striker’s feet.
But the keeper was powerless to prevent Trinity’s second on 28 minutes. He had got down well to push Tom Baker’s low drive from outside the area to one side, but Mallon was first to the loose ball and hammered it into the empty net before Bodkin could recover his ground.
Towards the end of the first half Mick Godber and Emeka Nwadike both had shots on the Gainsborough goal, but both lacked power, Godber’s effort going wide and Nwadike’s being held low at the post by Jamie Holmshaw.
The furious Mills clearly made his thoughts known at half time, and also made his two changes, and Alfreton began the second half on the attack.
But they were soon on the back foot again, and three minutes in Bodkin saved Pell’s terrific downward header with his body and the ball was hacked away for a corner.
A minute later a dreadful error by Powell let in Baker who seemed certain to score, but Bodkin parried well. The ball went to one side and was played back in to give Baker a second bite at the cherry, but the keeper made an unbelievable save to his left.
That was the turning point, and from then on Alfreton were the better side. And they grabbed a 51st-minute lifeline when Mills’ free kick was laid off by Godber for Duffield, who executed a delightful lob over the covering defence and watched as, aided by a slight deflection, it dropped under Holmshaw’s bar.
Suddenly Alfreton came to life, and Godber twice went close from Bettney set pieces.
Bettney then turned Danny Wood inside out on the right and hopes were raised as his ball in set up Godber, but Holmshaw managed to save with his feet. It would not have counted had Godber scored, though, for he had strayed just offside.
Hitherto Castleford official Andrew Smith had handled the game well, but he infuriated the home fans in the 67th minute when he pointed immediately to the spot after Bettney’s piledriver struck Baker on the arm.
It looked a harsh decision, for the Trinity man’s arm remained by his side, and he could hardly have got out of the way. But Duffield was not about to squander such an opportunity and he sent Holmshaw the wrong way, leaving Mitchell ballistic.
The Gainsborough manager’s fury was fired even more nine minutes later when Wes Parker looked to have been pushed over in a busy Alfreton area and the referee waved away all appeals.
That was a let-off, and Godber seemed set to rub salt in the wound 10 minutes from time. But, running onto Powell’s long ball, he was hauled down by last defender Pell just outside the area, and the Blues skipper’s red card was inevitable.
Gainsborough had second penalty appeals rejected as the game entered stoppage time, but this time Ryan Clarke’s challenge at the end of Baker’s sparkling run was a fair one.
Three minutes into stoppage time Duffield had the chance to win it with his hat-trick goal. But having beaten Nicky Ellis he opted to try a ball across goal for White instead of shooting, and Holmshaw went down to claim it.
GAINSBOROUGH: Holmshaw, W. Parker (Rowan 84), Wood, Ellis, Pell, Higgins, Trout, Sherlock, J. Smith (Reeves 82), Mallon, Baker. Subs not used: L. Parker, Menga, Charles.
ALFRETON: Bodkin, Powell, Featherstone (Mills ht), Clarke, Turner, Nwadike, Bettney, Robinson, Godber, Duffield, Lloyd (White ht). Subs not used: Ross, Woolley, G. Smith.
REFEREE: Andrew Smith of Castleford.
ATTENDANCE: 337.
SCORERS: Gainsborough – Smith 19; Mallon 28. Alfreton – Duffield 51, 67 pen.
CAUTION: Alfreton – Robinson 74 (foul on Higgins).
DISMISSAL: Gainsborough – Pell 80 (‘professional’ foul on Godber).
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Shaun Bodkin.