2006/2007 season Match no.18 - Nationwide North
Tuesday, November 14th, 2006
ALFRETON TOWN 3, Gainsborough Trinity 1

Report by Kev Miles. Pics by Phil Lucic.

A RETURN to the Impact Arena brought a very welcome return to winning ways for Alfreton Town who won this game with plenty to spare after a rousing attacking display.
It was a first home game in the league since October 6 during which time the Reds have picked up only one point from three away games.
But on a night when Gary Mills's side had chance to remind the home faithful exactly what they can do, they did so in a style which should placate even the most ardent critics of late. The victory was a first in the league in six games and eight outings in all competitions.
For whilst Trinity may have been suffering from an FA Cup exit reaction, the Reds never allowed them to settle and produced an attacking gusto which brought a host of chances.
Manager Mills continued his squad freshening exercise with the introduction of former Notts County striker Steve Scoffham who has joined the Reds on a month's loan from neighbours Burton Albion which also brought the departure of Craig Mitchell to Sutton Town.
He was handed a debut and looked lively in a busy display until an understandable tiredness brought a late substitution.
Mark Barnard was out with a torn hamstring suffered at Stalybridge and he joined Mark Turner in the stands to witness a more than welcome return to form which extended Alfreton's unbeaten home league record to seven games. Indeed, the last side to beat them for points at the Impact Arena were Gainsborough in the last match of last season.
Alfreton began well and the busy Rawle set up Whitman who cut inside the last defender but saw his shot saved by Adam Sollitt in the visiting goal on five minutes.
Nathan Winder produced a cool head to tidy up inside the home six yard area after a neat interchange between Bett and Parker almost got the latter in.
The Reds went ahead on ten minutes with a spectacular looking goal from TRISTRAM WHITMAN who lashed an eight-yard angled shot into the roof of the net at the back post after Rawle had outjumped Sollit to flick on Burbeary's right flank corner.
As Alfreton sought to build on their lead Daniel Wood was booked on 21 minutes for scything down Whitman as he broke down the home right then unluckily lost his footing when sent in one on one with Sollitt by a long clearance by Reds keeper Dale Roberts.
Alfreton produced the cleaner more incisive moves with Whitman prominent down the right and Scoffham a good foil for Rawle.
When they needed to the Reds defended well in numbers and there was a good understanding between Nwadike and the no nonsense Winder at the heart of the home rearguard.
Ellis got up to Trinity's first corner of the game on 28 minutes but could only send his header straight at Roberts who was perhaps more thankful that a stabbed 18-yard shot from the same player was also at him from a Caudwell free kick.
To conclude a brief flurry from the visitors Bett was only a foot over the angle with a first time 22-yard effort after Winder lost possession.
As Alfreton returned to the attack former Red Danny Anson was fortunate to escape a caution for hauling Scoffham down when he looked set to go clear just outside the penalty area.
Rawle then cut inside two defenders and sent a low 18-yarder a foot wide of the far post before he produced a lovely turn and pass which unfortunately saw Scoffham narrowly caught offside.
As the Reds continued to press to half time Pell lost possession and he was rescued when Purkiss stopped Scoffham breaking away by bringing him down 22 yards from goal.
However, justice was done when Ashley Burbeary's powerful free kick could only be parried by Sollitt and MARK RAWLE was quick to react and bundle the loose ball past the surprised keeper for 2-0 in the 45th minute.
The Reds almost made it 3-0 on 49 minutes when the marauding Clarke's driven low cross-shot struck a defender and Scoffham finally diverted it agonisingly wide of the far post.
Midfield anchor man David Reeves got forward to send in a 25-yard low shot which Sollitt tipped around his right hand post at full stretch for a corner.
In a rare Trinity raid Nwadike got ina superb block to block a Parker shot on the edge of the area but the majority of the action was still at the visiting end and Clarke produced a fantastic 50-yard run from deep in his own half with the final cross just eluding Scoffham at the far post on 56 minutes.
A minute later the Reds took a stranglehold when they went 3-0 up. A shrewd ball from Scoffham split the Trinity defence and sent MARK RAWLE in one on one down the middle against Sollitt and the keeper was beaten from 16-yards as the Reds targetman swept home his second goal of the night.
Trinity manager Paul Mitchell tried to shake his side up with a triple substitution on 62 minutes but whilst it may have injected some purpose, the Reds were still not unduly threatened at the back.
Alfreton continued to work hard for each other and Winder flashed a shot past a post as the Reds won a series of corners.
Roberts needed treatment after coming out to snatch the ball from the feet of Gainsborough substitute Jamie Smith but in general the home keeper was well protected.
Scoffham was replaced by Andy Tiday with 12 minutes left and as play switched back to the home penalty area Nwadike headed a shot behind from former Belper Town striker and Trinity substitute Ross Hannah.
Nathan Winder produced a marvellous covering block to stop Smith's shot from reaching the target after he had gone round Roberts but Gainsborough's spirit was finally rewarded when SIMON BIRD headed in from close range after Anson had neatly clipped a short corner from Purkiss into the area.
There were however, no more scares for the hosts and it took a great stop by Sollitt to keep out a 12-yard blast by David Reeves after the ball fell to him in a melee with Sollitt and Rawle who required treatment after a collision for Andy Tiday's right flank cross.
Still the chances came Alfreton's way and Burbeary shot straight at Sollitt after being sent through by the impressive Whitman.
Fittingly, man of the match Rawle received plenty of applause for his sterling efforts when he was replaced in the 90th minute by Matt Glass.
Whilst it was only a third win in the league this season, this well deserved victory will have been particularly sweet for manager Mills as it came against a Trinity side managed and coached by ex Reds bosses Paul Mitchell and David Lloyd respectively.

MATCH STATS
Alfreton Town: Roberts, Clarke, Brown, Nwadike, Winder, Reeves, Whitman, Ebdon, Scoffham (Tiday 78), Rawle (Glass 90), Burbeary. Subs not used: Hannigan, Mills, Harcourt.
Gainsborough Trinity: Sollitt, Purkiss, Wood (Bird 62), Ellis, Pell, Lancaster, Graves, Anson, Bett (Hannah 62), Parker (Smith 62), Caudwell. Subs not used: Lill, Thorpe.
Referee: Jason Tyas (Holmfirth).
Attendance: 254.
Goals: Alfreton Town - Tristram Whitman (10 mins), Mark Rawle (45 and 57). Gainsborough Trinity - Simon Bird (85 mins).
Cautions: Gainsborough Trinity - Wood (21), foul on Whitman; Purkiss (44) foul on Scoffham.
Reds man of the match: Mark Rawle - led the line with authority.

NEXT IN ACTION
Saturday, November 18 - ALFRETON TOWN v Barrow - Nationwide North (3pm).
Tuesday, November 21 - Mickleover Sports v ALFRETON TOWN - Derbyshire Senior Cup, 2nd round (7.30pm).

THREE WISE MEN? David Lloyd, Chris Wilder and Lee Butler at Tuesday's game.