2007/2008 Season. Blue Square Conference North. Game no. 8
Saturday, September 15th, 2007
ALFRETON TOWN 1, Harrogate Town 2

Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD). Pics by Phil Lucic.

ALFRETON came within four minutes of taking a point off high flying Harrogate on Saturday but finally succumbed to a Danny Holland double.
Holland struck early and late to leave the visitors with a record of sevens wins and a draw out of eight – a measure of the task facing the Reds on the day.
But Nicky Law’s men could justifiably claim that they deserved a share of the spoils, which looked to be theirs until Holland’s 86^th minute strike.
Holland had opened his account in the seventh minute following a goalkeeping error by home debutant Kyle Sutcliffe, but Sutcliffe did not let his early lapse get to him and produced several fine saves, especially in a first half-hour of almost total Harrogate dominance.
However, that one goal apart, the Reds rode the Harrogate storm and Brian Cusworth sent the sides in level for the break with a 34^th-minute equaliser.
In the end, though, it was former Reds favourite Chris Bettney, one of two in the Harrogate line-up, who set up the winner with a cross shot from the right which Sutcliffe could only parry, and the predatory Holland snapped up the winner.
For the most part, though, Bettney did not produce the skills that the Reds fans were so used to seeing, especially when he was policed by Anton Brown.
Holland showed his prowess in only the second minute when he got away from Matt Wilson, but he showed Sutcliffe fractionally too much of the ball, and that was enough for the keeper to win the race.
It was certainly going to be a memorable afternoon for the former Hucknall striker who picked up a booking two minutes later for a retaliation on Greg Young, who was playing the final game of his loan spell before returning to Halifax Town.
But Holland gave his side the early advantage when Sutcliffe came for Daren Dunning’s cross from the left, and completely missed his punch under pressure from the Harrogate striker, and Holland was left with a simple task.
When Alfreton did get forward in the early stages Danny Reet, who arrived for a three-month loan from Mansfield Town the previous day, was prominent, displaying some good skills and a will not to be shaken off the ball.
Reet figured on the right side of a three pronged attack, but the Reds had momentary problems when fellow front man Cusworth had to leave the field for treatment to a cut head.
Alfreton came under a spell of extra pressure I the 18^th minute when Holland charged down Young’s attempted clearance, before the ball was eventually scrambled clear.
Sutcliffe did well to tip a tricky 20-yard effort from Holland over the bar in the 21^st minute, and a minute later Holland’s cross shot looped up off the back of Cusworth.
The ball fell kindly for another ex-Red, Mark Hume, who really should have doubled the lead, but to the ironic cheers of the Reds fans he volleyed wildly over the bar from close range at the far post.
Alfreton finally began to exert some authority of their own, and equalised in the 34^th minute when the brave Cusworth, scorning his head injury, rose at the far post to meet and head home Laurie Wilson’s free kick from the right.
Both Brown and Walton went close to putting the Reds in front in the last five minutes of the half, but Brown was denied by debutant Paul Musselwhite’s save at the foot of his post, and Walton’s effort skidded just past the far post.
The second half was slow to get going, but Nathan James had a chance to restore Harrogate’s lead seven minutes in, Sutcliffe again doing well to block in a one-on-one with Mark Barnard completing the clearance.
Jamie Price was booked for fouling Brown as, getting forward more, he cut in along the left by-line, but Scott Rickards failed to connect with Walton’s free kick and Cusworth’s header was too high.
There were a couple more scares for the Reds just after the hour, Hume’s header from a corner clipping the top of the bar, and Bettney’s low shot being turned for a corner after Young had stuck out a leg to divert a Holland shot away.
Alfreton again hit back and Walton’s volley took a deflection for a corner, from which Musselwhite missed his punch but no-one was on hand to punish the error.
A minute later the Harrogate keeper turned Brown’s hanging, dropping cross-shot over his bar.Holland had a great chance five minutes from time when he was left unmarked but pulled his shot beyond the far post.
However, he did better a minute later with the winner to break the home side’s hearts.
Even then Reet had a late half chance to snatch a draw but delayed his shot for too long and was dispossessed by Hume’s smart challenge.
ALFRETON: Sutcliffe, Brown, Barnard, M. Wilson, Young, L. Wilson, Reet, Walton, Cusworth, Rickards (Outram 67), Bowler (Doxey 76). Subs not used: Cockerill, Hannigan, Ellis.
HARROGATE: Musselwhite, Price, Peat, Ingram, Hume, Dunning, Hunter, James (Whittington 56), Jackson, Holland, Bettney. Subs not used: Wood, McGarry, Caine.
REFEREE: Craig Grundy of Sheffield.
ATTENDANCE: 274.
GOALS: Alfreton – Cusworth 34. Harrogate – Holland 7, 86.
CAUTIONS: Alfreton – Cusworth 61 (foul on Hume). Harrogate – Holland 4 (retaliation on Reet); Price 58 (foul on Brown); Hume 61 (retaliation on Cusworth).

REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Anton Brown.