2004/05 - Match No. 32
Nationwide North
Saturday, December 18th, 2004
Alfreton Town 2, Harrogate Town 0
Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD). Pics by Phil Lucic.

ALFRETON leapfrogged visitors Harrogate Town to return to the top of Nationwide North after Saturday’s enthralling contest at the Impact Arena.
The Reds thoroughly merited their victory against the hard-working visitors, which came courtesy of a goal in each half by Mick Godber and substitute Mark Sale.
Godber struck in only the third minute to put the Reds in the driving seat. Chris Bettney dispossessed Grant Black on the Alfreton left, and although Emeka Nwadike could not manage an effective touch onto the cross, loan debutant from Halifax Town Ryan Mallon turned the ball back inside for Godber to steer in.
James Turley put in some telling crosses for Harrogate in reply, but with the impeccable Mark Blount doing a first-rate policing job on lofty former Eastwood striker Marc Smith, the visitors were unable to make any real headway.
But as the game swung entertainingly from end to end, Mark Barnard’s 20-yard drive through packed area forced Lee Butler into a fine diving save.
The visitors tried to step up the pace on the re-start, but Alfreton had seemingly clear-cut penalty appeals ruled out when Simon Sturdy blatantly held down Godber as he tried to latch onto Carl Bradshaw’s free kick from the right five minutes in.
Lee Philpott delivered a couple of dangerous free kicks which brought the best out of Butler, but when Smith, for the only time in the match, escaped Blount’s clutches on the right he pulled his cross shot past the far post.
The 62nd-minute introduction of Sale gave the Reds fresh impetus and, as has become the big man’s habit, he worked the oracle with a well-worked goal six minutes later.
The substitute rose high to head down Grant Brown’s free kick to Godber, received the return, and drilled it crisply past Paul Pettinger from the edge of the area.
Unfortunately for Harrogate, defender Mark Haran was injured in trying to prevent the goal and had to be stretchered off.
Chances were created at both ends in the closing stages, but Alfreton held on competently to go into Christmas in pole position.
ALFRETON: Butler, Bradshaw, Blount, Chapman, Brown, Ward, Mallon (Sale 62), Nwadike, Godber, Duffield, Bettney (Robinson 84). Subs not used: Cooper, Teather, Dolby.
HARROGATE: Pettinger, Black (Morris 71), Barnard, Sturdy, Haran (Dunning 71), Philpott, Turley, Shepherd, Smith, Holland (Blackstone 79), Krief. Subs not used: Hunter, Buxton.
REFEREE: Rob Steans of Loughborough.
ATTENDANCE: 468.
SCORERS: Alfreton – Godber 3; Sale 68.
CAUTION: Harrogate – Krief 27 (foul on Bradshaw).
MAN OF THE MATCH: Mark Blount.