2005/06 season match No.8
Nationwide North
Saturday, September 17th
Hinckley United 2, Alfreton Town 2
Match report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD). Pics by Phil Lucic.


A BRACE of goals by man of the match Jon Stevenson earned Alfreton Town a point at the Marston’s Stadium that they would probably have settled for before the match.
But at the end the Reds were kicking themselves for having blown away two more points after twice leading.
Each time the lead was cancelled out within three minutes of play as Alfreton went through a sloppy patch after gaining and then regaining the advantage.
Stevenson put Town in front three minutes before the break, but within 30 seconds of the restart they were caught cold by Laurent Chuzel’s first ever goal for the Knitters.
Ten minutes into the second period Stevenson struck again, only for Hinckley’s Barry Woolley to restore parity three minutes later.
“I think most clubs would be happy to take a point here,” said Gary Mills of his friend Dean Thomas’ Hinckley.
“We played well in the first half, but we turned a bit sloppy after half time and had to defend – but we did that and came away with a point, although I’m a bit disappointed that we conceded twice after going in front.
“But you can see that we’re gradually starting to build a bit of consistency in the side – our last four games have yielded two wins, a draw and only the one defeat.”
A draw was a fair result, but the real down side for Alfreton was the loss of Peter Duffield inside the first four minutes with ankle ligament damage. Duffield has been in good form of late, even when others have struggled, but Mills added: “He could be out for a few weeks, and that’s the last thing we need just now.”
The forward appeared to twist somehow as he laid the ball back for Mills to rifle a thunderous 20-yard shot which Ryan Price brilliantly turned aside to his right and, after being helped off, he was replaced by Neil Ross two minutes later.
Without Duffield, though, Ross and Stevenson formed a sharp front pairing, with the pint-sized Stevenson buzzing against the home side’s big defenders when the ball was played to his feet.
Mills and Matt Fisher again formed an effective central midfield pairing, especially in the first half, although Hinckley began to boss the middle of the park after the interval as Alfreton were forced onto the back foot for lengthy spells.
And David Robinson had probably his best game to date in the heart of defence, with Mark Turner alongside also doing well.
The only change from the previous week’s starting line-up was an enforced one, with youngster Stephen Woolley getting the nod in preference to Chris Bettney after Chris White picked up a knock late on in the Redditch match.
It quickly became evident that one of the features of this game would be the contest between Fisher and Richard Lavery, and on two occasions the referee had to call them together for a lecture, booking the Hinckley man second time around for retaliation midway through the first half.
Following the manager’s early effort, Jason Blunt’s speculative 40-yard shot flew narrowly wide in the 24th minute.
Hinckley’s main threat came from the skill, pace and accurate passing of Neil Cartwright, especially when linking with livewire Chuzel, and when the latter had an angled shot deflected into the side netting just after the half-hour, the resulting corner saw Cartwright’s rising 20-yard drive headed over the bar by Turner for a second flag kick.
The game picked up in tempo towards the end of the half with chances being created at both ends.
For Alfreton, Mills’ visionary pass sent Stephen Woolley to the by-line, only to see his pull-back just evade the toe of Stevenson at the far post, while Barry Woolley guided a header wide of an empty net after Greg Smith had come for and missed Cluzel’s high cross.
Alfreton finally broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute. Mills placed the ball square into space for Ryan Clarke, whose long, looping pass into the area picked out Stevenson to control well and steer past Price.
There was still time for the Reds to give their hosts another scare as the game entered stoppage time. Ross played the ball long from inside his own half on the left touchline, it bounced high in the area, and Price had to stretch up to turn it over the bar.
From the resulting corner Stevenson’s downward header cannoned over off the thigh of Jamie Lenton.
But Alfreton were caught cold right at the start of the second half, when Lenton made progress along the left and crossed for Cluzel to flick in at the near post.
Hinckley began to carry the game to Alfreton, and Sam Shilton, son of legendary keeper Peter, twice saw shots blocked by Robinson while Cluzel’s finish did not match his approach as he shot straight at Smith after a sparkling forward run.
It was a little against the run of play when Alfreton regained the lead in the 55th minute, well worked though it was. Matt Lewis was booked for a foul on Blunt, Smith took the free kick from inside his own half, Ross helped the ball on for Stephen Woolley who advanced and cut in from the left before slipping the ball in to give Stevenson an easy finish.
But three minutes later a Hinckley corner was half-cleared to the classy Cartwright who swung the ball in high from the right, and the giant Barry Woolley rose high to head home.
Cartwright was close to giving Hinckley the lead for the first time just after the hour, flashing a shot wide after Mills, for probably the only time in the match, conceded possession.
For most of the rest of the match Alfreton soaked up home pressure competently, although Hinckley might have snatched victory two minutes from time when a scramble in the six-yard area from Lewis’ free kick saw Barry Woolley hit the post as he tried to force the ball over the line, before Clarke managed to get it away for a corner.
HINCKLEY: Price, Lewis, Lenton, Lavery, Heeley, B. Woolley, Storer, Cartwright, McGregor (Brown 77), Cluzel (Story 84), Shilton. Subs not used: Wade, Platnauer, Haystead.
ALFRETON: G. Smith, Clarke, Featherstone, Robinson, Turner, Mills, Blunt, Fisher, Stevenson, Duffield (Ross 6), S. Woolley. Subs not used: Bettney, Powell, Donovan, Nwadike.
REFEREE: Roy Burton of Stretton, Burton-on-Trent.
ATTENDANCE: 611.
SCORERS: Hinckley – Cluzel 46; B. Woolley 58. Alfreton – Stevenson 42, 55.
CAUTIONS: Hinckley – Lavery 22 (retaliation on Fisher); Lewis 54 (Foul on Blunt).
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Jon Stevenson.