LACK lustre Alfreton had to endure their fourth successive home game without a win as workmanlike Hinckley kept alive their promotion hopes.
As far as the Reds were concerned it had ‘end of season’ written all over it and they certainly need to improve on this showing if they are to avoid, even now, being pulled into a last gasp relegation fight.
Player-manager Marcus Ebdon will also be demanding a vast improvement in the remaining games, if he is to be awarded an extension of his tenure into next season.
“I was disappointed,” he said afterwards. “I thought on Tuesday night that we battled hard and did very well, but this was a different side that started today.
 “They didn't do what we wanted them to do and I am not happy with the performance.
 “We found it hard to break them down - yet they were not a good side.”
The only goal came two minutes before the interval and provided one of the few high spots of a dour game in which the ball spent too long in the air.
Leon Kelly picked up possession on the right and fed the ball down the flank to Neil Cartwright. His cross was met by the inrunning Colin Marrison, on loan from Sheffield United, to head in at the near post.
A bit more football of that ilk from both sides might have provided finer fare for the 286 paying fans, but the Knitters just about deserved their win as they rarely allowed the home side to dwell on the ball, closing them down quickly.
Anton Brown’s long throws for Alfreton threatened to cause United early problems, before debutant Jamie Sherlock, on loan from Lincoln City, blasted over from a corner with the visitors’ first half-chance.
There was a glimmer of hope for the home side in the 12th minute when Sam Shilton, son of former England keeper Peter, fouled Steve Scoffham some 30 yards out. Scoffham nodded down Ashley Burbeary’s free kick, but Andy Tiday was unable to find a telling finish.
A minute later Reds skipper Emeka Nwadike beat Hinckley keeper Sean Bowles to Brown’s high up and under ball into the box, but guided his header too high, while Michael Love did just enough to put Andy Tiday off his shot from another long throw by Brown.
By and large the Reds had defended well, with Ryan Laight in command in the centre on his home debut, and Hinckley struggled to find a way through.
But just when it seemed an off-colour first half would end goalless the visitors produced the best move of the match and reaped their reward.
Three minutes into the restart Kelly’s chip over Dale Roberts also cleared the bar, while Laight headed agonisingly wide from a corner six minutes later.
Hinckley’s half time substitute Owen Storey saw his glancing header onto Shilton’s by-line pull back saved on the line by Roberts.
Reds substitute Matt Glass had the ball in the Hinckley net within a minute of making his appearance on the hour, but it was ruled offside and that was as close as toothless Town got to salvaging a point.
A minute later Scoffham surged into the area from the right, but a moment of hesitation saw him change feet for his shot, and his left foot effort went harmlessly outside the near post.
The game ended on a slightly sour note, with Hinckley blatantly time wasting – referee Andy Smith’s patience expired in stoppage time and he booked keeper Bowles for delaying a goal kick.
Meanwhile the Reds were caught up in ‘Northwich mark two’ scenario when, in the seeming belief that a United player had gone down for treatment merely to waste even more time, they played on from the resulting throw, to the anger of the visiting contingent, but on this occasion without the reward they gained at Northwich.
ALFRETON: Roberts, Clarke, Anton Brown, Hannigan, Laight, Nwadike, Tiday (Ebdon 74), Burbeary, Scoffham, Reeves (Glass 60), Whitman. Subs not used: Winder, Large, Flanagan.
HINCKLEY: Bowles, Storer, Shilton, Sherlock, Love, Butler, Cartwright, Nurse, Marrison, Kelly, Johnson (Storey ht). Subs not used: Andy Brown, Platnauer, Wykes.
REFEREE: Andy Smith of Castleford.
ATTENDANCE: 286.
SCORER: Hinckley – Marrison 43.
CAUTIONS: Hinckley – Kelly 70 (foul on Clarke); Butler 90 (‘professional’ foul on Scoffham); Bowles 90+4 (time wasting).
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Ryan Laight.