ALFRETON Town battled back for a deserved point against the full time professionals of Kettering Town with an encouraging performance after the first half hour on Friday night.
Kettering had threatened to overwhelm the Reds in the first third of the match after being gifted an early lead.
But when the home side picked up their game, substitute Craig Mitchell headed the equaliser midway through the second half, and they were a whisker away from snatching a last gasp winner.
A win would have sent the Poppies to the top of the Conference North, if only for a few hours, but Alfreton were desperate to prove a point after their disappointing FA Cup replay exit to Solihull.Manager Gary Mills acknowledged that his side had done so after a difficult fortnight
.“I’ve praised my players all season up to a couple of weeks ago,” he said, “but a couple of poor performances have cost us in both the League and the Cup.
.“My players have played some good football this year, but when your confidence takes a knock you start changing the things that you’re good at. We did that for the first half tonight, and didn’t play how I know we can play
“I said at half time that I would rather lose by five trying to play how I know we can, that I wanted us to pass the ball more and keep possession more. We did that, and Kettering didn’t like it. We were tremendous in the second half.
“All credit to the team. It was not easy coming up against a full time side who are at the top of the league and claiming that they will win it, just three days after Tuesday’s poor performance, but we showed what we’re about.
”It looked like more of the same for that opening 30 minutes as the Reds were run ragged by a faster and more confident outfit who seemed to show the benefit of full time training.
And the home side’s task was made no easier when they gifted Kettering a fourth minute lead.Gary Sucharewycz’s attempted back pass was woefully underhit, Craig Westcarr – Nottingham Forest’s youngest ever player five years ago at the age of 16 - gratefully accepted the chance and rounded Dale Roberts to slot into the empty net.
Andy Tiday’s direct free kick brought a marvellous save out of Mark Osborn two minutes later, but that was as close as Alfreton got to the Kettering goal in that first half hour.
The home defence were asked some searching questions as Kettering poured forward in numbers but Roberts saved well from Westcarr who then sent a curling shot over the angle.
Rene Howe also twice went close, but Alfreton weathered the storm from both Kettering and the weather, and began to work their way into the game in the final 15 minutes of the half.
And they might have drawn level a minute before the break when Jermaine Palmer shot inches wide. That was Palmer’s last action, for he pulled up with a knee injury and was replaced by Craig Mitchell for the second half.
The Reds continued to push forward after half time with Ashley Burbeary always seeking to create, while Ryan Clarke threatened on the overlap along the right, and Mark Turner was commanding in defence whenever the visitors threatened.
Burbeary – whose shock of white hair earned him the nickname of Boris by some of the away fans who likened him to maverick MP Boris Johnson - was a revelation, with some delightful distribution to launch Alfreton forward.Mark Barnard sounded a warning with a tremendous free kick from the right which Osborn turned over the bar, before Mitchell headed a deserved 70th-minute equaliser from Burbeary’s free kick.
Kettering responded by upping their tempo, but the home defence held firm, although Roberts was relieved to see Howe finish wide after the keeper lost a race for possession 30 yards from goal.
The Reds dealt with the threat and re-established themselves, but three times, referee Matt Foley allowed play to continue after dubious challenges around the edge of the Kettering area, to the anger of the home fans in an above average crowd boosted by a large and noisy away following.
And Sucharewycz almost atoned for his early error in stoppage time when he was a whisker away from connecting with Burbeary’s corner as Alfreton ended the match on top and looking for the winner which, in that first half hour, had seemed a million miles away.
ALFRETON: Roberts, Clarke, Barnard, Sucharewycz, Turner, Burbeary, Nwadike, Ebdon, Palmer (Mitchell ht), Whitman, Tiday (Brown 83). Subs not used: Melton, Magee, Mills.
KETTERING: Osborn, Boothe, Graham, Nicelle, McIlwain, Solkhon, Baucaud, Caskey, Howe (Marner 79), Westcarr, Hall (McKie 68). Subs not used: Abbey, Olaleye, Okai.
REFEREE: Matt Foley of Sheffield.
ATTENDANCE: 539.
SCORERS: Alfreton – Mitchell 70. Kettering – Westcarr 4.
CAUTIONS: Alfreton – Ebdon 78 (late challenge on Baucaud); Clarke 83 (foul on Solkhon). Kettering – Nicoll 63 (foul on Clarke); McKie 78 (foul on Mitchell).
MAN OF THE MATCH: Ashley Burbeary.
