NICKY Law saw his Alfreton Town side show their all-round qualities again as the Reds continued their excellent form in the league of late with a deserved draw against a very good Kettering side who were knocked off the table by virtue of dropping these two points.
For Alfreton, the result made it 13 points out of the last 15, five league games unbeaten and was another one which added to their growing and impressive cv. It also kept them in ninth place.
Latest signing Tony Butler became the 31st player used by Law this season when the vastly experienced defender was handed his debut at centre back in place of Tommy Hannigan who wasn't even afforded a place on the bench.
It was certainly a game of two halves with title chasing Kettering dominating proceedings in the first 45 but the Reds coming far more into the game in the second half, forcing a handful of fine saves from home keeper Lee Harper before snatching a point.
There was an early let off when Andy Hall played the ball into former Red Mark Rawle who won a tussle with Kyle McFadzean before Jean-Paul Marna was ruled offside from Rawle's pass on four minutes.
Kris Bowler fouled Hall two minutes later to spark a scuffle after which the Alfreton man was booked.
Rawle had a good chance to open the scoring on eight minutes when he rode a tackle from Tony Butler but the home striker steered the ball tamely past the far post from a good position.
Kyle Sutcliffe confidently came out to chest clear outside the penalty area with Marna chasing through and a minute later Sutcliffe had the ball scooped into his hands by Rawle after a neat cross from Marna from the bye-line.
Alfreton's first chance came on 13 minutes and almost produced a goal. Bowler slipped the ball to Brian Cusworth on the edge of the home penalty area and his curling effort looked destined for the top corner until Harper stretched to keep it out.
Rawle again produced a weak finish when he tamely headed to Sutcliffe from Hall's cross.
The hosts did grab the lead on 23 minutes though albeit in unfortunate fashion for Alfreton's Anton Brown who put through his own net when he sliced a Jon Brady free kick out of the reach of Sutcliffe.
Alfreton steadied themselves and Bowler scuffed a shot wide after good work by Danny Reet and Cusworth.
But Kettering almost made it two on 33 minutes when Brady shot just wide after receiving a return pass from his free kick from left back Tommy Jaszczun.
It was closer still three minutes later when Hall blazed wide of an open goal after Brett Solkhon's shot had been parried by Sutcliffe.
As the pressure grew, Hall put Rawle clear on goal but shot straight at Sutcliffe before Butler got the ball away for a throw in.
In the second minute of added time at the end of the first half McFadzean shot just wide after being set up by Cusworth's header back across the box from Josh Law's free kick.
Just 15 seconds into the second half, Sutcliffe had to be alert to deal with Solkhon's 30-yard low drive.
With five minutes gone in the second period, Hall cut out a Bowler pass on the half way line, Brown slid in to stop Rawle from getting the pass and as the ball went back to Hall, Matt Wilson cleared.
As Alfreton began to make in-roads, Harper fumbled a Peter Knox header from a Reet cross for a corner from which Harper saved superbly from another Knox header.
The hosts hit back in search of a second goal to seal the points and Sutcliffe produced a super save to keep out Brady's full blooded drive from a left flank cross.
A minute further on and Sutcliffe thankfully got away with a rare error when Marna pulled a shot wide after being set up by Jaszczun who had seen the ball kicked straight to him by the Reds keeper.
Alfreton were denied an equaliser by a cracking save from Harper on 70 minutes who stopped Josh Law's attempt to turn the ball in from Cusworth's cross from 12 yards and from Law's corner, Cusworth headed over.
Sutcliffe had to race yards out of his goal to clear the ball into touch as Rawle attempted to go round him.
Harper in the home goal had to be alert when Brown's pumped ball into the area in search of Cusworth looped off Jaszczun.
And on 80 minutes Harper then somehow turned Cusworth's shot behind from 15-yards after Law had cut in and from the corner Butler's header was held.
Four minutes later Alfreton's spirited second half efforts were rewarded when a run by substitute Matt Glass and ball on to McFadzean ended with his cross being netted by Cusworth's diving header to finally beat Harper. Cusworth was buried underneath delighted colleagues.
There was still two further let offs for Alfreton when substitute Craig Westcarr blazed over from fellow sub Steve Burton's tee-up on 88 minutes and Anton Brown cleared off the line from Brady's attempted overhead kick from a long throw.

KETTERING TOWN: Harper, Eaden, Jaszczun, Graham, Dempster (Spencer 81), Solkhon, Brady, Mills, Rawle, Marna (Burton 81), Hall (Westcarr 66). Subs not used: Howe, Bussey.
ALFRETON TOWN: Sutcliffe, McFadzean, Brown, Butler, M Wilson, Warne, Law (Walton 90), Bowler, Cusworth, Knox (L Wilson 72), Reet (Glass 72). Subs not used: Lindley, Barnard.
REFEREE: Martin Dexter of Leicester.
ATTENDANCE: 1540.
GOALS: Kettering Town - Anton Brown (23, own goal). Alfreton Town - Brian Cusworth (84).
CAUTIONS: Kettering Town - none. Alfreton Town - Kris Bowler (foul on Hall, 7); Josh Law (18, dissent); Danny Reet (dissent, 54); Kyle McFadzean (foul on Marna, 59).
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Anton Brown.