2004/05 - Match No. 36
FA Trophy, 3rd Round Replay
Tuesday, January 18th, 2005
Alfreton Town 2, Kettering Town 1
Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD). Pics by Phil Lucic.

ALFRETON have made it through to the fourth round of the FA Trophy for only the second time in their history.
But Kettering Town will have gone home from Tuesday night’s third round replay feeling somewhat aggrieved that it  will not be they who will square up to Conference National full-timers Woking.
The Poppies were adamant that Mick Godber’s 84th-minute winner should have been ruled out for offside, although the home version did not necessarily agree.
And the visitors had perhaps edged the game in terms of possession, but failed to take their chances, as their manager Kevin Wilson pointed out.
“We created the two best chances of the second half and not put them in the net, and all our players are saying that Alfreton’s second goal was offside, so of course I’m annoyed,” he fumed.
“The Trophy is a big competition and we’ve gone out to a controversial goal, but we should have stuck our chances away.
“But I wish Alfreton all the best and am sure they will do our division proud against Woking in the next round.”
Godber, though, countered that he was onside, but was grateful that the decision had not gone against him.
“We’ve not had a lot of the rub of the green with some decisions lately, so it was good that one went our way when it mattered,” he said afterwards. “We hope now that we can push on from this result and start to get some league points again.”
Godber’s manager Dave Lloyd took up the same theme, saying: “We’ve not had a lot of good fortune lately, but tonight they missed a couple of chances and we got a chance near the end and took it.
“We’ve now played Kettering, one of the best sides in the league, three times, and have not lost to them, so I hope this result will get us back onto the winning path in the league too.”
Assistant boss Charlie Williamson added: “The league is still our number one priority, but this has been a great respite when things have not gone so well for us.
“Woking will be a great game to look forward to, and it will be a good yardstick as to how far we’ve come and how we would cope at the next step up if we get there. I can’t wait for it.
“But before then we’ve got two hard league games to come, including another one against Kettering.”
A woeful crowd of just 253 braved the bitter cold and the gales, and saw Alfreton playing into the wind in the first half.
Former Poppies favourite Matt Fisher was prominent early on, clearing a first-minute corner, heading away a Jonathan Rowan cross-shot, and supplying a dream of a through ball which saw Godber caught just offside.
But Alfreton nosed ahead in the 11th minute, as Godber sent Chris Bettney clear in acres of space along the right and the winger cut in and placed a perfect shot past the despairing dive of the advancing Steve Croudson.
But with the wind at their backs it was Kettering who were edging possession. However, home skipper Grant Brown had his defence well organised.
Even so, Brett Solkhon’s rising 30-yard drive just cleared the bar, and Ian Robinson had to clear off the line to keep out Darren Lynch’s close range header onto James Gould’s cross.
Brown then made a splendid last ditch challenge on Gould after Jonathan Rowan had put him clear on goal.
But just when it seemed Alfreton would hold on to their lead for the turn round, Jamie Patterson gathered a loose ball on the left, and played a low crossfield pass which Ollie Burgess ran in to meet and put away at the far post.
And Kettering almost went ahead in stoppage time, Lee Butler forced to tip over when Scott McCafferty’s cross was carried goalwards on the gale.
It was Reds’ turn to have the benefit of the breeze after the break, and three minutes in Mitch Ward thought he had made it count when his inswinging corner hit the underside of the bar and bounced down.
The ball was ruled not to have crossed, and when it bounced up again Godber’s header rolled along the top of the bar and behind.
But as the wind abated Kettering created a few chances. Emeka Nwadike charged down a Burgess effort, Burgess received a poor clearance from Butler but drilled it past the far post, and when the wind played tricks on Grant Brown, enabling Lynch to take possession, his through ball saw Rowan aim wide from six yards.
Alfreton hit back, but after a neat interchange with Godber, Ben Chapman shot wide under pressure from Wayne Diuk.
Kettering substitute Chris Difante won a race for possession with Butler from Burgess’ forward ball seven minutes from time and a goal looked certain, but he shot wide.
The miss was punished a minute later as Reds substitute David Holmes hooked over a cross which Godber headed in from close range, and despite the protests the goal stood and Alfreton were through to face the ‘Cards’ of Woking in round four.
MATCH DETAILS
ALFRETON: Butler, Robinson, Blount, Chapman, G. Brown, Ward, Bettney (Holmes 65), Fisher (Cooper 90), Godber, Duffield, Nwadike. Subs not used: Sale, Teather, Saxby.
KETTERING: Croudson, Diuk, McCafferty, Solkhon, McIlwain, D. Brown (R. Gould 85), Burgess, J. Gould (French 74), Lynch, Rowan (Difante 76), Patterson. Subs not used: Matthews, Bridgeford.
REFEREE: Mark Lever of Leicester.
ATTENDANCE: 253.
SCORERS: Alfreton - Bettney 11; Godber 84.
CAUTIONS: Alfreton - Godber 45 (dissent); Fisher 57 (foul on Patterson). Kettering - Solkhon 84 (dissent).
MAN OF THE MATCH: Grant Brown.