Alfreton Town Football Club

Match reports
2004/05

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2004/05 - Match No. 12
Nationwide North
Tuesday, September 21st, 2004
Kettering Town 1, Alfreton Town 1
Report by Dan Bailey (Mansfield CHAD)
BURLY striker Mick Godber earned a well-deserved point for Alfreton Town as they continued their impressive away form at Kettering Town on Tuesday evening.
Reds manager David Lloyd may even have been disappointed not to take all three points as his side put in a mature and convincing performance, which will only enhance their already glowing reputation in what is set to be an open division this season.
Fielding an unchanged line-up, with striker Mark Sale still recovering from a rib injury, Alfreton set about their task patiently, creating plenty of chances and keeping impressive Kettering keeper Steve Corry busy at all times.
As Alfreton were finding their feet, it was the home side who took the early initiative, with winger Daniel French threatening early on through a long range effort which sailed over.
The attack seemed to spark the Reds into life and it was obvious they would be looking to Godber and Peter Duffield to hold up play and bring the midfielders forward.
It was a tactic which worked well, but not before a spell of sustained pressure from Kettering, who went close on a number of occasions.
On 12 minutes, the 700-plus crowd witnessed what will be a contender for miss of the season.
Young Kettering forward Chris Difante found some space on the right, after the ball broke kindly for him off Mark Blount’s interception. His cross found top-scorer Darren Lynch, who, when all he had to do was tap the ball in, somehow managed to mis-kick and balloon his shot over the bar.
It was a let off for Alfreton, who dominated the next 20 minutes but without anything to show for it.
Duffield and Godber both went close, before winger Emeka Nwadike tapped the ball in from close range after some neat build-up play, only to see his effort ruled out for offside.
Alfreton could have been home and dry had it not been for Corry, who had a superb game between the Kettering sticks, making a series of important saves, denying Godber on numerous occasions to keep his side in contention.
It was even-stevens for the remainder of the first half as Kettering began to apply some pressure, but not once calling Lee Butler into serious goalkeeping action, with French screwing a shot wide on 32 minutes before Lynch again struck over.
That was until 40 minutes, when Kettering midfielder Ollie Burgess picked a loose ball up in midfield, before hitting a screamer from 35-yards, which sailed past Butler, who was off his line, and into the top corner.
It was a bolt out of the blue, which brought a certain feeling of injustice towards Alfreton, who had so far managed to contain Kettering with relative ease.
Mitch Ward was booked for dissent among the frustrations, as Alfreton defended for the final five minutes of the half.
The second-half started in similar fashion to the first, with neither side giving much away.
Lynch spurned another opportunity for the home side on 52 minutes, before Corry again kept Kettering in the game, getting down brilliantly to deny an increasingly frustrated Godber.
But the big front man was to be rewarded for his persistence when minutes later, a loose back pass from Kettering skipper Martin Matthews fell perfectly into the path of Godber, who cleverly took the ball round Corry to slot home.
Kettering then rallied but Alfreton weathered the storm, and brought on some fresh legs in the form of defender Mark Hume, who came on for full-back Ian Robinson.
Nwadike again had the ball in the net after a corner on 60 minutes, but his spectacular header was ruled out after the assistant referee flagged, signalling the ball had gone out of play.
Kettering also had a goal disallowed on 69 minutes after Burgess fired home, but the referee this time ruled it out of offside.
Duffield could have increased Alfreton’s lead on 70 minutes when he was gifted a chance which was a carbon copy of Godber’s goal.
But he couldn’t finish with the same kind of confidence his strike partner had possessed earlier and his lob sailed over the bar.
The final 15 minutes saw Alfreton create further chances as they looked the more likely winners.
Kettering were beginning to look tired and ready for the final whistle to be blown.
Godber and Nwadike could both have sealed it for the Reds but the home side held out for the draw.
MATCH DETAILS
KETTERING TOWN: Corry, Matthews, McCafferty, Solkhon, McIlwain, Brown, Burgess, Folds, Lynch, Difante, French (Morley 72mins). Subs not used: Gould, Kearns, Lazarus, Underwood.
ALFRETON TOWN: Butler, Robinson (Hume 72mins), Chapman, Blount, Brown, Ward, Bettney, Fisher, Godber, Duffield, Nwadike. Subs not used: Knapper, Goddard, Riley, Holmes.
REFEREE: R. Steans
ATTENDENCE: 774
CAUTIONS: Alfreton - Godber (30mins) - kicking the ball away, Ward (41mins) - dissent.
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Mick Godber.