2006/2007 season Match no.11 - Nationwide North
Saturday, September 16th, 2006
Leigh RMI 2 , ALFRETON TOWN 0

Pics by Phil Lucic.

MERCURIAL Alfreton came away with nothing from one of the grounds in the Conference North where they may have expected to end their 13-month-long winless run on Saturday.
A goal right on half time and a second in the 73rd minute by hosts Leigh RMI at near-empty Hilton Park left chairman Wayne Bradley reflecting that Town had got exactly what they deserved from the day.
Mr Bradley chose his words carefully in his post-match interview, describing the result and the performance as ‘disappointing’.
“There is no doubt that on the day the better team won, and there begins the disappointment,” he said. “They were two goals better than we were.
“The mentality of the team has to be questioned, and while I’m not going to slate the team I’m chairman of, which would achieve nothing, I would say that I hope the players may recognize that we are well short of the mentality and ability to adapt, and convert potential domination into a reality.”
He added: “If we look at our starting line-up and our five players on the bench, I genuinely believe those 16 are head and shoulder above Leigh.
“This is not sour grapes, but unless we get rid of this present mentality we will find ourselves sucked into something of which we want no part.
“I’ve purchased today’s match day video and will ensure that every player watches the game on the coach home – it’s time they took stock of things. I’m not wishing to be disrespectful, but we have a team which should be taking three points from matches like this – yet we were awful.”
Had Mr Bradley been commenting on the first quarter of the match alone he would probably have been moved to a different viewpoint.
Those first 25 minutes or so were played primarily in Leigh’s half of the pitch, but Alfreton failed to turn their domination into tangible reward through some poor final balls and some wayward finishing. And they paid the price when Leigh began to assume control.
The traveling fans’ hearts must have been raised in the third minute when Emeka Nwadike’s clever through ball released Tristram Whitman, but the cross was weak and easily cleared.
The awkward surface of a Rugby League ground and a difficult wind did not make life easy, and when Steve Brockley had difficulty dealing with Andy Tiday’s punt upfield the ball bounced away from striker Mark Rawle.
Nwadike’s downward header onto Lee Featherstone’s free kick was well held, before Leigh mounted their first attack in the 22nd minute, only to be confounded by their own pitch which denied Chris Simm a worthwhile goal attempt.
Alfreton had a clear chance two minutes later. Rawle’s accurate crossfield pass allowed Nwadike to advance and centre for Whitman. However, Gavin Lee-Ellison just managed to get there first and head it for a corner.
Whitman was thwarted yet again by another timely challenge, but Alfreton hearts were in mouths when keeper Dale Roberts’ attempted clearance from Mark Turner’s under-hit back pass struck Simm, fortunately rebounding clear of the goal.
Roberts was in something more like his accustomed form with a brilliant tip over of Simm’s fierce shot. But the keeper was beaten as the half entered stoppage time, Steve Settle running onto Simm’s through ball to steer it past the keeper, although there appeared to be a suspicion of hands before Simm played the pass.
Alfreton were almost level within a minute, but Marcus Ebdon’s shot from distance flew just wide.
In an attempt to rediscover their focus, manager Gary Mills sent the team out fully five minutes early for the second half, and the Reds began the half on the offensive, Tiday volleying wide after latching onto the rebound when Ryan Clarke’s initial shot cannoned off a defender.
At the other end Mark Drew fizzed a 30-yard rising drive just over the bar, but home keeper James Mann then managed a vital hand onto the ball as Tiday tried to round him.
Steve Melton came to Alfreton’s rescue with a solid block from Drew as the home side broke with Nwadike lying injured in the Leigh penalty area.
But another swift counter-attack in the 73rd minute saw Leigh’s lead doubled. Lee-Ellison got in the way of a Nwadike shot, cleared to Lee Shillito, and his cross was rammed home by Hugh McAuley from the edge of the box.
And three minutes from time Roberts prevented further embarrassment when he stretched to grab Turner’s over-hit back header.
LEIGH: Mann, Howarth, Brockley, McAuley, Lee-Ellison, Maddox, Settle, Drew (Willis 83), Owen (Furlong 65), Somm, Shillito (Taylor 90). Subs not used: McGrath, Morton.
ALFRETON: Roberts, Clarke, Featherstone, Sucharewycz, Turner, Melton (Brown 71), Nwadike, Ebdon, Rawle, Whitman, Tiday (Mitchell 71). Subs not used: Barnard, Burbeary, Magee.
REFEREE: A. D. Hutchinson of Great Sutton, Wirral.
ATTENDANCE: 157.
SCORERS: Leigh – Settle 45; McAuley 73.
CAUTIONS: Leigh: Simm 59 (dissent). Alfreton – Clarke 26 (foul on Shillito).
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Emeka Nwadike.