2007/2008 Season. Pre-season friendly no. 4
Wednesday, July 25th, 2007
Long Eaton United 0, ALFRETON TOWN 3

Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD).

ALFRETON came away from Grange Park last night with a comfortable victory which reflected their superiority over NCEL Premier Division hosts Long Eaton.
But the Blues, whose manager - former Reds favourite Craig Weston  - was a holiday absentee, still gave Nicky Law’s side plenty to think about.
A late first half double by Matt Glass had Alfreton well in control by the interval but, as both sides typically rang the changes, it was not until nine minutes from time that Kyle McFadzean put the outcome beyond doubt.
Law included new signing Laurie Wilson and trialist Scott Ellis on the bench, and both gave impressive 45-minute performances when they emerged for the second half.
The first quarter was played at a fairly steady pace, with only a couple of items of note.
First, in the ninth minute, David Cockerill gave the ball away to Danny Beldham who cut in from the right but fired straight at James Lindley when he could have given the home side the lead.
Then three minutes later, after Paul McGinty was reduced to tripping Matt Glass outside the right of the Long Eaton area, keeper Steve Smith pushed Kris Bowler’s free kick away at full stretch.
The tempo increased midway through the half, Glass firing an angled shot past the far post after a lively run down the left, and Bowler seeing a snappy 23-yard free kick tipped over the bar.
In between, at the other end, Michael Buckley failed to capitalise when Nathan Winder and keeper James Lindley left McGinty’s cross for each other.
But the deadlock was broken in the 36th minute. The marauding figure of Andy White did enough to put Smith off from taking Brian Cusworth’s cross cleanly, leaving Glass to pick up the free ball at the far post and ram it home.
Cockerill set up Glass for another shot at goal in the 41st minute but that was well saved.
However, the same combination worked to better effect two minutes later. Cockerill’s through ball to Glass had real quality, and the youngster made no mistake, sliding it past Smith.
Long Eaton should have got one back a minute before the break. Terry Henshaw sold Lindley short, Buckley intercepted and laid off for Matt McCaul who lifted his finish over an empty goal.
New boy Laurie Wilson showed his capabilities within two minutes of his half time introduction, with a pinpoint pass to White whose downward header at the far post dropped wide.
Lindley was called into saving action four minutes later to spread himself well and deny Scott Downie after the ball broke to the Blues’ half time substitute inside the Alfreton area.
Matt Outram saw his headed ‘goal’ ruled out for offside in the 57th minute, and four minutes later Outram’s corner was helped on by Mark Nangle for White to see another downward header smothered on the line by replacement keeper Rob Wilde.
Chris Walton was at the heart of some fluent Alfreton moves at this stage, while Nangle headed Wilson’s free kick too high.
Downie caught Lindley well out of his goal after escaping along the left, but his centre eluded Rudd in front of goal, and a 78th-minute chance for the home side was gone.
Three minutes later the miss was punished when McFadzean arrived to bundle home Walton’s flag kick from the left.
A minute after that, Glass had a great chance to secure his hat-trick. The home defence parted like the Red Sea to allow him to run through the inside left channel unchallenged, but he fired just past the far upright.
In the closing stages of a pleasing workout for Alfreton, Walton’s 25-yard cracker was well saved.
And the keeper then somehow got a foot to the ball to deflect it away at point blank range, when Nangle looked certain to score, at the end of a fluent move also involving Anton Brown and Outram.
LONG EATON: Starting line-up – Smith, Holmes, McGinty, Allsop, Hallam, McCaul, Parker, Beldham, Roffey, Buckley, Fowkes. Subs used – Wilde (GK), Downie, Buick, Widdison, Rudd, Wilkinson.
ALFRETON: Starting line-up – Lindley, Henshaw, Cockerill, Hannigan, Winder, Walton, Glass, Brown, White, Cusworth, Bowler. Subs used – McFadzean, Ellis, L. Wilson, Outram, Nangle, Flanagan.
REFEREE: James Adcock of Long Eaton.
ATTENDANCE: 110 (est).
GOALS: Alfreton – Glass 36, 43; McFadzean 81.
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Chris Walton.