2004/05 - Match No. 25
FA Cup, 1st Round Replay
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2004
Macclesfield Town 2, Alfreton Town 0
Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD).
ALFRETON Town were left to reflect on what might have been as their dreams of a lucrative second round trip to Hull City were ended by Macclesfield Town’s two second half goals.
Only the most blinkered of the Reds fans would have denied the Silkmen their passage on merit as their full time training and superior fitness told.
But it could all have been so different, had Peter Duffield’s 36th minute goal not been controversially ruled out for offside.
That decision probably changed the nature of the game, and while no-one could say that Alfreton would have won had that one counted, it would have given the Reds something to defend in the second half.
Sky Television camera replays appeared to show that the goal was a good one, and Duffield himself was adamant.
“It was an embarrassing decision,” he insisted. “I was two yards onside.
“The linesman should have been in line and wasn’t, and instead of getting a goal I’ve got a booking and a fine for my protest.
“We still might have lost - who knows? But at the time we had them on the rack, and they would have had to throw men forward and leave gaps.
“The real disappointment is that the referee and the disallowed goal are going to be everyone’s memories now instead of our performance which was fantastic.”
Silkmen boss Brian Horton was not unsympathetic and agreed that if Duffield’s goal had stood it could well have been a different game.
He added: “These are tough games - Alfreton are top of their league and we knew it would not be easy.”
The incident also led to Reds boss Dave Lloyd being banished to the stand for the second half, after his comment to the referee as the teams left the field for the interval.
That was evened up in the closing stages of the match as Horton was also sent from the dugout for comments on another incident.
Despite that, there was a definite feeling that Mr Fletcher was inclined to be rather more zealous in his punishments of Alfreton’s misdemeanours than those of the host side. Six bookings and both managers dismissed really did paint a false picture.
Lloyd himself could not hide either his disappointment or his pride in his men.
“You’ve got to give them credit,” he commented. “They’ve played really well tonight as they did in the first game.
“Duffield’s goal should have counted, no question, but the referee has made his decision and that’s an end to it.
“We’ve had a great run in the FA Cup, but now we’re back to the bread and butter with the League and the FA Trophy to concentrate on.”
Lloyd was also unstinting in his praise of the travelling fans - 727 of them in a 1,783 crowd. Throughout the match they out-shouted and out-sang the home fans, the more so when their favourites were losing. And even the PA announcer was moved to congratulate them for their superb support as the players left the field.
Now, of course, the club will hope to pick up a few of these on a more regular basis for the remainder of the season.
Reds keeper Lee Butler carried on where he had left off in the first tie with a brilliant tip aside of Mike Sheron’s header after just 50 seconds as the Silkmen sought to unsettle their non-league visitors from the start.
But Alfreton rode the early pressure, regrouped, and Mick Godber lashed a volley against the angle in the 11th minute following a fine pass by Matt Fisher.
Thereafter the first half became a compelling contest as both sides created chances.
Macclesfield’s pace kept the Reds’ defence on their toes, while the hard-working Godber proved a real handful for the home side.
Butler had to block with his body after Carl Bradshaw’s under-hit back pass put his keeper under pressure and let in Graham Potter, then Grant Brown’s low 15-yard drive was tipped around the post by home keeper Steve Wilson.
John Miles’ 25-yarder at the other end also flashed wide, before the massive Reds following erupted in the 36th minute.
Godber fed Ben Chapman on the overlap along the left, and his pinpoint pass picked out Duffield who drove it into the net from the right of the box.
Having had that one agonisingly ruled out, Alfreton got on with the job, and Mark Blount’s downward header from a corner bounced up and clipped the bar.
On the restart a sparkling run by Godber into the box ended with the striker clattering into Simon Weaver, earning him a booking, then Godber’s 16-yard effort was just wide after Ian Robinson had knocked Chapman’s free kick from wide left back into the centre.
But nine minutes into the second half Jon Parkin headed Graham Potter’s cross in at the far post and the Silkmen were ahead.
Macclesfield could twice have added to their lead in the next couple of minutes, Butler charging down another Sheron effort and Danny Whitaker’s 30-yard ground shot skidding just past a post.
Mick Goddard made his entry for Emeka Nwadike in the 72nd minute as the Reds sought to inject a bit more pace up front.
But with Alfreton committed to trying to save the game to the extent of the defence going missing for one crucial moment, 12 minutes from time Parkin turned creator to cross for Sheron whose header effectively ended the match as a contest.
Mark Sale, the last gasp saviour in the first match, came on for the final 10 minutes, replacing Duffield, but this time the mountain was just too high to climb.
Even so, the Reds left the field to rapturous applause, not only from their own following but also from the generous home fans.
The thought in everyone’s minds, though, as they drove home, must have been ‘if only....’
MATCH DETAILS
MACCLESFIELD: Wilson, Potter, Carragher, Barras, Harsley, Parkin, Miles, Whitaker, Sheron, Brightwell (Briscoe 90), Weaver. Subs not used: Deasy, Tipton, Widdrington, Welch.
ALFRETON: Butler, Bradshaw, Blount, Chapman, Brown, Ward, Robinson, Fisher, Godber, Duffield (Sale 80), Nwadike (Goddard 72). Subs not used: Knapper, Bettney, Holmes.
REFEREE: Mick Fletcher of Worcestershire.
ATTENDANCE: 1,783 (1,056 home, 727 away)
SCORERS: Macclesfield - Parkin 54; Sheron 78.
CAUTIONS: Macclesfield - Potter 62 (foul on Robinson) Weaver 86 (deliberate hands). Alfreton - Duffield 36 (dissent); Godber 48 (foul on Weaver); Ward 84 (foul on Miles); Chapman 90 (foul on Whitaker)
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Mick Godber.