Alfreton Town Football Club
Match reports
2004/05

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Pre-season match no. 6
Monday, August 2nd, 2004
Alfreton Town 2, Mansfield Town XI 0
Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD). Pic by Phil Lucic
THE SHINE of victory from Alfreton Town’s final home pre-season friendly fixture on Monday night was tarnished by Mansfield manager Keith Curle’s late decision to send primarily a youth side to the Impact Arena, instead of a first team squad.
This time last year the Reds beat a strong Stags side 2-1, but Curle’s decision denied them the chance of a prestige repeat.
Fans of both clubs in the 509 crowd expressed their disappointment afterwards that Stags had not fielded a strong side, expectation of which had been reflected in the admission charge to the ground.
Curle had his motives for the late change - in particular he wanted to see Jake Buxton, such a hit in his loan spell with the Reds last season, marshalling a defence of youngsters with a view to making him rather more talkative.
Also, the late arrangement of a behind-closed-doors friendly with Chesterfield the next day had some bearing on his decision to send his youth players.
That, of course, is Curle’s perogative as a manager, but unfortunately it won him few friends among the paying customers.
Nevertheless, Reds assistant boss Charlie Williamson was prepared to accentuate the positive after the match.
“It was still a good work-out for us,” he insisted. “In many ways I like to play against kids because they buzz around and put you under pressure.
“Overall we did quite well, and the county cup tie on Thursday should see us going into the league season as well-prepared as we can be.
“It was pleasing to keep a clean sheet for the first time in pre-season.
“Lee Butler made a couple of good saves on his first outing, and Mark Blount was happier back in central defence after filling in at left back for us.
“Of the three central defenders we have, he’s the one best able to make the switch. Mark’s an honest lad and will play wherever you want him to play, but he was phenomenal for us in the middle last season and was much more content playing his more natural position tonight.”
Stags certainly did not make life easy for the fans - or match reporters for that matter - with unfamiliar faces playing in un-numbered shirts.
It took the Reds just two minutes and seven seconds to surge ahead, with a peach of a goal from Chris Dolby who received a ball along the left, saw Stags skipper and keeper, Selston-born Kevin Pilkington off his line, and executed a delightful high lob which dropped behind the tall custodian and under the bar.
Trialist Darren Barnard, one of only three older players in the Mansfield side, tested Butler with a 25-yard drive as the visitors responded, and the ex-Chelsea left back was then denied on the overlap by a superb last ditch challenge from Emeka Nwadike.
With Peter Duffield carrying a slight knee injury, Alfreton began with the celebrated ‘God Squad’ up front, and the pairing almost brought more joy to the home fans with Mick Godber’s strong run between two defenders before angling a low ball in which was only fractionally too far ahead of Mick Goddard.
However, the lead was doubled in the 29th minute when Nwadike cut into the area from the right and was brought down from behind by Dominic Jones. John Knapper gave Pilkington no chance from the spot, with a well-struck shot low to the keeper’s right.
It was not until the 34th minute that Alfreton won the first corner - Stags managed none all evening - from which the giant Mark Hume leapt high to glance a header past the far post.
Butler was called into action twice in quick succession late in the half to make excellent one-on-one saves from Danny Herron and then Nathan Arnold, and within 15 seconds of the restart manager’s son Tom Curle’s snap shot from all of 50 yards was only just over Butler’s bar.
Stags were working much harder in the early stages of this half, and with Alfreton struggling to get going, neat work by Arnold near the left corner flag set up substitute Tom Manship for a shot which he put too high.
Alfreton soon regained the upper hand, however, and Carl Bradshaw’s curling free kick from the right touchline was met by Nwadike’s towering back post header which, however, was too high.
Then former Stag Mark Sale, on for Godber, headed down well for Goddard who saw his crisp finish take a deflection behind.
Dolby had the chance to double his personal tally on 77 after good link play on the left by Matt Fisher and Goddard, but curled his effort over the angle, immediately before being replaced by Chris Bettney.
Alfreton continued to call the tune for the last few minutes, but never really looked like adding a third.
ALFRETON: Butler, Bradshaw (Hill 64), Robinson, Blount, Hume, Nwadike (Woolley 64), Knapper, Fisher, Godber (Sale 69), Goddard, Dolby (Bettney 77).
MANSFIELD: Pilkington (Langford 64), Jones (Woods 66), Barnard, Buxton, Reynolds, Lloyd, Hunt, Parkes (Manship 52), Curle, Arnold, Herron (Zaccara 59).
REFEREE: Neil Murphy of Mansfield.
ATTENDANCE: 509.