2006/2007 season Match no.20 - Derbyshire Senior Cup, second round
Tuesday, November 21st, 2006
Mickleover Sports 1, ALFRETON TOWN 3 (after extra time)

Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD)

ALFRETON Town recorded a rare away win on Tuesday night to make Derbyshire Senior Cup progress, but needed extra time to see off Northern Counties East League hosts Mickleover Sports.
The Reds fell behind on the stroke of half time, but David Reeves equalised within four minutes of the re-start.
Neither side could add to their tally before the end of 90 minutes, but within three minutes of the start of the extra half-hour Matt Glass and substitute Andy Tiday had sealed Town’s progress with a quickfire double strike.
For Alfreton supporters it was a case of ‘old times’ with Mark Blount and David Holmes starting the game for Sports, and Anthony Tansley on the bench.
Both sides traded corners inside the first minute, but it was Alfreton who might have made a fifth-minute breakthrough when, following Ashley Burbeary’s corner, Matt Glass crossed, and David Reeves’ close range header was parried by home keeper Gary Hateley.
Alfreton began to press increasingly as the game settled down, and in the 14th minute Blount sliced Burbeary’s wickedly swerving corner towards goal. The ball struck Reeves, but the former Chesterfield striker was unable to react quickly enough and it ran through to Hateley.
Glass tried his luck from 20 yards but was too high a minute later, but then produced a touch of magic with a turn and sharp cross.
It looked to be aimed for Tristram Whitman at the far post, but Emeka Nwadike intervened with an instinctive header that looped over the bar.
Nwadike really should have given the Reds the lead in the 29th minute from yet another corner, conceded when a Reeves shot was deflected behind by the keeper’s legs.
From Burbeary’s corner the ball bounced to Nwadike inside the six-yard box but he skied his effort well over the bar.
Alfreton continued to go in search of the opening goal, but Nathan Winder could not quite reach Burbeary’s free kick from wide left, as Neil Broadhurst pressed him at the far post.
And Reeves glanced a header wide from Glass’s cross.
It was 37 minutes before the home side posed any real threat, when Jamie Barrett’s sharp cross from the right was well held by Dale Roberts under pressure from Tony Law.
Mickleover were even closer to a goal two minutes later, when Sean Gummer’s cross tried to pick out Pat Lyons at the far post, Ryan Clarke managing to clear from just off the goal line.
But it was third time lucky right on half time, when Roberts failed to deal properly with another Gummer cross, and Law, plucked from Central Midlands Premier Division football with Blidworth, netted with a downward far post header.
Within four minutes of the re-start Alfreton were level. Burbeary crossed from the left, and Whitman had two shots in quick succession blocked, but the third chance fell to Reeves who made no mistake from close range.
Blount had the chance to punish his old club in the 65th minute with a header from a good position following a deep free kick, but it flew wide.
That and Reeves’ goal apart, the third quarter of the match was noteworthy only for its lack of incident, but the action picked up again in the final quarter-hour.
Nwadike headed Winder’s deep free kick straight at Hateley and, a minute later he saw another header blocked. The ball returned to him but, while on the ground, his spectacular overhead kick was easily held by the keeper.
Blount was forced to concede a corner from a probing Whitman cross into the area, before Sports responded and Roberts held a crisp volley from Rob Spencer.
Nwadike had another effot saved three minutes from time, but Alfreton could have saved themselves the extra half-hour when, a minute later, Anton Brown sent Glass free for a gilt-edged chance which he blazed high and wide.
However, the Reds wasted little time once the extra half-hour began. Two minutes in, Burbeary’s left wing corner was returned to him, and his return cross was audaciously back-heeled into the net by Glass.
A minute later it was all over. Tiday, who had replaced Winder at the start of extra time, gathered the ball some 40 yards out, and curled home a sweet 22-yard effort.
Glass had two more chances to make the scoreline more emphatic before the change round, but chipped one over and fired the other wide, while Mickleover’s only threat came from substitute Ross Mays who fired across the face of goal.
Alfreton were content to play out time in the second period of extra time and stifle any hopes the home side may have had of rescuing the tie.
MATCH DETAILS
MICKLEOVER: Hateley, Broadhurst, Holness (Mays 98), Barrett (Tansley 83), Blount, Wilson, Gummer, Lyons, Law (North 80), Spencer, Holmes. Sub not used: North.
ALFRETON: Roberts, Clarke, Brown, Hannigan, Winder (Tiday ft), Nwadike, Whitman, Ebdon, Reeves, Glass, Burbeary. Subs not used: Rawle, Harcourt, Flanagan, Mills.
REFEREE: Mark Sutton of Belper.
ATTENDANCE: 121.
SCORERS: Mickleover: Law 45. Alfreton - Reeves 49; Glass 92; Tiday 93.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Anton Brown.