Alfreton Town Football Club

2006/2007 Season. Match no.41 - Conference North
Tuesday, March 27th, 2007
Nuneaton Borough 1 , ALFRETON TOWN 0

ALFRETON fell to a single goal defeat on their last ever visit to Nuneaton’s Manor Park.
Borough’s traditional home is being vacated at the end of the season as the club move in with the town’s rugby club at a new stadium.
The result was perhaps a touch harsh on the Reds whose match there was postponed a few weeks ago when they were showing their best form of the season.
Since then Town’s fortunes have taken a downturn and the result against a side still chasing the play-offs was not too much of a surprise.
The deciding goal arrived in controversial circumstances on the half-hour.
A long ball forward appeared to have been flicked on by a Nuneaton arm to Brian Quailey who headed in from close range.
It was not the first time that Alfreton had lost to a controversial goal at Nuneaton - last season it was a disputed injury time penalty that parted the sides.
Alfreton began the brighter in the first 15 minutes, winning a couple of corners which were well delivered by Ashley Burbeary.
But the first flew across goal without a touch and the second scraped the bar as everyone in the six-yard box missed it.
A partial clearance fell to assistant player-manager David Reeves whose overhead effort was held by Darren Acton.
Nwadike had a good chance in the 27th minute from Burbeary’s pinpoint free kick but placed a free header over the bar from six yards.
The miss was punished three minutes later. Shaw’s deep free kick was flicked on - seemingly by an arm - and Quailey buried a close range header.
Alfreton were furious, and Andy Tiday was perhaps fortunate not to be booked for continued dissent at the assistant referee - while boss Marcus Ebdon also made his views known to the official in no uncertain terms.
However, the goal appeared to give Quailey a shot in the arm, and four minutes later he embarked on a strong run before sending a 25-yard effort just wide.
The striker was in action again in the 37th minute as he harried keeper Dale Roberts into a fumble of former Reds favourite Ben Chapman’s up and under effort.
Two minutes into the restart Tiday went on a surging, withering run, but when he delivered his cross to Steve Scoffham the on-loan Burton Albion striker could only screw his effort wide.
Roberts made two saves to deny Gary McPhee and Gavin Cowan.
But Nuneaton really should have doubled their lead in the 58th minute when Quailey pulled a great chance wide from 12 yards at the end of a swift break.
Three minutes later an Alfreton threat was ended when Nwadike’s probing through ball sought to pick out Scoffham, but with the home defence stretched the ball unluckily hit the striker’s back.
Flashpoint
There was a flashpoint in the 64th minute when Reeves caught Chapman in the face in a clumsy late tackle and knocked the former Reds man out.
A concerned Reeves quickly put Chapman into a recovery position despite the home side making their views known, and perhaps his quick and positive reaction earned him some leniency from the referee who brandished only a yellow card - it could have been worse.
That was virtually Reeves’ last action as he made way for the younger legs of Matt Glass.
With 13 minutes to go Tommy Hannigan’s looping back header almost caught out Dale Roberts who had to stretch upwards to hold it under the bar.
Anton Brown was on hand to block substitute Ollie Burgess’ shot from a right wing corner, and Burgess’ follow-up was easily held by Roberts.
The game erupted again four minutes from the end of the 90. Oddy appeared to kick out at Nwadike and everyone except Roberts became involved in the aftermath, which resulted in two bookings for each side, including both instigator and victim.
Nuneaton substitute Gez Murphy should have made the points safe for his side in the 88th minute when a free kick rebounded to him in the six-yard box, but he blazed over as the home side screamed for a penalty.
But it was Alfreton who almost had the last word four minutes into lengthy stoppage time when Scoffham curled over following Tiday’s through ball.
MATCH DETAILS
NUNEATON: Acton, Collins (Denny 90), Chapman (Burgess 66), Curtis, Moore, Cowan, Oddy, Shaw, Quailey, McPhee, Farnklin (Murphy 72). Subs not used: Williams, Burgess.
ALFRETON: Roberts, Clarke, Brown, Hannigan, Laight, Nwadike, Tiday, Burbeary, Scoffham, Reeves (Glass 68), Whitman. Subs not used: Ebdon, Harcourt, Flanagan, Large.
REFEREE: Martin Chester of Lincoln.
ATTENDANCE: 553.
SCORER: Nuneaton - Quailey 30.
CAUTIONS: Nuneaton - Oddy 86 (off-ball incident); Acton 86 (off-ball incident); Curtis 89 (foul on Glass). Alfreton - Reeves 64 (foul on Chapman); Nwadike 86 (off-ball incident); Whitman 86 (off-ball incident).
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Emeka Nwadike.