2005/06 season match No.7
Nationwide North
Saturday, September 10th
Alfreton Town 2, Redditch United 1
Match report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD). Pics by Phil Lucic


What a difference a week makes! Having taken heavy criticism from the fans after the previous week’s shoddy defeat by Lancaster City, Alfreton at last managed to pick up a home victory – their first points of the season at the Impact Arena.
Manager Gary Mills (pictured above) had promised changes, but two months short of his 44th birthday most fans would have been surprised to see him don a shirt himself and pull the strings from midfield.
But such was his influence on the players around him that when he withdrew himself 11 minutes from time he left the field to loud acclaim from the previously critical fans.
The heart would have made him man of the match, but that may have been a touch unfair to the final press nomination of Ryan Clarke, who had a superb game at right wing back, while Peter Duffield, Chris White or Matt Fisher among others could also have been worthy nominees.
Mills himself admitted afterwards that he had enjoyed the experience, even though by the end, having also played a full 90 minutes for the reserves in midweek, he likened his legs to those of the Tin Man.
“The most important thing was the three points,” he added. “We’ve not had the best of starts, a lot of words were said during the week, and something had to happen to make things improve.
“We looked at the situation and we felt that we just needed an old head in there to organize and to give a bit of belief when things were not going right.
“The only disappointment was that we did not keep a clean sheet because we gave away a sloppy goal to make it an unnecessarily nail-biting finish, but we’ve come through it and have got to keep going now.”
Asked whether his own appearance was a one-off or whether he would figure again, Mills added: “I’ve enjoyed playing, and will play again if I feel it’s right to do so.
“I went in there to do a job, as all players do, and I felt that I’ve done the job and so did those around me.”
Duffield gave the Reds an interval lead with a 9th-minute goal, and Chris White doubled it 13 minutes into the second half, before Redditch substitute Paul Moore got one back for the visitors six minutes from time.
But just as the previous week’s defeat had been compounded by a lack lustre showing, so this victory was the result of an energetic and enterprising team performance.
Alfreton had strong penalty appeals turned down in only the fourth minute when Clarke went down under Mark Crichton’s challenge, and when Clarke took up the running from Duffield along the right two minutes later, Ryan Young could only push the resulting cross upwards for White to fire over when the bal dropped again.
The deadlock was broken in the ninth minute when Young tipped Jason Blunt’s 35-yard blockbuster onto the bar and Duffield poached a real striker’s goal, pouncing on the rebound to turn it home near the post.
It was busy fare for the disappointingly small crowd of 219 as Greg Smith claimed Scott Rickards’ cross at the feet of Joe Broad, while at the other end a sparkling run into the box by Fisher brought no reward when his shot was well saved.
Gary Knight and Kohn Williams headed just over for Redditch, and Mills tried to catch Young unawares with a quick free kick, but the keeper was equal to that.
The last 15 minutes of the half saw the tempo drop somewhat, but right on half time Jon Stevenson headed Blunt’s corner, won by the lively Duffield, just past the near post.
Redditch made the running for the first nine minutes of the second half, but when the Reds did get out of their own half Duffield’s stooping header onto Lee Featherstone’s long angled cross was brilliant pushed aside by the keeper.
But White conjured up a second goal out of nothing four minutes later with a vicious speculative strike which went in off the post.
Duffield was denied what would have been a goal in the 70th minute. His cheeky attempted chip over Young, out of his area, did not quite come off as the keeper stretched up to head away, but when the ball was played back to the striker a too hasty flag ruled him offside although two defenders were behind the ball.
Mills left the field to loud acclaim in the 79th minute, and disappointingly Redditch got a goal back five later, substitute Paul Moore heading in fellow-sub Craig Wilding’s cross-goal header from Asa Charlton’s long free kick into the area.
But Reds substitute Neil Ross almost had the last word with a 23-yard strike that beat Young all ends up, only to come back off the foot of the post.
ALFRETON: G. Smith, R. Clarke, Featherstone, Robinson, Turner, Mills (Nwadike 79), Blunt, Fisher, Stevenson (Ross 84), Duffield (Bettney 88), White. Subs not used: S. Smith, Powell.
REDDITCH: Young, M. Clarke, Pearce (Moore 69), Flynn, Knight, Crichton, Jenkins, Broad (Taylor 72), Williams (Wilding 69), Rickards, Charlton. Subs not used: Scheppel, Doyle.
REFEREE: Michael Bell of Rotherham.
ATTENDANCE: 219.
SCORERS: Alfreton – Duffield 9; White 58. Redditch – Moore 84.
CAUTION: Alfreton – Stevenson 83 (unsporting conduct).
MAN OF THE MATCH: Ryan Clarke.