Alfreton Town Football Club
Match reports
2004/05

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2004/04 - Match No. 4
Nationwide North
Saturday, August 21st, 2004
Redditch United 1, Alfreton Town 3
Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD). Pics by Phil Lucic
ALFRETON Town hit the top of Nationwide North on Saturday as their victory at Valley Stadium left them with the division’s last remaining 100 per cent record.
And the miracle is that it has been achieved despite the handicap of several players having to figure out of their usual positions, as injuries and suspension have taken their toll.
But while Reds fans will bask in the reflected glory, manager Dave Lloyd cautioned after the match that it was only three down, and 39 to go.
“It’s early days yet,” he said after the host ‘Reds’ had been ‘ditched’ by the white-shirted visitors. “Nevertheless it’s been a good start to the season for us, and we hope we can keep the run going.
“Once again we’ve had players fulfilling roles that they would not normally expect to fill, but we keep on picking up the points, and long may that continue.”
While acknowledging another good all round team performance, Lloyd had extra words of praise for both Mick Godber – “he worked hard and it was a pity he wasn’t on the scoresheet – her deserved to be”, and Ian Robinson, of whom he added: “After three matches this (right of midfield) is the third different position he’s played in this season, and each time he’s done well for us.”
Robinson, in fact, took the press box nomination for man of the match for an energetic display which often had the left side of the Redditch defence chasing shadows.
That said, it should also be added that in a first half short of real incident, one or two of those out-of-position players did not really look as comfortable as they do in their more natural berths.
With Alfreton playing up a significant slope the home side shaded the first half, and Luke Prince always looked likely to cause some damage with his runs along the left.
But it was Alfreton who turned round a goal to the good, courtesy of Peter Duffield’s 44th-minute penalty, which set them up for a one-sided half hour during which United barely got out of their own half.
All Alfreton had to show, though, was Ian Robinson’s goal which doubled the lead only for a matter of seconds, before home skipper Mark Taylor came up with a superb 25-yard curling shot which gave Lee Butler no chance.
That lifted the home side briefly, and it was not until the third minute of stoppage time that Ben Chapman made the points safe.
Matt Fisher twice did well in the early stages to break up home threats to thwart first Simon Hollis and then ex-Derby star Sean Flynn.
But it was not until the 17th minute that any real danger presented itself, as Mark Blount – at right back – underhit his header back to Butler. The keeper spilled the ball under pressure from Prince, but the winger was not sufficiently alert to capitalise.
Town stepped it up towards the end of the half, with persistent work by Robinson carrying him to the by-line. Godber could not quite control the cross and squared to Duffield, but his curling cross found Fisher offside – and in any case Fisher’s header was wide.
Neil Manton immediately replaced Ian Penny at left back for Redditch, and within three minutes he had given away the penalty from which Alfreton forged ahead.
The subsitute was reduced to pulling back Robinson as he was about to latch onto Emeka Nwadike’s low cros, and Duffield confidently hit the spot kick to keeper Richard Anstiss’ left, giving him no chance.
Alfreton began the second half with their tails up, and Mitch Ward, spraying passes from central midfield, found Robinson whose pull-back from the by-line did Godber no favours, allowing Matthew Gardiner to close him down and clear.
Alfreton were putting their hosts under heavy pressure at this stage without finding the breakthrough, although from a quick counter Butler had to be off his line quickly to gather at Scott Voce’s feet following some neat interplay with Prince.
But it was Anstiss who came up with the save of the day on 73, when Blount’s downward header onto Ward’s right wing corner looked destined for the net until somehow the keeper got an extended arm to it and kept it out.
But within seconds Godber found a way around the back and squared to Nwadike. His finish was poor, but rebounded kindly for Robinson to put away the goal his performance deserved.
Suddenly it was all action, for only a few more seconds on, Mark Taylor pulled one back out of nothing with as sweet a 25-card curler as any home or neutral fan could have wished to see.
That lifted Redditch who might have got an immediate equaliser, Simon Hollis flashing a shot only just wide, before Nwadike made a tremendous tackle on Taylor as he sought another way through.
But the home side could not sustain it, and three minutes into stoppage time Robinson launched the move which sealed the win. He farmed the ball wide right to substitute Mark Sale, and Chapman was not picked up as he ran in to sidefoot home the striker’s low cross into the box.
REDDITCH: Anstiss, Clark, Penny (Manton 41), Knight (King 69), Gardiner, Flynn, Hollis, M. Taylor, Voce, Leadbetter (R. Taylor 69), Prince. Subs not used: Woodley, Scheppel.
ALFRETON: Butler, Blount, Chapman, Hume, Brown, Fisher, Robinson, Ward, Godber (Sale 87), Duffield (Holmes 90), Nwadike. Subs not used: Knapper, Dolby, Woolley.
REFEREE: Darren Brockwell of Northampton.
ATTENDANCE: 393.
SCORERS: Redditch – M. Taylor 74. Alfreton – Duffield 44 pen; Robinson 73; Chapman 90+3.
CAUTIONS: Alfreton – Ward 83 (kicking ball away); Sale 90 (foul on Manton).
MAN OF THE MATCH: Ian Robinson.