Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD).

ALFRETON bounced back from their disappointing defeat by Tamworth a week and deservedly saw off full-timers Southport in Tuesday night’s delayed FA Trophy first round tie.
The Reds were left to wait for 24 hours to discover who they will visit in round two, the replay between Farsley Celtic and Gateshead being scheduled for Wednesday.
The tie was settled by a peach of a goal by Brian Cusworth, beautifully set up and executed, in the 10th minute.
There was no doubt that the better side on the night won it, and as manager Nicky Law pointed out afterwards, any one of the players could have been a worthy man of the match candidate.
“The players did what I asked of them before the game,” he said.
“Last Tuesday’s result and performance against Tamworth was disappointing, but if we had played half as well that night as we did tonight we would have beaten them.
“We bounced back well tonight, and it was obviously important that we did – and against a team of full-timers.
“Southport are a young side but they still train five days a week which should give them a massive advantage, but as the game went on I thought we looked the stronger and fitter.
“The goal would have graced any ground in the country, and then we kept a clean sheet which was a bonus for Phil Senior on his debut.
“He did everything that was asked of him – he was vocal, he has good organisational skills, and his kicking was excellent – you knew where it was going.
“Having Tony Butler and Kris Bowler back was also a massive plus for us. It’s so much harder to win games when you are missing players like them.
“Stephen Warne was magnificent in midfield, the defence was brilliant, and choosing a man of the match after such a good team performance must be difficult.”
Law added that he would prefer Farsley in the next round. “I would relish the chance of seeing how we measure up against a team promoted to the Conference National last season,” he said.
The only disappointment was that just 187 paid to watch it. Just what do the Reds have to do to shift the seemingly apathetic people of the town off their backsides and out of their armchairs?
It was a cold night, it’s almost Christmas, and there was a match on TV – but even allowing for all this the attendance was pathetic for a club doing well in the country’s highest level of football below national level.
Alfreton began on fire, and won four corners inside the first seven minutes, three of them in quick succession with Danny Reet firing an angled drive wide of the near post from the last of the four.
Throughout the game until his 74th-minute substitution the fans left the on-loan Mansfield striker in no doubt about their delight that he was staying with the club for the remainder of the season.
But it was another loanee, Josh Law, who played a key part in the decisive 10th-minute goal. Law received Kyle McFadzean’s throw-in on the right and dinked a delightful cross over the defence to Cusworth.
The big striker brought the ball down well on the turn with his first movement and, as it dropped, he swivelled and lashed his fifth goal in as many games and his 10th of the campaign into the net from 12 yards.
As Alfreton continued to assert their authority Law fired a 20-yard attempt too high.
Southport did not engineer any opening until the 18th minute, when the ball broke to Neil Robinson on the edge of the area.
But Robinson’s finish was weak and Senior needed only a routine save.
Mark Duffy was prominent in a couple of raids as the Sandgrounders tried to battle back, and both McFadzean and Butler came up with quality challenges to keep him at bay.
And when Robinson found a rare path around Matt Wilson, Butler again came up with a well-timed challenge in the box to clear the danger.
At times Alfreton thought they were playing 12 men as Stafford official Stephen Martin’s decision-making looked rather less than even-handed. Like Reet, he was left in no doubts about the fans’ thoughts - somewhat less approvingly.
But that did not prevent them from regaining the upper hand and, after Southport keeper Richard Whiteside had held Cusworth’s 25-yarder under the angle, Bowler’s shot from the edge of the area beat the keeper but hit the bar and went over.
The second half was a little slower than the first to get going, and Southport created the first chance nine minutes in, but Robinson completely missed Neil Prince’s cross from the left inside the six-yard box.
Again Alfreton took up the pace, with Laurie Wilson and Reet both going close within seconds of each other.
The immaculate Anton Brown, who was just about edged the pick of a well-drilled defence from Butler, did very well to prevent Southport substitute Mark Houghton’s threatening centre from reaching the well-placed Robinson.
Reet’s good work in the right corner enabled Law and Warne to play a delightful interchange before Whitehouse held Law’s tight-angled finish.
Then a superb run down the left and along the by-line by Bowler ended with his cross-shot rebounding to safety off the keeper’s legs.
Alfreton had strong penalty appeals waved away when Whiteside and Kevin Lee got in a tangle in the corner of the box, and as substitute Peter Knox tried to capitalise he looked to have been brought down by Lee.
As the game entered its latter stages Knox could not quite connect with fellow sub Matt Glass’ cross.
Southport had a chance to equalise in the 87th minute when Duffy’s free kick was met by the head of Lee at the far post. But the header was off target as Lee collided with the upright.
Glass set up Law for an angled drive which flashed just past the far post a minute later before, as the tie entered stoppage time, Senior was extended for the first time, saving at Houghton’s feet.

ALFRETON TOWN: Senior, McFadzean, Brown, M. Wilson, Butler, Warne, Law, Bowler, Cusworth (Knox 68), Reet (Glass 74), L. Wilson. Subs not used: Walton, Barnard, Sutcliffe.
SOUTHPORT: Whiteside, Lever, Barratt, Holmes, Lee, Prince (Houghton 59), Duffy, Blakeman, Robinson, Gray, Powell (Noon 85). Subs not used: Prout, Smith, Hine.
REFEREE: Stephen Martin of Stafford.
ATTENDANCE: 187.
SCORER: Alfreton – Cusworth 10.
CAUTIONS: Alfreton – McFadzean 60 (foul on Robinson); Cusworth 62 (foul on Holmes); Reet 73 (late challenge on Whiteside); Butler 84 (foul on Lee). Southport – Powell 49 (foul on L. Wilson); Robinson 79 (foul on Butler).
MAN OF THE MATCH: Anton Brown.