2004/05 - Match No. 58 - Last game of season
Nationwide North
Saturday, April 30th, 2005
Stafford Rangers 3, Alfreton Town 1
Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD). Pics by Nigel Holmes.
ALFRETON TOWN’S hopes of ending the season on a winning note and claiming a final placing in the top half of the table were frustrated at Marston Road on Saturday.
Two first half goals by Neil Grayson, the first against the run of play and just two minutes after Chris Bettney had rattled the home bar, put the Borough in the driving seat.
And although Peter Duffield got one back, any hopes of rescuing the match disappeared in the second minute of stoppage time when Rangers notched their third.
With skipper Grant Brown in charge for the day and the suspended Mark Sale directing things from the dugout in his home town, Alfreton made a lively start, Nicky Heinemann triggering two successive corners inside the first minute.
The Reds then won two free kicks taken by Mitch Ward, the first on seven minutes falling to Richard Cooper who drilled a strong shot just wide.
The second, four minutes later, was only partially cleared to the edge of the area, from where Bettney rammed a venomous strike against Joe Anyon’s crossbar.
But it was Stafford who grabbed the lead from their first real attack on 13 minutes. Danny Edwards’ free kick from the right of the box found Grayson, whose glancing header went in off unlucky acting player-manager Brown.
Alfreton hopes were raised by Ian Robinson’s surging run to the by-line, but he could only clip his cross-shot into Anyon’s arms.
Stafford doubled their lead in the 27th minute, though, and again it was the prolific Grayson who supplied the finish touch, heading Nathan Talbott’s deep centre from the left of the box back across Lee Butler and inside the far post.
Luke Foster broke up another dangerous sortie, this time by Robin Gibson, at the expense of a corner, before Grayson, with a great chance of completing a first half hat-trick, chipped Talbott’s flick on over the bar.
And Butler came to the Reds’ rescue four minutes before the break, tipping over Edwards’ header from another Talbott cross.
Stafford began the second half looking to add to their lead, and inside the opening seconds Butler was called into action to hold another Grayson header after Gibson had done the spadework.
However, Alfreton were back into the match in the 63rd minute. Matt Fisher picked out Duffield with a pinpoint cross, and the striker looped a delightful header over Anyon and into the net.
That brought about a spell of Alfreton pressure, and when Nicky Heinemann and Anyon contested a long through ball the keeper just came off best at the expense of a corner.
That was laid back to Fisher, whose cross again found Duffield, and this time the striker set up Robinson, whose shot was blocked for another flag kick by the still packed home defence.
This time Ward picked out Foster, whose flicked header went wide.
The action immediately switched to the other end, and Steven Woolley, who had replaced Bettney just before the hour, dealt with a teasing Gibson cross at the expense of another corner.
Rob Cam was given the chance to show his goalscoring form with the reserves and under-19s when he replaced Carl Bradshaw, but when Duffield tried to play the youngster in from Brown’s through ball two minutes from time it just eluded him.
Butler denied Grayson with another great save as the match went into stoppage time, but Stafford had not quite finished, and struck again two minutes into overtime when Gibson curled a beautiful shot from the left inside the far corner.
In reflective mood, chairman Wayne Bradley commented afterwards: “Whenever you lose on the closing day of the season reflections tend to be somewhat negative, but I think we ended on a positive note as we had rung the changes.
“Every Alfreton supporter will look forward to a busy close season, providing that the right decisions are made, and also to a bright new campaign starting at the end of the summer.”
STAFFORD: Anyon, McAughtrie (Dodd 82), Pearce (Heath 80), Smith, Daniel, Lovatt, Talbott, Downes, Grayson, Edwards, R. Gibson. Subs not used: Miller, Beale, A. Gibson.
ALFRETON: Butler, Bradshaw (Cam 72), Heinemann, Foster, Brown, Fisher, Robinson, Cooper (Featherstone 80), Bettney (Woolley 59), Duffield, Ward. Subs not used: Chapman, Teather.
REFEREE: D. Mohareb of Hyde.
ATTENDANCE: 719.
SCORERS: Stafford – Grayston 13, 27; Gibson 90+2. Alfreton – Duffield 63.
CAUTIONS: Stafford – Gibson 58. Alfreton – Cooper 58 (both for off-the-ball incident).
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Peter Duffield.