2009/2010 Season. Match no. 37. Blue Square North fixture no. 30.
Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Stafford Rangers 1, Alfreton Town 1

Match pics albums by Dave Purseglove here

Alfreton Town extended their unbeaten run in Blue Square North games to ten with their fifth 1-1 result in that same period, when they were held by Stafford Rangers at a soggy Marston Road on Saturday.
The draw also took Alfreton's unbeaten run on the road to five games but they had to do it the hard way, playing the entire second half with ten men.
The critical moment of the game came in first half added time when Reds' skipper Chris Shaw picked up a second yellow card at a time when Paul Clayton's 16th minute header had put the visitors firmly in charge.
Having already been booked for obstruction after 22 minutes, Shaw was adjudged to have impeded Tony Dinning, although the ball appeared to have been won fairly, and manager Nicky Law had to hastily change his half-time tactics.
The necessary adjustments, which saw Anton Brown drop to left back and Kyle McFadzean regain the captain's armband he had first been entrusted with in the corresponding fixture last season, allowed Rangers back into the game and they benefited from a dubious penalty award 17 minutes from time.
In that game 11 months ago McFadzean had scored with a header from an Ian Ross corner inside 75 seconds, and he very nearly repeated the feat in the fifth minute only to clear the crossbar by inches.
McFadzean then had to clear off the line from Levi Reid in the ninth minute following Dominic Merella's cross from the left, but Stafford hardly troubled the Reds for the remainder of the opening 45 minutes.
A superb cross from wide right by Jake Moult in the tenth minute picked out Kris Bowler for a full-blooded volley that keeper Lee Evans read well and fisted out for another corner, then Clayton's far post header three minutes later was only just off target from a Ross free-kick.
Alfreton took the lead when Brown managed to pull the back from the by-line as it looked to be running out, with Moult whipping in a cross that Clayton headed in off the underside of the bar from virtually on the goal-line.
Craig McAughtrie inserted a vital touch as Bowler's chip through released Liam Hearn on a run at goal on 20 minutes, then eight minutes later the keeper breathed a sigh of relief as Hearn's shy at an empty net drifted wide from 22 yards after he had kicked a clearance straight to the predator.
Another direct run by Hearn on the half-hour mark saw Evans atone with a brave block, then in the 45th minute Clayton's volley was blocked by Richard Vauls from Moult's by-line cross.
Michael Burns fired a 20 yarder straight down Paddy Gamble's throat five minutes after the break, then at the other end three minutes later McFadzean headed over again from another Ross corner.
Fabrice Kasiama squandered a great chance for the hosts on 64 minutes when he blazed over a Levi Reid cross, then in response six minutes later McFadzean sent Hearn on his travels again only for Emmanuel Udoji to track him all the way and manage to stifle his progress.
The equaliser came on 73 minutes after Josh Law was adjudged to have fouled Kasiama, and after lengthy protest,s Dinning smashed home the spot-kick with Alfreton left to concentrate on protecting the point as Stafford searched for an unlikely winner