Alfreton Town Football Club
Match reports
2004/05

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2004/05 - Match No. 7
Nationwide North
Monday, August 30th, 2004
Stalybridge Celtic 2, Alfreton Town 3
Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD). Pics by Phil Lucic.
PREDATORY striker Peter Duffield came up with a late winner at Bower Fold to preserve Alfreton’s 100 per cent away record and top place in Nationwide North in a tense contest on August Bank Holiday Monday.
Hosts Stalybridge Celtic, trailing 2-1 at half time to goals by Duffield and Mitch Ward, had bombarded the Reds defence for much of the second half.
But it was not until the 78th minute that they found the equaliser, only for Duffield to break their hearts two minutes later.
It was Alfreton’s first league win at Stalybridge, and it featured the best football they have played this season during the first half in particular, as manager Dave Lloyd pointed out afterwards.
“I was well proud of our lads today,” he said. “We played really well in the first half, and still looked sharp on the break in the second half when we came under pressure.
“It epitomises once again what a tough league this is, when a very good side like Stalybridge can’t get a win in six matches.
“The difference is that they made a lot of chances and didn’t take them whereas we took ours.
“We worked really hard and Mark Sale was outstanding.”
Lloyd’s decision to bring in Sale for Mick Godber was vindicated as the tall striker had probably his best game in an Alfreton shirt.
He was a handful for the home defence, and was frequently to be found digging out at the back with some important clearances, and deserved his man of the match nomination even if he did not get on the scoresheet himself.
Stalybridge had gone into the match with a record of played five, drawn five, and were desperate for a win.
But it was Alfreton who sounded the first warning after just 44 seconds when Sale teed up Duffield to fire over the bar from 20 yards.
Sale showed remarkable skill onthe deck for a big man to put Chris Bettney in on goal, but he was quickly closed down by Barrie Keeling.
Ben Smith was allowed a free shot at goal for Celtic but ballooned it over from 25 yards, before Town took a 13th minute lead.
Bettney found a way around Tony Whealing and crossed low for the incoming DUFFIELD to arrive and sidefoot in.
Stalybridge almost equalised from their first corner of 13 they won during the match two minutes later, Keeling heading against the underside of the bar.
But with the home fans acclaiming the goal they were silenced as they realised it had not crossed the line.
Instead it was Alfreton who went two up on 22. Dave German fouled the troublesome Sale 22 yards out in front of goal, and MITCH WARD stroked a sublime free-kick around the wall and into the top corner with 'keeper Craig Dootson static.
Ward, who had been at the heart of all that Alfreton had created hitherto, limped off with a calf injury on 34 to be replaced by John Knapper.
And there was a further setback for the white-shirted visitors two minutes later when IAN MONK got one back out of the blue, with a low 25-yard drive past the startled Lee Butler.
The 'keeper was in action again two minutes into stoppage time. He must have seen the ball late as Monk latched onto a half-clearance but got down to save well.
As the second half got under way Bettney tried to send Duffield clear, but the striker was beaten by the bounce of the ball and Keeling was able to challenge.
One of the linesmen pulled up shortly afterwards and had to be replaced by the fourth official.
A marvellous Alfreton move on 51 involving Matt Fisher, Sale and Duffield ended with the latter hitting the side netting form the right.
But Stalybridge moved up a gear, and embarked on an almost non-stop onslaught on the Alfreton goal.
Phil Eastwood was off target with two excellent chances, while Butler produced top drawer saves, denying Monk at point blank range and touching Nathan Wharton’s 25-yard effort around the post.
A home goal looked inevitable, and it came on 78 as PAUL SYKES curled a low shot around the covering defence from 25 yards just inside the post.
The home fans were still celebrating the fightback when they were silenced two minutes later, as Bettney put PETER DUFFIELD through to draw Dootson and slot home from just inside the area.
STALYBRIDGE: Dootson, German, Whealing, Smith, Keeling, Wharton, Sykes, Monk, Hayward, Eastwood, Calcutt. Subs not used: Connell, Bowker, Bowman.
ALFRETON: Butler, Robinson, Chapman, Blount, Brown, Ward (Knapper 32), Bettney, Fisher, Sale, Duffield, Nwadike (Holmes 83). subs not used: Goddard, Godber, Dolby.
REFEREE: G. I. Chapman of Keighley.
ATTENDANCE: 454.
SCORERS: Stalybridge - Monk 34; Sykes 78. Alfreton - Duffield 13, 80; Ward 22.
CAUTIONS: Stalybridge - Sykes 90 (deliberate hands). Alfreton - Sale 89 (persistent misconduct).
MAN OF THE MATCH: Mark Sale.