Tuesday, July 19th, 2005. Pre-season friendly No.2
Alfreton Town 2, Stockport County 5
Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD). Pics by Phil Lucic.

A 14-MINUTE blitz at the start of the second half condemned Alfreton to a heavier defeat than they deserved in their first home pre-season game on Tuesday night.
The Reds led Stockport’s first team  by a ninth-minute Peter Duffield goal of real quality at the interval.
But the Hatters upped the pace at the start of the second half, and goals by Chris Williams (48) and Michael Malcolm (53) put them in command.
The League Two side then introduced Jermaine Easter, who within four minutes of his arrival had added two more, his first from the penalty spot.
And although Ryan Clarke pulled one back, Easter completed his hat-trick with virtually the last kick of the match.
Despite the final scoreline, assistant manager Darron Gee was enthusiastic about the Reds’ first half performance.
“The first half was everything we wanted,” he said. “Some of the football we played was superb.
“We went with two wide men and got the ball out to them very quickly along the ground, and caused them some problems.
“The whole unit worked very well, and in the first half we restricted them to to playing diagonal balls and trying to get in behind, but our back four was superb.
“Liam Powell was a big plus at right back, he’s been released by Leicester but has Welsh Under-21 honours, and he wants to come, so if we can keep him that will be a coup.
“Chris White (playing left wing) gave us fantastic balance in the first half and a lot of clubs are watching him, but he likes it here and wants to play for us on Friday against Barnsley, where he has spent some time.
“Maybe he and Chris Bettney should not have gone out for the second half - we’d told the players at half time that if any had got knocks or little pulls they should not continue, but you’re a goal up against a League club and players want to prove themselves.
“They got the equaliser with a great finish, and we had a ragged spell, they were lifted, and got three more in quick succession.
“But it was still a great work-out, and the lads who came on for the second half also did really well.
“I was pleased for Ryan Clarke when he scored, a towering header and a good finish to follow up, and Stephen Woolley is just growing stronger and stronger.
“We came back well in the last 20 minutes and it was disappointing to concede a fifth goal right at the end.
“Results in these games don’t matter, but you obviously don’t want to lose four or five.
“But I hope the fans saw enough in the first half to realise the way we want to play, and the way the side is starting to gel.
“It’s always difficult bringing in seven or eight new faces, and we’re not the finished article by a long way, but we played some good stuff in those 45 minutes.”
The game got off to an explosive start, with Tesfaye Bramble (brother of Newcastle’s Titus) thundering an unstoppable 25-yard shot past Greg Smith after just 47 seconds, but the whistle had already gone for a foul.
As Stockport made the early running, Michael Welch glanced a header just over the bar in the eighth minute.
But a minute later Alfreton were ahead with as good a goal as one is likely to see at the Impact Arena this season.
Bettney, looking his brilliant best, embarked on a strong and teasing run along the right. He did well under pressure to put over a pinpoint cross, and Duffield rose high in the area to put away a confident header which Neil Cutler had no chance of getting anywhere near.
From then on for the rest of the half Alfreton were more than a match for their Football League visitors, with Bettney and Duffield working particularly well together.
The two combined well again midway through the half, and Cutler was forced to save at Neil Ross’ feet, then two minutes later Bettney put Duffield through again - this time his 23-yard angled shot just cleared the bar.
White showed his prowess with a cheeky interception as Cutler waited for a back pass, but Mark Robinson managed to divert the resulting cross away from the waiting Duffield.
But at the other end a Williams cross shot flew just past the far post.
Three minutes into the restart Williams did better with a thunderous 20-yard equaliser just under the angle, after White was found too far upfield to receive Powell’s squared pass.
Then on 53 Cutler’s long clearance saw Malcolm outpace the home defence to lob over the advancing Greg Smith with his second touch to put County into the lead.
Enter Jermaine Easter on 58 minutes.
Two minutes later Bramble was brought down in the area during a melee, and Easter duly dispatched the first of his hat-trick from the spot.
Another two minutes on, and Easter struck again, cutting in from the left after being set up by Malcolm.
Alfreton were reeling somewhat at this point and Smith, who had made a good impression with a couple of smart first half saves, had to go down at the feet of Adam Le Fondre to prevent a fifth.
By then both sides were making multiple changes, and Alfreton were coming more into the game again, Woolley testing Cutler with a crisp 30-yard ground shot which needed a diving save.
Then persistent work by Woolley enabled Jon Stevenson to win the corner from which Clarke pulled one back six minutes from time.
Clarke’s bullet header bounced down off the underside of the bar and, as County struggled to clear, the former Boston United defender managed to force it over the line.
But Easter completed his hat-trick right at the death, steering home following a free kick from near the right corner flag, and there was just time to re-start the game before Mr Shoebridge called time.
ALFRETON TOWN: G. Smith, Powell, S. Smith, D. Robinson (Clarke 65), Blount (Cooper 70), Teather (Nwadike 32), Bettney (Woolley 58), Fisher (Cockerill 63), Ross (Barnes h/t), Duffield (Stevenson 58), White (Buther 63).
STOCKPORT COUNTY: Cutler, Greenwood, M. Robinson (Allen 74), Tomlinson (Briggs 66), Dje (A. Williams 58), Welch, Crowe (Easter 58), Wolski (Clare 66), Bramble (Le Fondre 65), Malcolm, C. Williams (Kay 74).
REFEREE: Rob Shoebridge of Heage.
ATTENDANCE: 254.