2006/2007 Pre-Season match no. 5
Saturday, August 5th, 2006
ALFRETON TOWN 5, Sutton Town 2

Report by Kev Miles. Pictures by Phil Lucic.

There were positives and negatives for Alfreton Town manager Gary Mills in this penultimate pre-season try out.
On the minus side, he won't have been happy with the way his side - particularly in midfield - stood off in the first 20 minutes and allowed the visitors from three divisions down to produce some neat touch and go football and a two-goal lead.
On the plus side, he must have been pleased with the way the Reds hit back and showed their character. There were some high quality goals and the final scoreline could have been much higher.
With maybe two alterations, Alfreton's starting line-up was perhaps the finished article so it came as a big surprise when they were given two slaps in the face by a visiting side in which former Red Gary Castledine is still clearly enjoying himself.
Jermaine Palmer could only stab the first chance of the game on four minutes into the arms of another former Alfreton player, goalkeeper Gav Saxby. However, a minute later came a warning sign when Sam Saunders was left totally unmarked but fortunately for the Reds he couldn't get his head on a searching cross.
Sutton Town took the lead on seven minutes with a tremendous 22-yard right footed strike by Dave Davies which flew into the top right corner of Dale Roberts's goal.
Alfreton spurned the chance of an immediate equaliser when Andy Tiday's spot-kick was saved by the trailing legs of Saxby a minute later after the custodian had felled the Reds striker.
Buoyed by the goal Sutton had settled well and displayed some neat, effective build-up play and they went 2-0 up on 19 minutes. Getting on the end of a Saunders cross, it looked a weak-ish glancing header from Alan Jeffries from 12-yards out but it still found the bottom right corner to beat what looked a slightly late dive by Roberts in the home goal.
In a tactical move Reds boss Mills took himself off on 24 minutes and put Mark Turner - seeking a late place in this season's squad - at centre-back which allowed Ryan Clarke to move to right-back. The moves steadied the nerves across the back and you wouldn't have guessed Turner had hardly seen any action this summer.
Two minutes later Alfreton had pulled a goal back. Jermaine Palmer accurately headed home at the second attempt after Saxby had produced a fine stop from the big target man's initial header onto Tiday's left flank cross.
There was a big shout for a second penalty when Featherstone's foraging run ended with his cross seemingly striking the hand of a visiting defender deep in the area but the official was unmoved.
Alex Rodman fired a yard over at the end of one of Alfreton's better passing moved before Tristram Whitman went closer when his shot beat Saxby in a one on one but struck the wrong side of the far post.
Alfreton were level two minutes before half time when Andy Tiday atoned for his penalty failure. He broke down the left, got past the last defender and slid a shot home past the advancing Saxby. The Reds were out of jail going into half time.
The second half was virtually one way traffic with a gutsy Sutton trying to stem the flow of numerous home raids.
Both Whitman and Rodman had shots blocked after Clarke flicked on a Tiday corner on 49 minutes and a minute later the Reds were in front.
Palmer got his second of the game when he flashed a 25-yard cross shot past Saxby into the far corner after being picked out by a peach of a crossfield pass by Barnard.
It became 4-2 on 55 minutes when substitute Anton Brown exploded an absolute screamer of a left-footed shot as he held off Matt Varley to win the race for a loose ball from 12-yards. Saxby had no chance.
Nwadike, Ndyenge, Burberry and trialist Matthew Glass replaced Tiday, Rodman, Fisher and Whitman but the changes didn't distract the Reds from their attacking mode and Palmer curled a shot just over from distance.
Sutton struggled to exit their own half but creditably continued to try and play their way clear.
A lovely piece of skill from Glass inside the area saw him jink past two defenders but his shot hit a post.
Another ex Red, striker Craig Housley entered the fray but he was unable to make much impression either.
Ndyenge was very unlucky not to finish lovely inter-play through the middle but his shot rolled just wide and moments later the Namibian's pinging cross from the right had Saxby scrambling to tip it over from under his bar.
Sutton gamely battled on but the Reds proved too strong with too many players having too much to prove.
Burberry skilfully carved a chance in the area but curled his shot wide, Palmer scuffed a hat-trick chance from close in before Burberry curled another shot on top of the netting.
Matthew Glass finally sealed the win with the last kick of the game when he produced another quality goal, a 25-yard right-footed strike beating Saxby after Palmer had set the former Forest man up.

MATCH DETAILS:
Alfreton Town: Dale Roberts, Gary Mills (Mark Turner 24), Damien Magee, Ryan Clarke (Mark Robinson 84), Mark Barnard, Lee Featherstone (Anton Brown 53), Matt Fisher (Emeka Nwadike 56), Alex Rodman (Ashley Burberry 56), Jermaine Palmer, Tristram Whitman (Alfie Ndyenge 56), Andy Tiday (Matthew Glass 56).
Sutton Town: Gavin Saxby, Nathan Hollinsworth, Sam Saunders (Craig Housley 67), Matt Varley, Lee Sora, Dave Davies, James Dooley (Colin Cockerill 64), Gary Castledine, Dean Shaw, Alan Jeffries (Lee Wilson 79), James Whitehead.
Subs not used: Shaun Bodkin, James Mason.

Referee: Andrew Morbin.

Attendance: 127.

Reds man of the match: Jermaine Palmer.