Saturday, August 6th , 2005. Pre-season friendly No.7
Sutton Town 1, Alfreton Town XI 4
TWO goals in less than a minute transformed Saturday’s friendly at The Fieldings and sent Alfreton Town fans home happy.
An evenly contested first half had ended all square at 1-1, after Sutton’s Craig Mitchell had cancelled out Chris Bettney’s 40th-minute opener a minute before the interval.
But Alfreton, who treated the match as a second-team friendly with Mark Hall in charge, surged ahead on 69 minutes when Andy Simmonds rounded off the best move of the match, then strike partner Cam Usman put the outcome beyond the Snipes’ reach.
And by the time Chris Bettney slotted the fourth from the spot it was merely academic.
Alfreton included several first team squad players, plus Usman who is understood to have been released by Leicester City and who formed an exciting-looking partnership with Simmonds up front, while Sutton were also without four or five first team regulars.
Usman quickly showed his potential, heading over a cross from Emeka Nwadike in the third minute, then pouncing on a stray pass and seeing his tame shot spilled by Snipes keeper Danny Welsh a minute later.
As the half progressed Sutton came more into the picture, and when former Alfreton striker Craig Housley chested down, the prolific Ian Brown saw his shot well held by Joel Perkins.
Dean Short looped a header over for the Snipes, but Alfreton hit back, and when Simmonds crossed from the left, Fisher’s 20-yard drive was arrowing towards the bottom corner until Welsh did very well to divert it onto a post.
Perkins was forced to head clear as Brown chased a through ball on 39 minutes, and the Reds went straight down to the other end to grab the lead.
Bettney’s trademark mazy run carried him past the despairing challenges of four defenders, and although he mis-hit his shot it managed to cross the line.
The lead lasted only four minutes, before Housley intelligently head-flicked on Welsh’s long clearance for Mitchell to fire past Perkins.
Even so, Alfreton had two more chances before the break to regain the lead, a Simmonds shot striking a defender and going to safety after Dave Cockerill had sent Bettney away to provide the cross, and then Nwadike being denied a shot on goal by Short’s timely tackle from Fisher’s delightful pass.
The Reds stepped up a gear on the re-start, but Usman was crowded out after trying to beat one man too many and then saw his angled drive competently held by Welsh.
But Simmons rounded off a six-man move with a neat finish to restore the visitors’ advantage on 69, and then a minute later Steve Woolley slid the ball forward for Simmonds who squared for the unmarked Usman to drive past the diving Welsh.
With Alfreton now dominant, Usman headed Bettney’s free kick past the near post, and Woolley had an effort cleared for a corner by former Hucknall Town man Steve Roebuck after a neat side-step had created the chance.
Simmonds went close following good spadework by Richard Cooper, and Usman curled another chance round the far post as the Snipes were kept on the back foot.
But five minutes from time Roebuck was reduced to bringing down Usman in the area after being turned inside-out by the new man. At first the referee refused the penalty claims but changed his mind after being persuaded to consult his assistant, and although Welsh went the right way he could not get near Bettney’s spot kick.
Sutton had the chance to pull one back in stoppage time, but Dave Cockerill was on hand to halt Brown’s run clear.
SUTTON: Welsh, Roebuck, Jepson, Scott (Naylor 61), Ashford, Pascoe, C. Cockerill, Brown, Short, Mitchell, Housley.
ALFRETON: Perkins (Judson 62), Powell, Cooper, D. Cockerill, Ludlam (Anslip h/t), Nwadike, Bettney, Fisher, Simmons, Usman, Woolley.
REFEREE: Shaun Smith of Chesterfield.
ATTENDANCE: 100 (est)
SCORERS: Sutton – Mitchell 44. Alfreton – Bettney 40, 86 (pen); Simmonds 69; Usman 70.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Chris Bettney.