2007/2008 Season. Game no. 24. Blue Square Conference North.
Tuesday, December 11th, 2007
ALFRETON TOWN 1, Tamworth 2

Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD).

FORMER Alfreton management duo Gary Mills and Darron Gee claimed payback time as they ended the Reds’ six-match unbeaten Blue Square North run at the Impact Arena on Tuesday night.
The Reds were handed their first opportunity of the season to claim a league double after a single goal win at the Lamb Ground early in the season.
And they looked to be on their way when acting skipper Brian Cusworth fired them ahead on the half-hour.
But the turning point came two minutes later when Josh Law was denied a second Reds goal by Dominic Langdon’s spectacular goal line clearance.
Langdon rubbed salt in the home wounds before half time with the equaliser, and Kirk Jackson settled it on the hour for the Lambs.
Reds boss Nicky Law was forced into a couple of changes with Laurie Wilson regaining his place for the suspended Kris Bowler, while Tommy Hannigan was given his chance to reclaim a first team starting shirt in the absence of  Tony Butler who suffered a foot injury at work in midweek.
Tamworth included Marcus Ebdon, who ended last season as Reds boss after the departure of Mills and Gee to the Lamb Ground.
The game made a slow start before Steve Warne won the first corner which was not cleared. Laurie Wilson’s shot was blocked from the flag kick, and Danny Reet followed up with a spearing 22-yard effort that Phil Palethorpe did very well to tip around his post.
Alfreton had Tamworth on the back foot for a spell and Cusworth was thwarted when strike partner Peter Knox deflected Kyle McFadzeans’s angled cross away from his head.
Cusworth and Reet dug out to defend a couple of Tamworth free kicks before the deadlock was broken on the half-hour.
Matt Williams had failed to capitalise on Jackson’s head down in the home area, the ball was cleared to the other end with Knox flicking on McFadzean’s ball in to Cusworth, who profited from a rebound off a defender to strike a low shot from 12 yards past Palethorpe.
Two minutes later Josh Law thought he had doubled the lead. Receiving a cross from Reet, he cleverly lobbed over the advancing Palethorpe.
It looked a goal all the way, but Langdon popped up and, facing the goal, somehow executed a brilliant overhead clearance from under the bar.
Relieved at the let-off, Tamworth hit back to win their first corner in the 38th minute. It was not dealt with by the home defence, McFadzean attempted to clear from the near post across his own area, and Langdon, in the right of the box, pounced to drill home the equaliser.
Tamworth started the second half the brighter, winning a couple of early corners as the Reds struggled to get their game going.
The normally creative outlet along the flanks through Reet and Law was effectively closed down, and it was no real surprise when the visitors took the lead on the hour mark.
Williams picked out Jackson on the left of the box, and the much-travelled striker, who Mills tried unsuccessfully to lure to Alfreton before finally getting his man for his new club, hit it home.
At that stage it was no more than Tamworth deserved, but gradually the Reds played their way back into the contest.
They might have equalised on 71 when Reet headed Law’s cross to Cusworth. Michael Briscoe blocked his shot and Knox put the loose ball into the side netting.
Alfreton had two penalty claims turned down, first in the 78th minute when Langdon appeared to bring down Cusworth, then six minutes later when they had an even stronger case as Briscoe clearly handled Cusworth’s shot in the box.
But Tamworth almost made it 3-1 in the 86th minute when Hannigan’s error let in Williams. As Kyle Sutcliffe came out Williams shot towards the empty goal, only to be denied by the post.
ALFRETON: Sutcliffe, McFadzean, Brown, M. Wilson, Hannigan, Warne, J. Law, L. Wilson, Cusworth, Knox (Glass 83), Reet. Subs not used: Walton, Barnard, McDonald, Lindley.
TAMWORTH: Palethorpe, Lyttle, Langdon, Briscoe, Bains, Bampton (Richter 83), G. Law, Ebdon, Jackson, Williams, G. Sheridan. Subs not used: Wright, Robinson, Edwards, J. Sheridan.
REFEREE: Craig Evans of Lincoln.
ATTENDANCE: 277.
GOALS: Alfreton - Cusworth 30. Tamworth - Langdon 39; Jackson 60.
CAUTION: Alfreton - M. Wilson 37 (‘professional’ foul on Williams).
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Brian Cusworth.