2006/2007 Pre-Season match no. 2
Saturday, July 22nd, 2006
ALFRETON TOWN 0, Tamworth 0
Abandoned 75 minutes - lightning storm

Report by Kev Miles. Pictures by Phil Lucic.

A finely balanced pre-season contest was halted prematurely by a lightning storm over the Impact Arena which brought an abandonment by referee Steve Cook with 15 minutes left.
With Emeka Nwadike away in Las Vegas for a few days, manager Gary Mills added local Swanwick striker Richard Jeffery and Michael Harcourt to his squad.
The match began in a downpour of heavy rain to signal the end of a scorching week's weather.
With two ex-Reds players and five former Lambs in the respective line-ups and former Tamworth managers Gary Mills and Darron Gee now at the helm at Alfreton, there was plenty to prove.
In the end it was honours fairly even, but despite a lively performance from Matthew Williams for the visitors, Alfreton will take the most positives as they just lacked a goal in a first half showing in which they forced eight corners in the first 25 minutes.
Indeed, the Reds more than matched their Conference visitors in the first 45 minutes with the visitors restricted to just two chances.
Alfreton’s Craig Mitchell was inches away with a glancing header from Matt Fisher's right flank cross and Anton Brown flashed a header over from an Andy Tiday cross before Williams replied with a free-kick which curled just over the home bar.
Williams also had Tamworth’s best chance of the game on 16 minutes but placed his header straight at Alfreton keeper Dale Roberts after a neat interchange with Graham Ward.
Tamworth keeper Dormand was by far the busier though and he blocked a shot from Mark Barnard with his legs before tipping over a Ryan Clarke header from one of Alfreton's corners.
The Reds suffered a blow when Marcus Ebdon left the action after just 28 minutes with a rib injury but his replacement, Mark Robinson, proved a very able deputy.
Tamworth came into the game more in a second half punctuated by numerous substitutions for both sides, and played under unseasonal floodlights and in driving rain.
Graham Ward's free-kick strike was comfortably held by Dale Roberts in the home goal as Tamworth began to look stronger.
However, the Alfreton defence, which played well throughout, continued to deny former Reds striker Jon Stevenson and his counterparts any clear sight of goal.
Richard Jeffery did have the ball in the Tamworth net on the hour but he was adjudged offside.
From there on in it was even stevens with both sides battling in midfield before the weather called a halt.
All in all it was a good contest despite the bizarre weather conditions for mid-July and floodlights on before half-time. Perhaps there's something in this global warming after all?
But whilst it is early days yet, both sides will need their strikers to sharpen up before the league campaign starts.
The Reds had an after match boost when striker Andy Tiday penned a one year deal.
MATCH STATS:
ALFRETON TOWN: Dale Roberts, Gary Mills (Damien Magee 61), Lee Featherstone, Ryan Clarke, Mark Barnard, Anton Brown, Matt Fisher (Gary Sucharewycz 72), Marcus Ebdon (Mark Robinson 28), Craig Mitchell (Richard Jeffery 57), Tristram Whitman (Alfie Ndyenge 57), Andy Tiday (Danny Blair 57).
TAMWORTH: James Dormand (Sean Bowles, ht), Adie Smith, Graham Law (Dan Douglas 71), David Bampton (Lee Moore, ht), Matt Redmile (Rich Munday 72), Emmet Friars, Graham Ward (Shaun Ridgway 72), Jon McGrath, Alan Neilson, Jon Stevenson, Matt Williams (Lee Hall 61).
REFEREE: Steve Cook (Bargate).
ATTENDANCE: 172.
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Mark Barnard.

Gary Mills

Darron Gee

Andy Tiday

Dale Roberts

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