IMPROVING Alfreton Town saved their best display to date to put one over on their former managers Gary Mills and Darron Gee at the Lamb Ground on Saturday.
The Reds won it with a single Scott Rickards strike just after the half-hour, which was enough to get them off the bottom of the Blue Square Conference North table.
The victory will have been met with delight by the travelling Town fans in a four-figure crowd, after the home management duo defected to the then Conference National club in a bid to lift them from a seemingly hopeless position at the foot of the table to a point where they came within a whisker of dodging the drop.
Those fans, who gave Mills some predictable stick during the game, witnessed a confident performance by their favourites. They defended well, particularly in the closing stages when they came under intense pressure, keeper James Lindley turned in an heroic performance to take man of the match, and when the chance did present itself to Rickards he took it well.
Tamworth included one Gary Mills in their line-up, but unlike at Alfreton when he turned out on a fairly regular basis, this was not the manager but a different player of the same name.
Anton Brown cleared the danger in the Lambs’ first raid down the right in only the second minute, but at the other end Rickards tested home keeper Jose Veiga from 12 yards after good work by Kyle McFadzean had created the opening.
Lindley and skipper Mark Barnard collided with each other in the 13th minute as the keeper held Gareth Sheldon’s cross, and Barnard needed treatment before continuing.
A spell of Tamworth pressure then saw Kris Bowler charge down a dangerous cross from Des Lyttle, a Sheldon cross headed wide by Rikki Bains, and Lindley racing out of his area to boot the ball out of the ground ahead of Sheldon.
Alfreton responded with Laurie Wilson latching onto an error by Sheldon but sending his 30-yard effort wide, and Rickards looping a header over from McFadzean’s pass.
Lindley was grateful to Brown for taking the sting out of a goalbound effort from Kyle Storer, enabling the keeper to make the save, before the Reds shocked their hosts by taking a 31st minute lead.
Bowler was the architect. He got to and accelerated along the by-line, then unleashed a spearing cross into a packed six-yard box. In the ensuing scramble the ball took a deflection off a defender, and Lyttle cleared off the line. But Rickards was on hand to ram home from close range.
The Reds had an amazing let-off five minutes later. Brian Cusworth, digging out in defence, came up with a contender for the worst back pass in footballing history.
It fell straight to Tony Thorpe who side-stepped Lindley and then missed a gaping goal from eight yards.
But two more minutes on, the Reds could have doubled their lead. Veiga came out of his box almost to the corner flag to foul Rickards, which earned the keeper a booking, and Cusworth headed Bowler’s resulting free kick onto the roof of the net.
Bowler also went close five minutes before the break. Chris Walton rode two tackles on a determined forward run, Cusworth laid off, and Bowler’s thumping 25-yard shot took a double deflection before going for a corner.
Five minutes into the restart Lindley had to stick out a leg to divert Anthony Robinson’s effort to safety, then Tamworth had penalty appeals rejected as Matt Wilson challenged the Lambs’ striker and got the ball away.
Laurie Wilson dealt well with a pull-back from the by-line by former Forest star Lyttle, but Alfreton continued to make it a compelling contest, and Michael Briscoe needed a vital touch to halt Rickards as the striker homed in on goal.
McFadzean was injured as he cleared from Tamworth substitute Matt Williams while Walton was also down and requiring treatment.
Reds sub Tommy Hannigan , playing up front, then wasted a good chance from a Rickards pass, which signalled a late Tamworth onslaught.
During that time Lindley parried a tremendous shot from Williams who then blazed a path round McFadzean, only to see Greg Young clear off the line. Lindley saved at point blank range from Lyttle, and Adie Smith missed a glorious chance from close range.
As the game entered stoppage time McFadzean was carried off after hurting himself again while clearing from Smith.
And five minutes into overtime Brown denied his former manager’s team a last gasp equaliser when he did just enough to put off Dave Bampton, who headed a corner wide at the far post.
TAMWORTH: Veiga, Lyttle, Langdon, Briscoe, Bains, Mills, Storer (Bampton ht), Smith, Robinson (Heggs 59), Thorpe (Williams 59), Sheldon. Subs not used: Pedro, Edwards.
ALFRETON: Lindley, McFadzean (Outram 90), Barnard, M. Wilson, Young, L. Wilson, Brown, Walton, Cusworth (Hannigan 55), Rickards, Bowler (Cockerill 68). Subs not used: Ellis, Green.
REFEREE: Martin Chester of Lincoln.
ATTENDANCE: 1,011.
SCORER: Alfreton – Rickards 31.
CAUTIONS: Tamworth – Veiga 37 (foul on Rickards); Robinson 57 (foul on Walton). Alfreton – L. Wilson 84 (foul on Lyttle); Cockerill 87 (foul on Bampton).
MAN OF THE MATCH: James Lindley.
