RIVACRE Park is rarely a happy hunting ground for Alfreton Town, and wholesale changes under new manager Nicky Law appear to have done nothing to change that.
For the Reds contrived to snatch a defeat from the jaws of victory after allowing the Ellesmere Port club to overturn a 2-1 interval deficit and take all three points.
Like Alfreton, the Motormen had shown signs of recovery over the Bank Holiday after a dreadful start to the season, and it was they who were celebrating at the end, while the Reds endured a dressing room lock-in.
After going behind to a soft goal Alfreton ran the home side ragged in the first half, but only led 2-1. Then a poor second half display ensured that the Wirral hoodoo remained alive and well, with memories evoked of former boss Gary Mills going over to the Reds fans to apologise to the fans after his men had been ‘Vauxed-hall’ over on a previous visit.
Alfreton included new signing Shaun Doxey on the bench, and with keeper James Lindley unavailable for personal reasons following a family tragedy, Law gave a debut to teenage goalkeeper Jamie Green, whose start was rather less than auspicious.
In the ninth minute the youngster clearly shouted for a harmless-looking through ball but never got to it, gifting Paul Taylor an easy header as he went up with the keeper.
Before that Anton Brown had twice tried to play Daniel Douglas-Pringle in, but on each occasion the ball was cleared.
And four minutes after the goal Pringle’s cross led to a stifled shot by Kris Bowler and Matt Glass running the ball behind. Green atoned for his earlier error with a smart save from Taylor who had shrugged off Matt Wilson, and the keeper then showed signs of returning confidence, again saving cleanly after Stephen Johnson had cut in and shot.
Anthony Wright should then have done better than to fire wide after more good work from Taylor, before at the other end a rasping 25-yard effort from Bowler rattled Sean Lake’s crossbar.
The Reds finally levelled on 28 minutes. A minute earlier Brian Cusworth had seen a header onto Mark Barnard’s deep cross cleared, but given a second chance from the same source, Cusworth met the ball with a brave diving header to restore parity.
Four minutes later Alfreton were ahead, when Matt Wilson was allowed a free header onto Bowler’s corner, and made no mistake.
Cusworth twice went close, but the home side pushed for an equaliser in the last minutes of the half, with Alan Griffiths heading Brian Moogan’s free kick just wide, and Green tipping Mike Garrity’s awkward, dipping 25-yarder over the bar, then saving from Taylor.
Five minutes into the restart Bowler blazed Pringle’s by-line pull back too high from the edge of the area, but five minutes on the home side equalised, the assistant referee indicated that an Alfreton throw had been taken from the wrong place, but Motors took the throw from the same spot, from which Taylor ran into a pack of defenders.
Mr Buxton pointed to the spot amid furious protests, and Lee Furlong gave Green no chance.
Cusworth again headed Laurie Wilson’s free kick just over the bar two more minutes on, and Lake charged out of his goal to win a race for possession with Pringle, but it was Vauxhall who grabbed the winner in the 64^th minute.
Furlong set up Taylor for a deep chip which dropped just under the bar – but it would be harsh to apportion any blame on the keeper for that one.
The Parkgate connection almost produced an equaliser eight minutes later when Laurie Wilson’s fabulous long ball picked out substitute Matt Outram. His cross picked out the unmarked Cusworth whose rocket header looked a certain goal until Jordan Holmes popped up from nowhere to head off the line.
Furlong should have made sure fore the home side with 15 to go but fired over the bar from 12 yards.
But Alfreton had one last chance in stoppage time, when Outram’s corner led to a melee in the six yard box, before the ball was scrambled clear with no-one able to force it over the line.
VAUXHALL: Lake, Moogan, Page (McMahon ht), Griffiths, Holmes, Field, Garrity, Furlong, Wright (Smith 59), Johnson, Taylor. Subs not used: Longrigg, Nesbitt, Johnston.
ALFRETON: Green, Hannigan, Barnard, M. Wilson, Young, L. Wilson, Glass (Outram 62), Brown (Doxey 74), Cusworth, Douglas-Pringle (Cockerill 81), Bowler. Subs not used: Henshaw, Walton.
REFEREE: C. Buxton of Accrington.
ATTENDANCE: 231.
GOALS: Vauxhall – Taylor 9, 64; Furlong 55 pen. Alfreton – Cusworth 28; M. Wilson 32.
CAUTIONS: Vauxhall – Garrity 76 (foul); Field 87 (dissent). Alfreton – Bowler 65 (foul). 

REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Brian Cusworth.