2006/2007 season Match no.6 - Nationwide North
Monday, August 28th, 2006
Worcester City 0, ALFRETON TOWN 0

Match report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD). Pics by Bill Wheatcroft.

ALFRETON Town manager Gary Mills may well have been been happy to take a draw from league leaders Worcester City before Monday’s encounter at St George’s Lane.
But his men were left to reflect on their inability to put the ball in the net when they are dominating a match, and the single point they gained could well have been all three.
Early play was end to end, with Mark Turner crucially managing a header back to keeper Dale Roberts to prevent Troy Wood’s cross from reaching the waiting Craig Wilding, and Ryan Clarke having a go from 30 yards but firing too high.
Shabir Khan’s pinpoint crossfield pass then found Jay Sztybel, from whose cross Wilding’s header took a deflection for a corner, which he then headed straight at Roberts.
Khan needed a timely tackle on Steve Melton as he homed in on Emeka Nwadike’s centre as Alfreton began to get on top.
Marcus Ebdon delivered a fine ball to send Andy Tiday on a run through the inside left channel. His sharp cross was returned to him by Khan, and he curled his follow up just past the far post.
City were almost caught flat-footed again on 15 minutes as Clarke fired just wide from Melton’s neat lay-off.
Four minutes later Nwadike rode two challenges on a surging 30-yard run to the by-line before crossing to Tiday, whase downward header was scrambled away.
The visitors were furious, though, when another excellent ball by Ebdon put Tiday in on goal. He was blatantly body-checkeded by keeper Danny McDonnell two yards outside the area as the Reds winger tried to round him, but amazingly the referee would have none of Alfreton’s protests.
A rare raid at this stage by the home side ended with Troy Wood’s crisp shot on the turn being held by Roberts, but Alfreton were soon pressing again and Tiday’s 35-yard effort was turned for a corner after he had gathered the loose ball as Tristram Whitman’s mazy run broke down.
The resulting corner reached the edge of the box from where Tiday aimed wide.
Worcester battled back in the closing stages of the half, and Clarke made a cruical challenge back as Widling tried to set up Wood before, in stoppage time, Gary Sucharewycz headed Des Lyttle’s free kick for a corner, from which Wilding’s header was over the bar.
Alfreton had a real let-off five minutes into the re-start when Wilding turned sharply inthe area and struck the far post. Sztybel pounced on the rebound but shot wide.
The Reds responded with Lyttle relieved to turn Tiday’s driven cross for a corner, after which Sucharewycz’s stifled header onto Ebdon’s cross was saved.
Jai Stanley tried his luck twice either side of the hour mark, but his first effort, a 35-yarder, was held under the bar by the stretching Roberts, and then when he tried to create space for a second go he was quickly closed down by Clarke and Sucharewycz.
Lee Featherstone then halted a determined run by City substitute Mark Danks.
Again the Reds hit back, with Tiday fizzing an effort wide from 30 yards on 75 minutes.
A minute later, back at the other end, Sucharewycz took the sting out of George Clegg’s fierce shot following a probing through ball from Sztybel.
But another minute on, Jermaine Palmer almost came up with a repeat of his goal against Workington. However, although his 20-yard blast dipped and swerved, McDonnell was equal to it.
Worcester had one more chance to snatch a victory they certainly would not have deserved, when Lyttle’s free kick found its way through a packed Reds defence.
Danks’ shot was held by Roberts, but in any case the referee blew for a foul on the keeper.
worcester: McDonnell, Sztybel, Burley, Khan, Thompson, Lyttle, Smith, Stanley (Colley 70), Wilding, Wood (Danks 62), Clegg (Preece 85). Subs not used: Hodnett, Walker.
ALFRETON: Roberts, Clarke, Featherstone, Sucharewycz, Turner, Melton, Nwadike, Ebdon, Mitchell, Whitman, Tiday. Subs not used: Burbeary, Palmer, Glass, Magee, Wall.
REFEREE: Steve Castle of Wolverhampton.
ATTENDANCE: 1,103.
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Marcus Ebdon.