2007/2008 Season. Blue Square Conference North. Game no. 16
Saturday, October 20th, 2007
ALFRETON TOWN 2, Workington 0

Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD). Pics by Phil Lucic.

The two Alfreton goalscorers from the victory, Kris Bowler (left) and Danny Reet (11).

ALFRETON gained their first league win in three matches on Saturday and brought the ‘other’ Reds from Workington back to earth after their 5-0 FA Cup success at Stalybridge Celtic the previous weekend.
Town dominated the first half and were unlucky to go in with only a 35^th-minute Danny Reet goal to show, after Peter Knox had twice rattled the bar
 But although Workington gained the territorial advantage after the interval, on the rare occasions when they found a way through a resilient home defence they found keeper Kyle Sutcliffe, given the nod ahead of James Lindley, in fine form.
And when Alfreton hit them on the break through Kris Bowler in the 73^rd minute there was no way back for the Cumbrians, who lost to the local Reds for the first time since their elevation to the Conference North.
Alfreton were without suspended duo Matt Glass and Laurie Wilson, but included new midfielder Steve Warne for his debut after signing from Matlock Town the previous day, while Kyle McFadzean made his first appearance since sustaining an injury at Tamworth in August.
And what a difference McFadzean made – just as his dad John used to around ten years ago, albeit in a different position up front.
McFadzean was a tower of strength in nullifying Workington’s threat along the left, and his crosses into the box were a constant source of danger, particularly the two from which Knox hit the woodwork in the first half.
The game began slowly and there was little to raise the heart rate or exercise the pen in the first 20 minutes, although Alfreton largely controlled the first quarter, and continued to do so to half time.
But when the game did stir it was initially at the other end when Matt Wilson made a fine challenge on the edge of the box to deny Joe Kendrick a shot at goal after Matthew Berkeley had chested down.
Then in the 24^th minute came the first of Knox’s unlucky strikes. With his back to goal he chested down McFadzean’s ball into the area, swivelled, and volleyed over keeper Adam Collin but against the bar. Collin recovered quickly enough to save Brian Cusworth’s follow-up header.
However, the deadlock was broken in the 35^th minute after a superb piece of individual work by Reet.  The Mansfield loanee blazed a path around the back of David Hewson on the left, cut into the box, and unleashed a hard, low drive into the bottom far corner from a tight angle.
But white-shirted Workington almost caught the Reds cold within a minute, when Michael Reed shot from the right of his area and Sutcliffe had to turn the ball around his near post to keep it out.
Knox was denied by the woodwork again in the 39^th minute, this time with a header, after another probing ball into the area from McFadzean.
But Sutcliffe breathed a sigh of relief two minutes later when his attempted clearance of McFadzean’s back pass struck Kendrick. It could have rebounded anywhere, but mercifully it went wide.
Even so, with only a one goal deficit, Workington emerged for the second half with everything to play for, and soon pinned the home side back.
Alfreton had replaced skipper Mark Barnard with Tommy Hannigan who also took the armband, and the substitute skipper needed to be at his best as the visitors sought a way back.
But Craig Johnson’s 20-yard ground shot flashed wide, Sutcliffe needed a double save, aided by Anton Brown, to deny Berkeley, and Reed showed brilliant close control to work his way into the area and force Sutcliffe to save on his line.
Workington’s storm lasted for around a quarter of an hour, towards the end of which Reed flicked Alan Gray’s free kick over the bar, and Sutcliffe had to dive to his left to save another good effort, again from Reed.
With the Cumbrians’ fire drawn the game went quiet for a spell, but in the 73^rd minute Tony Hopper could not control Graham Anthony’s free kick in the area, and Alfreton countered along the left through Reet.
His shot was blocked, but Knox picked up the rebound and crossed it low for Bowler to sweep it in.
That was the end of the visitors, and Reet was close to making it 3-0 three minutes from time with a 30-yard drive that flashed just wide.
ALFRETON TOWN: Sutcliffe, McFadzean, Brown, Barnard (Hannigan ht), M. Wilson, Warne, Law, Bowler, Cusworth, Knox, Reet. Subs not used: Walton, Cockerill, Agus, Lindley.
WORKINGTON: Collin, Hewson, Rowntree, May, Gray, Kendrick, Anthony, Hopper, Berkeley, Reed (Nicholson 80), Johnson. Subs not used: Edmondson, Rudd, Gullen, Taylor.
REFEREE: Andy Smith of Castleford.
ATTENDANCE: 251.GOALS: Alfreton – Reet 35; Bowler 73.
CAUTIONS: Workington – Anthony 75 (foul on Bowler).
MAN OF THE MATCH: Kyle McFadzean.