2008/2009 Season. Match no. 54. Blue Square Conference North Play Off semi final, first leg
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

AFC Telford United 2, ALFRETON TOWN 0

Match pics courtesy of Dave Purseglove here

Alfreton Town's venture into the unknown world of the Blue Square North play-offs brought a two goal deficit from their first leg semi-final visit to AFC Telford United.
The defeat was a first in 14 games for Nicky Law's side who never really got going but they will know they can play much better and will need to in order to turn the tie around in the second leg.
It was also, perhaps crucially, the first time in 14 games and only the second in 27 games that the Reds had failed to find the net.
The New Buck's Head is a formidable and uninviting place for visiting teams at the best of times, but with so much at stake it became a steaming cauldron and despite Reds' fans accounting for a creditable 174 that number represented a mere seven per cent of the total gate.
Indeed Alfreton have failed to score a single goal there in four attempts, although they did achieve a worthy 0-0 draw there back in September, yet they did create the first three chances of the game before falling back on the retreat.
Just two minutes had elapsed when Kyle McFadzean's punt upfield allowed Liam Hearn to head the ball past the keeper, but the striker placed it too wide and had a forlorn chase to keep it in play.
A direct trade-mark run from Hearn on 11 minutes was only halted by Trainer on the edge of the area and Ian Ross curled the free-kick agonisingly a fraction over the bar.
2 minutes later a good tackle by Whitehead stopped Hearn this time as Paul Clayton sent him on a much wider run, then as the home side stepped up a gear former Alfreton midfielder Emeka Nwadike missed a great chance from close range on 25 minutes when set up by Trainer's cross following a long pass down the left from Meredith.
Steve Dickinson had to hold a low drive after Andy Brown had cut in from the left a minute later, then on 27 minutes Blakeman's shot took a terrible deflection off Aden Flint but Dickinson managed to scramble across to smother low to his right.
Flint then had to clear an awkward inswinging corner from Trainer off the line in the 33rd minute, then at last in first-half stoppage time Alfreton managed to muster a useful attack which ended with Anthony Howell's shot being blocked at source by Whitehead from Clayton's neat lay-off.
Hearn was wide of the target with a header 2 minutes after the break from Josh Law's cross following another good pass by Clayton, but within a few seconds Telford's impressive stadium erupted in noise as Nwadike peeled away in celebration after breaking the deadlock.
It was Blakeman's by-line cross that set up the goal with Nwadike initially unable to take advantage as he struggled to control the ball, Carey-Bertram nipping in to hammer it against the upright before Nwadike slotted home the rebound.
Alfreton mounted a decent foray in response but a wayward pass from Law in the 63rd minute sent Vaughan on a long run that ended with him being brought down by Howell in a dangerous area, the free-kick triggering confusion in the box before Dickinson's reflex save from Rodgers after the keeper had initially punched the ball away.
A superb block by Tony Butler, as solid as ever at the heart of the Reds' defence, foiled Carey-Bertram after Flint's 68th minute error, but 6 minutes later at the other end a surprised Clayton missed probably the best opportunity for Alfreton in the entire 90 minutes.
Home keeper Young made a poor fisted clearance from a back-pass and as Whitehead tried to retrieve the situation the ball screwed backwards and left Clayton clear with only the keeper to beat, but he may not have realised just how far away the nearest Telford defender was and dragged a hurried shot wide.
3 minutes later Anton Brown hooked wide at the back post from Howell's cross, but with 79 minutes on the clock United scored a decisive second goal to take the wind out of Alfreton's sails.
Brown failed to clear and allowed Vaughan to advance at goal and cross from the right - Flint somehow managed to get the ball stuck under his feet in front of goal and as he tried to rectify this Carey-Bertram was able to run the ball past the stranded Dickinson, although the goalscorer did not make the clean contact he had intended.
With 5 minutes remaining an unsavoury incident involving Matt Wilson and Trainer as the ball was being cleared resulted in the Telford player being sent-off for violent conduct and the Alfreton defender cautioned, and as the players left the field there were further exchanges that needed the intervention of stewards as matters became heated.

AFC Telford United: Ryan Young, Lee Vaughan, James Meredith, Gavin Cowan, Stuart Whitehead (c), Liam Blakeman, Emeka Nwadike, Carl Rodgers, Danny Carey-Bertram (Matty Lewis 90), Andy Brown (Danny Edwards 83), Phil Trainer.
Substitutes not used: Steve Jagielka, Jimmy Turner, Lee Moore.
Alfreton Town: Steve Dickinson, Matt Wilson, Kyle McFadzean, Tony Butler, Aden Flint, Ian Ross (Jordan Hall 86), Josh Law, Anton Brown, Paul Clayton (Brian Cusworth 90+1), Liam Hearn, Anthony Howell.
Substitutes not used: Ben Muirhead, Martin McIntosh, Kyle Sutcliffe.
Referee: Peter Bankes of Bootle.
Attendance: 2,346 including 174 from Alfreton.
Goals: AFC Telford United - Emeka Nwadike 48, Danny Carey-Bertram 79.
Cautions: AFC Telford United: Emeka Nwadike, 7 mins, foul on Kyle McFadzean); Danny Edwards (88, foul on Kyle McFadzean). Alfreton Town: Paul Clayton (20, foul on Lee Vaughan); Anthony Howell (63, foul on Lee Vaughan); Matt Wilson (85, retaliation).
Sent off: AFC Telford United - Phil Trainer, 85 minutes, violent conduct.
Reds man of the match: Tony Butler.