ALFRETON Town continued their rise up the Blue Square North table to seventh with a deserved win over a robust Burscough side which was comfortable throughout despite having Jordan Hall sent off for violent conduct six minutes into the second half.

The victory was built on two goals in 15 minutes midway through the first half with Kris Bowler's first of the season on 22 minutes added to on 37 by Leo Fortune-West who has now scored for the last three games in a row.

It also extended Nicky Law's side's unbeaten run in the league to six games and they are now without defeat in five home games this season.

Inside two minutes Martin McIntosh saw his header from a Ben Muirhead corner blocked at the far post as the Reds began looking to make some inroads into a record of just one win in ten games in all competitions against the Lancashire side prior to this fixture.

Burscough centre back Dave Roberts and Leo Fortune-West were spoken by to Leeds-based official Jason Whiteley after a clash before James McCulloch fired over from a Michael Grogan lay-off after Ryan Wade had pulled the ball back from the byline for the visitors.

Six minutes later Tom Evans comfortably held Brian Moogan's free-kick from 22-yards on 16 minutes but the home keeper was called into action three minutes later when he palmed away Chris Amadi's shot after the visiting striker had got the better of Tony Butler. Tom Curtis completed the clearance.

Alfreton hit back and took the lead with a neat move started and finished by Kris Bowler from midfield. His ball out to the right picked out Paul Clayton and after Muirhead laid the ball back from Jordan Hall's cross, Bowler hammered the opening goal into the roof of the net from 15-yards.

Clayton had a shot on the near post stifled after he had turned onto a Simon Marples throw into the area and visiting keeper Aaron Grundy then had to hold a Hall cross at the second attempt as Clayton homed in.

Alfreton were good value for their lead and they doubled it on 37 minutes. Moogan was booked for a foul on Bowler ten yards inside the Burscough half, McIntosh's free-kick fed Curtis and after his angled drive could only be palmed by Grundy into Fortune-West's path, the powerful Reds striker buried his fifth goal of the season from close range.

Three minutes later Anton Brown saw his left wing cross-shot fly inches over the bar.

There was a scare in the home penalty area when Moogan's free kick saw a Dave Roberts header at the near post go across the face of Tom Evans's goal with the lunging duo of Grogan and Eddie Stanford failing to make contact.

Two minutes before the break McIntosh got in a vital block after Matty Parry's turn and Amadi's advance threatened to go unchallenged.

With the Reds looking set to go on and possibly record their biggest victory of the season, they had to rethink their strategy somewhat when Jordan Hall was sent off for violent conduct on 51 minutes. The Alfreton midfielder certainly had an arm raised and appeared to strike the back of Stanford's head - much to the obvious audible displeasure of Town manager Nicky Law.

Alfreton continued to forge forward though and on the hour Owen Roberts had to put the ball behind for a corner as Fortune-West chased a long McIntosh clearance and a minute later a long ball down the right by Marples fed Clayton whose shot was held by Grundy.

The visitors were denied a route to goal when Amadi rolled the ball across goal and Grogan's shot at the back post was blocked.

It was the Reds who went closer still though on 65 minutes when a Muirhead corner was met by a powerful McIntosh header which was saved low down on the line by Grundy.

Josh Law replaced Clayton but the substitute saw a cross from the byline cut out before he could get on the end of it after Fortune-West's flick had sent the impressive Muirhead away.

Visiting substitute Adam Roscoe put a towering header over from Moogan's corner but Fortune-West almost added a third when his clever chip shot from Bowler's through-ball fell just over the top of the bar on 75 minutes.

A minute later McIntosh headed just past the far post from Josh Law's free-kick from the right.

Burscough substitutes Roscoe and Allan Smart both headed on from Moogan's punt but Tom Evans easily tidied up before McIntosh saw another header blocked on the line by keeper Grundy after a neat one-two between Muirhead and Bowler from Muirhead's initial corner.

Two minutes from time Moogan's ball into the box ended with Grogan putting a clear diving headed chance behind.
Two minutes later a low hard drive by Stanford was cleared off the line by McIntosh who was positioned well but knew little about his blocked clearance which preserved a fourth clean sheet in the last five games for the Reds.
Overall, it is so far so good in terms of progress for Nicky Law's side who are now one point outside the play-off spots.

ALFRETON TOWN: Tom Evans, Simon Marples, Anton Brown, Tony Butler, Martin McIntosh, Tom Curtis, Ben Muirhead, Jordan Hall, Paul Clayton (Josh Law 67), Leo Fortune-West (Brian Cusworth 88), Kris Bowler. Subs not used: Danny Mayman, Dean Oliver, Joe McCormack.

BURSCOUGH: Aaron Grundy, Brian Moogan, Owen Roberts, Paul Bowes, Dave Roberts, Michael Grogan, Matty Parry, Eddie Stanford, Chris Amadi (Allan Smart 67), James McCulloch (Adam Roscoe 67), Ryan Wade. Subs not used: Tony Evans, Ryan Bowen, Michael Owens.

REFEREE: Jaswon Whiteley of Leeds.

ATTENDANCE: 307.

GOALS: Alfreton Town - Kris Bowler (22), Leo Fortune-West 37.

CAUTIONS: Alfreton Town - Tony Butler (persistent infringements (72). Burscough - Brian Moogan (36) foul on Bowler; Paul Bowes (56) foul on Clayton.

SENT OFF: Alfreton Town - Jordan Hall (51) violent conduct.

REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Ben Muirhead.