Alfreton Town Football Club

2009/2010 Season. Match no. 6. Blue Square Conference North match no. 6.
Saturday, August 29th, 2009

It is a long time since Alfreton Town subjected their fans to such a woeful performance as they did at Redditch United on Saturday, the scoreline adequately reflecting the difference between the two sides.
The absence of key players through injury and suspension would certainly not have helped the Reds, as neither would a poor playing surface or a lengthy diversion en-route that curtailed warm-up plans.
Richard Pell missed the game through a one match suspension while Paul Clayton had picked up an injury in training in midweek and Matt Wilson was out with a groin injury he sustained in the Southport home game seven days earlier.
Mattie Burke and Damian Reeves were handed their first starts of the campaign.
Just about Alfreton's best chance of the game came in the ninth minute when Liam Hearn's promising run down the left flank produced a cross that was met by Mattie Burke's full-blooded drive from the edge of the area.
Burke's shot, which was the only one on target for the Reds in the entire 90 minutes, was deflected away by a defender and fell invitingly for Damian Reeves to slice disappointingly wide.
There was an anxious moment for home keeper Danny Lewis on 15 minutes when Anthony Howell's over-hit through-ball bounced awkwardly and had to be watched very carefully, but Redditch began to up the ante and Aden Flint was soon called upon to make two crucial tackles.
First of all on 18 minutes Flint tracked Gary Hay as he was played through and managed to guide the ball back to Craig Dootson, then seconds later took the ball off Hay after James Dance had caught out Anton Brown on the left.
Back at the other end Lewis clutched a 24th minute Ian Ross cross as Reeves homed in, then there was a moment of contention when Dootson kicked the ball out of play for Dominic Roma to receive attention.
Alfreton players naturally expected a routine pass back to the keeper but that appeared not to be on the menu for Jamie Oliver, whose meaty drive from 40 yards only just missed the target.
Another good block by Flint in the 31st minute halted David Bridgewater's progress at the expense of a corner, but that only led to Redditch's opening goal when Oliver was left with a clear header 12 yards out.
Alfreton ended the first half with a flurry of activity without testing the home keeper, as Oliver twice conceded free-kicks in dangerous positions with hefty tackles on Ross and Flint and a trio of corners were won by the Reds.
Brown failed to engineer enough power on his header as Ross curled in a 48th minute free-kick, then three minutes later a dreadful clearance by Dootson led to Redditch doubling their advantage.
The loose ball was fed to Hay who was brought down by Flint for Bridgewater to stroke the spot-kick wide of Dootson and leave the Reds a mountain to climb.
Burke made little or no contact on the ball after Joe Clarke had mis-kicked in front of his own goal from a Ross delivery on 53 minutes, leaving the Alfreton midfielder holding his head in his hands, then two minutes later Howell's shot was blocked at source after cutting in from the right.
Flint and Kyle McFadzean collided whilst trying to clear in the 63rd minute, allowing Dance a free shy at goal that was fortunately well wide, then three minutes after that Dootson had to block as Dance embarked on a direct run.
Basic errors were in abundance as Redditch were gift-wrapped their third goal with 17 minutes remaining, Flint virtually passing the ball to the unmarked Oliver on the half-way line before Hay was sent on to score with ease.
A brief response from the Reds saw Josh Law send a ball through the six-yard box in the 74th minute which Brown just failed to reach, then Brown returned the compliment three minutes later but Law dwelt too long on the pass and the chance was gone.
It was still necessary for Dootson to pull off another fine save with eight minutes left, blocking with his legs as Hay played the ball inside rather too easily for Clarke.