| 2008/2009 Season. Pre-season friendly no. 8
Wednesday, August 6th, 2008
Parkhouse1, ALFRETON TOWN 3
Report by Gordon Foster (Mansfield CHAD)
Phil Lucic's match pics are on the official Alfreton Town FC photo gallery here
ALFRETON Town manager Nicky Law will surely have allowed himself a self-indulgent smile after his side had held a Sheffield United team to a 2-2 draw at the Impact Arena on Friday night.
For the Reds boss saw his elder son Nicky junior score one and create one for the Blades, while younger son Josh, in a red shirt, effectively told his older brother ‘anything you can do I can do better’ and came up with a peach of a second half equaliser, to ensure that the Reds completed their pre-season preparations undefeated.
All four goals were of the highest quality. Nicky Law junior opened the scoring for the Blades in the 16th minute, cancelled out by Martin McIntosh’s direct free kick equaliser six minutes later.
Jordan Robertson restored the lead five minutes before the break, but Josh Law squared the match nine minutes into the second half.
The Championship club did not send as strong a side as last year, and maybe the Alfreton public knew something for only around half of last season’s 757 attendance turned up. But the stayaways missed a real treat.
There was a bizarre opening with both United and the match officials wearing black, so there was an early delay while yellow training vest tops were found for the three officials.
The young Blades began sharply, and Nicky Law hit the Reds side netting from Lee Hendrie’s eighth minute free kick into the box from the left.
Alfreton’s first chance came in the 12th minute when Leo Fortune-West knocked the ball down for Danny Davidson, who brought a great save out of Jamie Annerson, the England U19 keeper throwing himself to his right to push around the post.
Nicky Law and Robertson had shots blocked by Lee Ellender and McIntosh as United sought to open up the home defence, but it was a smart piece of work by Law that finally did so in the 16th minute. Law broke his dad’s heart by racing onto Keith Quinn’s ball down the left, and cutting inside two defenders to make space for a clinical finish past Tom Evans.
Hendrie, who conceded a succession of free kicks throughout the match, tripped Davidson some 23 yards out in the 20th minute, but there was a two minute delay while Quinn received treatment for an injury before the kick could be taken.
However, when it finally was, it was as good a free kick as anyone could wish to see. Without a hint of a run-up McIntosh simply struck the ball left-footed with such strength that Annerson was given no chance.
As United strove to regain their advantage McIntosh and Ellender were solid in the heart of the home defence, but Amen Tahar’s outstretched leg just failed to meet Nicky Law’s far post cross when a touch would almost certainly have brought a goal.
At the other end Maxim Chanot had to concede two corners in quick succession under pressure – Ellender headed the first one over and the second was cleared.
But it was the Blades who hit the target five minutes before the break, and again the Reds boss will have been left with mixed feelings as his son played the deftest of backheels to evade McIntosh and set up Robertson to hit home from just inside the box.
Paul Clayton threatened an equaliser three minutes later after getting round the back on the right, but his cross lacked the quality of his run and the chance was gone.
New keeper Justin Haber replaced Annerson in goal for the Blades at half time, and again the Championship visitors began brightly. Robertson shot wide from the edge of the box, and Law’s cross shot from the left came back off the face of the bar following Kile Walker’s surging forward run.
But when a goal arrived again it was at the other end in the 54th minute – and even after what had gone before, it had to go down as the goal of the match.
Josh Law showed his elder brother what he was capable of with a superb run down the left, taking on and beating two defenders before placing a dream of a cross shot beyond Haber and inside the far post. One could almost hear a Motsonian cry of ‘Oh, I say!’
Two minutes later Davidson was unlucky not to give the Reds the lead for the first time. Having burst through the middle he saw Haber take the sting out of his initial effort, and Chanot desperately scrambled his follow-up attempt for a corner.
Alfreton were enjoying the better of the play at this stage, and a fluent passing move ended with Kris Bowler’s 30-yard dipper deceiving Haber but hitting the bar.
That stung United into action again, and when Evans stuck out a leg to keep Chanot’s pot shot out, Chanot’s second attempt hit the bar, and Robertson’ following up, saw his fierce drive divert over the bar off Ellender.
Hendrie earned the derision of the home fans five minutes from time when, having been substituted, he tore his shirt off his back and threw it angrily to the ground. He had won only their scorn after his series of niggly fouls throughout the match, and he ran straight down the tunnel to chants of ‘Who are yer?”
But those same fans were generous in their applause for both sides at the end of 90 minutes of top class entertainment.
ALFRETON TOWN: Evans, Marples (McFadzean 70), Bowler, Ellender (Wilson 70), McIntosh, Curtis, J. Law, Hall, Clayton, Davidson (Grocott 67), Fortune-West. Subs not used: Weedon, Reet.
SHEFFIELD UNITED: Annerson (Haber ht), Iowton, Chanot,Quinn (Smith 26), Walker, Montgomery, Wedgbury, Hendrie (Dempsey 85), Tahar, Robertson, N. Law. Subs not used; Gee, Secannin, Flatibi.
REFEREE: Mark Hutchinson.
ATTENDANCE: 383.
GOALS: Alfreton – McIntosh 22; J. Law 54. United – N. Law 16; Robertson 40.
REDS MAN OF THE MATCH: Martin McIntosh.
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