2008/2009 Season. Match no. 43. Blue Square Conference North no. 32.
Saturday, March 21st, 2009

Vauxhall Motors 1, ALFRETON TOWN 1

Match pics by Dave Purseglove here

ALFRETON Town extended their unbeaten run to three games with a third successive draw, this time against a workmanlike, robust Vauxhall side.
For the second game in a row though they failed to captalise on possessional dominance in the second half and two more precious points slipped away as well as the chance to claim a second league double of the campaign having recorded a 3-1 home win over Motors a month previous.
Vauxhall went in front in their first real attack of the first half when Lee Furlong netted but after Anthony Howell’s superb equaliser on 44 minutes got Alfreton level, Town couldn’t break down a resolute home side in the second half.
Manager Nicky Law recalled fit again Liam Hearn and joint top scorer strike partner Paul Clayton who had served a one game suspension but he was without Martin McIntosh whose hamstring injury flared up again in training on Thursday night and he was due a scan to assess the situation.
Law resisted the temptation to throw latest signing Ian Ross into the fray and the midfield man had to be content with making his debut from the bench late in the game. Ben Muirhead and Kris Bowler were left out of the squad altogether.
On an awful, uneven playing surface the Reds began well and James Holden came to Vauxhall’s rescue after just eight minutes when he cleared Jordan Hall’s effort off the line after neat approach work from Howell and Clayton.
After a wayward header from Tom Hannigan for the hosts on 11 minutes from Holden’s free kick, Alfreton went close when Hall latched onto a loose ball and squared for Howell whose driven cross flashed between home defenders Alan Griffiths and Jordan Holmes but also beyond Clayton.
A neat passing move between Howell and Anton Brown ended with the former blasting wide although he was given offside.
Vauxhall shook Alfreton by taking the lead on 22 minutes with their first real attack of the match. The visiting defence were perhaps guilty of ball watching as Hannigan’s deep cross left Lee Furlong clear to steer in from ten yards out.
The Reds hit back and Clayton showed good control before despatching Hall’s pass just wide with an angled drive.
Vauxhall had the chance to double the lead on 25 minutes when Karl Noon chipped over when clear from a hopeful punt by Griffiths and a minute later Chris Noone cut in from the left and fired into the side netting.
That feat was matched at the other end by Liam Hearn who shot into the side netting from six yards after being set up by Clayton’s cross.
Aden Flint put in a towering header on 36 minutes from a Simon Marples free kick after Mattie Burke had felled Howell but the header was almost embarrassingly wide.
Noon fired just over for Motors from 25 yards.
Clayton had to change his shirt after suffering a head injury and he returned he appeared to be pushed when challenging for a Marples corner but he still headed down for Hearn whose 12-yard blast saw home keeper James Coates produce a good save to turn the effort around for another corner.
Alfreton’s progress was rewarded with the equaliser on 44 minutes. Marples and Brown were involved in setting Howell free and after cutting in from the right, he jinked past two defenders and fired a precise shot low inside the near post through a crowded goalmouth for a superb equaliser and his first goal for the club.
Clayton emerged 90 seconds late for the second half following more treatment but it was strike partner Hearn who was set up by Hall’s run to the byline and cross who forced another parried save by Coates on 47 minutes with a ferocious angled drive which was eventually cleared by Holden.
Howell’s 52nd minute corner brushed the top of the crossbar before Coates palming it away and then Howell shot into the side netting after a quick Marples corner.
Hall did well to get a byline cross to the far post where Hearn was waiting but the ball bobbled over him and minutes later Clayton’s cross flashed across the face of goal with Brown just unable to reach it at full stretch.
With Ian Ross replacing Hall on 71 minutes for his debut, Alfreton continued to dominate against a battling home side who got plenty of bodies back and after Hall’s lob was held from 18-yards by Coates, Howell forced a corner during a raid in which for a split second he had a clear sight of goal before Hannigan cleared as Howell tried to reach Clayton.
Ross saw his well struck free kick palmed away by Coates after Jordan Holmes had scythed Clayton down on the edge of the area and in the first minute of four of stoppage time, Josh Law who had replaced Hearn on 73 had a deflected shot held low from a corner.
Despite this being a fifth game without a victory, fortunately results elsewhere again means the Reds are still in sixth place and still in with a big shout of claiming a play-off place but the side in general need to start and convert some of the plethora of chances which are being created.

Vauxhall Motors: James Coates, Tom Hannigan, Chris Noone (Lee Dames 81), Rob Marsh-Evans, Alan Griffiths, Jordan Holmes (Jonathan Egerton 85), James Holden, Mattie Burke, Karl Noon, Tom Field, Lee Furlong.
Subs not used: Zharir Mustafa, Anthony Wright, Saul Otobo.
Alfreton Town: Steve Dickinson, Simon Marples, Kyle McFadzean, Aden Flint, Matt Wilson, Tom Curtis, Jordan Hall (Ian Ross 71), Anton Brown, Paul Clayton, Liam Hearn (Josh Law 83), Anthony Howell.
Subs not used: Kyle Sutcliffe, Brian Cusworth, Kris Bowler.
Referee: A M Pownall of Liverpool.
Attendance: 168.
goals: Vauxhall Motors - Lee Furlong 22 minutes. Alfreton Town - Anthony Howell 44 minutes.
Cautions: Vauxhall Motors - Tom Field (66, foul on Matt Wilson); Jordan Holmes (82, foul on Paul Clayton); Rob Marsh-Evans (90+3, kicking ball away). Alfreton Town - none.
Reds man of the match: Paul Clayton.