Alfreton 0 Darlington 0

Attendance 825

Two missed penalties cost Quakers the points at North Street.

On a day when the ball spent a lot of time in the air from the home side, Jake Cassidy missed a first half spot kick, and when Quakers were awarded a second half penalty, Junior Mondal took on the responsibility but he missed as well.

However, the point was still enough to put Quakers into the play off spots, on the back of a run of just one defeat in eleven league matches.

Alfreton won a corner in the second minute , and the ball was cleared to the edge of the box from where Bailey Hobson fired high and wide of the target

Alfreton gained another on 4 minutes but Adriano Moke headed the ball clear.

Quakers nearly took the lead on 10 minutes. The ball was worked out to the left for Moke to play the ball back inside for Jack Lambert to turn and delicately chip the ball just over the top.

Quakers got a free kick for a foul on Junior Mondal 30 yards out, and Lambert fired the ball just wide.
Alfreton were awarded a free kick next to the right corner flag. It was swung in by Southwell for Conor Branson to head over the bar.

Branson went closer a couple of minutes later with a header from a Southwell free kick that clipped the top of the bar, but Darlington keeper Tommy Taylor had the ball well covered.

Alfreton took every opportunity to put the ball into the Darlington box, and target man Matt Rhead headed just wide from a Southwell corner from the right.
Quakers got a free kick for a foul on Dos Santos on the right, but Lambert’s free kick was cleared by the first defender.

Alex Storey was penalised for a foul on Yusifu Ceesay as he broke clear midway inside the Darlington half, and after the Alfreton players surrounded the referee wanting a red card, the official produced a yellow card. Southwell put the free kick into the keeper’s hands.
Quakers went close on 37 minutes. Cassidy nodded down a right wing corner at the far post, for Mondal to turn just wide.
Quakers nearly scored on 38 minutes. Mondal and Purver kept possession of the ball well 25 yards out, and Purver slipped the ball through to Jake Cassidy, who sidestepped a defender and fired a right foot shot against the post, although the keeper managed just managed to gethis foot on the ball.

And there was another chance on 42 minutes. Lambert found Griffiths on the right, and Griffiths' low shot was deflected just wide of the far post. From the corner, Lambert worked his way into the box and was brought down for a penalty.
However, Alfreton keeper George Willis pulled off a superb save, going down to his left to push Jake Cassidy’s penalty away.

Half time 0-0

Quakers gained a corner on 51 minutes after a great run by Dos Santos, but Lambert’s corner went over everybody.

Storey played a great ball through the middle for Lambert, but he couldn’t quite control the ball on the edge of the box.

Quakers got another penalty on 62 minutes when Mondal raced into the box and was bundled over . Mondal grabbed the ball and took the spot kick, but again Willis saved, this time down to his right.

Quakers nearly paid for that miss four minutes later, when Rhead controlled a long clearance by Willis, turned, and volleyed just wide.

Quakers nearly took the lead on 70 minutes, when sub Jarrett Rivers swung a corner over from the right for Storey to head just over the bar.

The game was finely balanced at this stage. Alfreton though nearly scored on 84 minutes, when Rhead headed a long throw by Lund just wide.

Mondal had another penalty shout turned down on 87 minutes when he stumbled as he was challenged inside the box, but the referee waved play on.

Stats:

Shots on target: 1/2

Shots off target: 9/6

Corners: 6/5

Free kicks conceded 5/11

Penalties conceded 2/0

Offsides 1/1

Yellows 2/1

Team: Taylor, Griffiths, Storey, Lawlor, Hedley; Moke, Purver (c); Lambert (sub Rivers 69), Dos Santos (sub McHale 84), Mondal, Cassidy

Subs: Smith, O'Neill, Lowe

Booking: Storey

Alfreton: Willis, Clackstone, Wilde (sub Preston 72), Branson (sub Butterfield 79), Sutton, Smith, Ceesay, Lund, Rhead, Southwell (sub Salmon 83), Hobson

Subs: Smith-Eccles, Johnson

Booking: Ceesay, Rhead