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Darlington 2 Alfreton Town 3

Scorer: Reeves (27 mins 0-1), Allan (36 mins. 0-2), Southwell (52 mins 0-3), Hatfield (59 mins, 1-3), Hatfield (84 mins pen 2-3)

Attendance 1760

Man of the match: Will Hatfield

A late fightback wasn't enough for Quakers in their first game of the season at home to Alfreton.

Quakers' defence was exposed by the height of the Alfreton attack, but a goal on the hour injected some life into Quakers, and after Will Hatfield scored from the spot for the second, they nearly snatched a point.

There was a huge roar from all around the ground when the players came on to the pitch for Quakers’ first league game in front of fans for 532 days.

Quakers had a half chance on 5 minutes when Junior Mondal headed the ball down for Jake Cassidy to have a shot blocked, then the keeper smothered his follow up.

Alfreton nearly took the lead on 8 minutes, when Johnson floated a free kick over from the left, and Tom Allan’s header was brilliantly pushed away low down to his left by Tommy Taylor.

And from the corner that followed, Adam Lund’s header was cleared off the line by Kevin Dos Santos.

There was a good exchange and close play on 21 minutes between Hatfield, Dos Santos and Joe Wheatley which gave Wheatley some space in the box, and his right footed cross was well held by Willis.

Tommy Taylor made another save on 23 minutes when Dayle Southwell crossed from the left, and after Reeves helped the ball on, Rhead’s shot was saved by the keeper at point blank range.

Alfreton took the lead on 27 minutes, when Allan pulled the ball back on the left side of the area for Elliott Reeves to sidefoot in.

Quakers nearly levelled on 32 minutes, when Dos Santos cut in from the left side, beat two defenders, but pulled his shot wide.

It was 2-0 though on 37 minutes. Tommy Taylor fisted a right wing cross firmly away, but it was picked up again by Alfreton, and when the ball went back into the box, Allan headed into the bottom corner.

Quakers responded by taking off Luke Charman, and replacing him with Alex Purver.

After Joey Hope was barged to the ground chasing Wheatley’s pass three minutes before half time, Will Hatfield curled the free kick just over the top.

Half time 0-2

Alun's post match interview: https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/alun-we-must-defend-better

It was 3-0 on 51 minutes. A long ball forward was flicked on by Rhead for Southwell to latch on to and beat Tommy Taylor with a left foot shot.

It was nearly four on 58 minutes but Rhead headed straight at Taylor from a right wing cross.

Quakers pulled a goal back on 59 minutes soon after Kallum Griffiths and Jarrett Rivers had come on as subs,. Dos Santos chased a loose ball in the Alfreton box, had his right foot shot palmed away by the keeper, but Hatfield, following up, rammed the ball home.

Quakers got some momentum going, and nearly pulled another goal back when Rivers found Dos Santos on the left, and he managed to find space and hit a right foot shot that Willis saved.

But Quakers always looked in danger at corners , and Branson had an unmarked header from a right wing corner well saved by Taylor.

Quakers got a penalty on 83 minutes when Wheatley was brought down as he picked up a Rivers pass following a period of pressure, and Hatfield scored from the spot.

Quakers threw everyone forward in the dying minutes, with Alex Storey playing alongside Cassidy, but they couldn’t grab an equaliser.

Team: Tommy Taylor, Hedley, Storey, Brandon Taylor, Hope (sub Griffiths 58), Wheatley, Hatfield, Dos Santos, Mondal (sub Rivers 58), Cassidy, Charman (sub Purver 36)

Subs: Beeden, Nelson, 

Alfreton:

Willis, Clackstone, Wilde, Lund, Smith, Allan, Reeves (sub Tuton 61), Evans, Rhead, Johnson (sub Branson 16), Southwell.

Subs: Smith-Eccles, Wiley, Molyneaux

and here's our ad roll:

Stats, courtesy of Alex Holland:

Shots off target: 3/5

Shots on target: 5/13

Corners: 1/4

Offsides 2/4

Yellow cards: 1 Purver/2 Reeves, Branson