Darlington 2 Alfreton Town 1

Allan 13 mins, 1-0, Main 18 mins, 2-0, Cummings 61 mins 2-1

Attendance 1201

Thanks to our matchball sponsor, Blackwell Grange Hotel

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Alfreton won an early corner with the help of a long throw, but when the ball came in from the left, Pete Jameson held on.

Quakers had a long throw themselves on three minutes, which was helped on by Elliot Forbes to the far post where Cedric Main couldn’t quite connect with a bicycle kick.

Max Howells made a great run up the left and pulled the ball back to the edge of the area, but a defender got to the ball just ahead of Will McGowan.

Quakers had their first shot on 10 minutes when Paddy McLoughlin’s attempted run was blocked on the edge of the area and the ball ran for Forbes to fire just over the bar.

Quakers took the lead with a good goal on 13 minutes. Ben Hedley, who scored in the previous game between the two clubs, ran towards the area and played the ball into McGowan’s path, and he slid the ball over to the far post where Tom Allan tapped in his fourth goal of the season.

Alfreton tried to reply, and Hedley cleared a long throw over his own bar, and then Siya Ligenda headed wide from the corner.

The score was 2-0 on 18 minutes. Alfreton tried to run out of defence with the ball, but Platt won the ball in a tackle and found Aidan Rutledge, who in turn squared the ball for Cedric Main to score with a low right foot shot past the helpless keeper, his eighth of the season.

After Alfreton wasted a couple of good positions, Quakers had a penalty appeal turned down on 27 minutes. The tricky McGowan played a 1-2 with Main to get into the area, and seemed to be tripped by a defender’s outstretched leg, but the referee waved play on.

McGowan created another chance on 31 minutes when he spotted Allan making a run into the box and played the ball into him, but Allan couldn’t quite get his effort on target, then in Quakers’ next attack, Main pulled the ball back for Allan to have an effort deflected wide of the post.

Quakers were denied a third by a good save on 42 minutes. Main found Howells on the right, and played the ball into the six yard box for Allan to hit first time, but the keeper, Harry Burgoyne, did well to block his effort with his outstretched leg.

Aidan Rutledge tried his luck from the left corner of the box, but his right foot shot went wide as Quakers completed a good first 45 minutes.

Half time 2-0

Alfreton had more purpose about them in the second half, but Quakers broke from one of their free kicks, and Main found Howells bursting down the right, but after he beat a defender, the keeper blocked at his feet.

Alfreton pulled a goal back on 61 minutes when the ball as floated in from the right for Joseph Cummings to head into the bottom left corner of the net past a helpless Jameson.

Quakers seemed to recover after that, and Howells and McGowan did well to create space for Howells to cross, but the ball was cut out.

However, Alfreton soon created another chance on 70 minutes for Ligendza to try a right foot shot from the edge of the area that was pushed around the post by Jameson.

Quakers bounced back when Rutledge nodded a throw in down for McGowan to fire right footed over the bar, then in Quakers’ next attack that was started by Rutledge, Main set McGowan up to fire just wide of the target with his left foot.

Quakers had a really good chance on 77 minutes when Main helped on Jameson’s clearance for Allan to run through, but Burgoyne saved at his feet.

Allan then went off and was replaced by Kallum Griffiths.

On the restart, McGowan crossed from the left to the far post where Main couldn’t quite turn the ball home.

Griffiths nearly scored with his first touch, a dipping volley that landed on the roof of the net after a corner had been cleared to him,

Matty Cornish then came on for Rutledge

Darlington team: 

Jameson, Hedley, Lees, Forbes, Platt, McLaughlin, Allan (sub Griffiths 77), Howells, McGowan, Main, Rutledge (sub Cornish 84)

Subs:, McGrath, Scott, Barton,  Stanton

Alfreton

Burgoyne, Perritt, Cummings, Hunt, Lund, McCann, Wallace, Cantrill, Osbourne, Salmon, Ligendza

Subs: N Newall, S Newall, Dodoo, McDonagh, Clackstone