ALFRETON HEARTBROKEN BY LATE SOLIHULL EQUALISER

ALFRETON TOWN 2 V SOLIHULL MOORS 2
VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH @ THE IMPACT ARENA
29 DECEMBER 2015 --- 3PM

THE WELL RED IMPACT ARENA

An equaliser in the 90th minute from James Armison sent Solihull home with a share of the points and broke the hearts of a fantastic Alfreton sides performance that deserved all three.  The Reds had taken the lead through Sam Smith before Sam Knights equalised for the visitors on the stroke of half time.  It looked as though Solihull would have come out after the break in the ascendancy but it was not to be as Alfreton took the second half to the table toppers and took the lead again via a Dan Bradley penalty which looked to be sending the Derbyshire side onto all three points that was until Armison stepped up in the final minute.
A short bank holiday journey from base was met by a bus full of shoppers but within 20 minutes the blog was safely alighting in Alfreton for a visit to a club that always remains in my footballing loves list.  Many readers will know of the blogs previous attachment to the club and I have to say the blog always remains neutral, well as much as can be achieved.  But today by the end I found out were my old loyalties were as I tried through hoarse voice to encourage on an Alfreton side who had given so much to this game against a good footballing side in Solihull Moors.

Its a few years sine I visited the Moors ground and they are a club that I don't catch up with too often so it was a good opportunity to see them today especially in the lofty position they held in the league going into this game.  Alfreton's ground has been covered many times on the blog so I wont repeat that today needless to say its still resplendent in red with a variety of viewing enclosures.
On the way to the game it was good to catch up with Shaun and his son Dec of the Bolsover Reds supporters club!  We regularly greet these two loyal fans on our countrywide travels in varying stations as they put their efforts into following The Reds.
One of the major attractions for football collectors at the Impact is of course Mark and Brian's shop selling badges and a wide, wide selection of programmes and today we were able to catch up with the proprietors and donate a nice selection of reasonably new programmes too.
Much as the blog likes to be objective and not critical I have said before that when you venture into Conference level football the costing and lack of a non league feel can reach the surface.  I love returning to Alfreton and sadly over the last few years this has not happened enough due to the cost, having paid todays entrance fee I held off from the match programme having seen it this season, and today been offered a copy to look at by a disgruntled purchaser, it really is a poor effort for £2.  Many clubs at step 5,6 and even 7 are producing an effort of a better standard.  On the way to pass best wishes onto a few people at the clubs press area I thought I would pop into the admin office for a team sheet.  The lady kindly offered me a photocopied sheet and then added '50p please', I returned out of the door at speed with 50p still intact.  Grumpy old man I'm becoming but 50p, there are clubs at lower levels of football who cannot do enough for you and here we approach that near Football League mentality again.  Ok moans over I promise!

REDS WARMING UP BEFORE A GREAT EFFORT

The crowd was gathering in the final minutes before kick off and we finally totalled an attractive gate of 546.

SHEFFIELD REF ANTHONY TANKARD LEADS HIS ASSISTANTS IN PRE MATCH PREPERATIONS

The game started at a fair pace for Alfreton and they went close early on with Sam Jones striking a post and from the rebound Sam Smith forcing visiting keeper Siegrist into a flying save.  It was The Reds who took the lead after 23 minutes when Smith converted at the back post.

MOORS PREPARE FOR KICK OFF

This seemed to fire up Solihull who were playing some threatening football on the edge of Alfreton's box often looking to break through a wide selection of home defenders.  Just as it looked like the home side would make half time with their league intact the visitors equalised with just about the last kick off the game, the ball broke free for Darryl Knights to drill the ball home again at the far post.
We all expected an onslaught from a freshly revived West Midlands side but it did not appear with Alfreton playing some lovely flowing football which for much of the second 45 minutes pinned Solihull back in their own half.  A variety of woodwork, deflections and shots cleared off the line were conspiring to deny Alfreton but a way was found through on 75 minutes Tom Allan weaved his way into the right hand side of the box before being tripped and Dan Bradley stepped up to send Siegrist the wrong way to put The Reds 2-1 up.

The home supporters wondered what the response would be.  Would Alfreton be pinned back in their own half?  Would they defended deep and in numbers?  Well no they continued to keep a control of the game until the 90th minute when a unbelievable goalmouth scramble saw Ryan Beswick smash a header off the bar and then his follow up shot strike the same spot before Armison bundled the ball over the line to send the Solihull supporters into scenes of joy.
The home support were like a deflated balloon they like the players had given everything in encouraging and effort and this felt like a defeat for Alfreton who I think most would admit deserved the win today, even though I guess they would have taken a draw before the game kicked off.
An entertaining game and always a pleasure to visit North St, The Impact Arena.

CHIPS!!!!!!!!!!!