Alfreton Town 2-2 Warrington Town (National League North)
Warrington Wolves Rugby League team are playing against Wigan Warriors in Las Vegas tonight. Warrington Town Football Club are a little closer to home, making the shorter trip over the Pennines to play Alfreton Town in what is a gorgeously sunny spring day in Derbyshire.
Things haven't been going too well for either team of late, Warrington are in the relegation zone and a good few points a foot from safety, rumour is they're already planning for next season in the Northern Premier League, whilst Alfreton are in a sticky patch and are starting to look over their shoulder a bit, club tweeter Liam has called out for the town to get themselves down to the Impact Arena today as support is much needed to help them over the line, I've told him I'll be there but he's not impressed. I'm yet to see Alfreton win at home this season and he would rather I stay away.
Regardless, I'm on my way at lunch after the usual morning dog walk and a quick hoover of my downstairs living room, England's cricket team are getting a spanking against South Africa, and an old goalkeeper I once coached at Rainworth Miners Welfare when on loan ten years ago or more, Liam Roberts, now playing in the FA Cup for Millwall against Crystal Palace, has just been sent off for kicking Jean-Phillipe Mateta in the head, I've watched it back as the socials grow in anger, even Piers Morgan has got involved saying he should be sent to prison, feeling sorry for the guilty party, despite him lucky not to be done for GBH, Mateta has gone to hospital where he has several stitches but I know Liam, who's not a dirty player, I'm hoping he won't be singled out for his costly error of judgement, things in football sometimes look far worse than they actually are.
Up the M1 and off on the A38, still listening in to the radio as Palace beat their South London rivals, I'm parked up a couple of streets from North Street, home of Alfreton Town, just a half hour or so drive from my house, and a ground I always enjoy going to thanks largely to the hospitality I get.
The Venue
Sat midst a council housing estate on a narrow street with speed humps it's a lovely old stadium 66 years old, quintessentially English non-league and well worth a visit, the Warrington bus parked outside the entrance as I walk through the tiny door at reception by the turnstiles after first shouting "is anybody there".
Inside the sun kisses the red roofed home whilst the grass looks a tad churned, bumpy and muddy, slightly sloped, it's had a bit of wear and tear in recent weeks.
Club tweeter Liam walks by and says hello as I make way to my seat, I have a quick chat with a Ram supporting photographer about Derby County's disastrous season, I fail to mention I'm a Forest fan and loving every bit of it.
The view from the tightly squeezed press box is close up to the pitch, so much so you can hear every word from the away team dugout, a panorama offers rooftops in the distance above the open ended stand to my left, the stand opposite, propped up by posts, has a TV gantry erected slap bang in the middle on its roof, to my right a steep bank terraced area with small cover part high up on the hill, a real quirky home, simplistic and imperfect, but at the same time beautiful, falling apart in places by looks but not really.
The Game
I've been given cake, a lovely chocolate muffin, washed down with a cuppa which I made myself inside the press lounge that backs on to the seats I'm sat at, before a Cypriot scout who works at Derby County, sits next to me (I talk more about Derby's downfalls with him, but it's ok, because he's a Liverpool fan), and a usual face from the circuit, a bearded Brummie who I often say hello to and chat with, he appears as usual with his own flask of tea.
There's plenty of kids as mascots today, making a racket beneath us, and they cheer the home side towards a good start. Alfreton push forward from the off, they look confident under the sunlight after some struggling times of late, four straight defeats they've had but with that injuries too, a new signing up top has given recent positivity, Akeel Francis has been banging them in for Brighouse Town two steps below, aged 25 he's on his 18th club already at Alfreton, "if he scores a goal that keeps us in the division, it's a gamble well worth taking" says Liam.
Francis in fairness is lively, a real threat with energy and pace he's grafting hard as do all the Alfreton players, as Adam Lund launches his usual succession of throw-ins directly into the opponents box. They look uncomfortable from the early pressure do Warrington and succumb in less than ten, a hand ball inside the area is punished by Josh Clackstone from the penalty spot. Not the usual taker I'm told.
Alfreton are worthy of their lead and it should be more as Lund forces a save from Atherton before crashing a wonderful van Basten like volley against the crossbar, he also heads a chance down and onto the bar from a corner as the Reds media team beside me wonder if it's going to be their day. "Another Needham Market" they repeatedly say... The Suffolk side beat Alfreton 3-2 in January after coming back from 2-0 down.
The Score
At half time I say it's as well as I've seen Alfreton play this season, my Brummy friend agrees, before replying "yeah but Warrington are pretty crap". The visitors lost their top scorer Connor Woods to Chester last month, they haven't won a game since before Christmas and have earned just two points from their last eleven.
I think it should all be very routine, and although Warrington improve in the second half, Alfreton double their advantage on the hour, Sam Osborne unleashing from the edge of the area a daisy cutter which hits a bobble and bounces over the goalkeeper who should probably have done better.
That's it, done and dusted, we all agree to call it early as the home fans even start to head off to beat the traffic, but Warrington have one last roll of the dice, roundly shaped striker Josh Amis, club captain, aged 30, has came on up front, he's headed one in out of nothing on 80 and suddenly the away sides peckers are up.
You feel a nervousness about the home team, and Warrington attack, on 83 they break away, the lively Rodwell-Grant feeding Amis on the counter, he's on the edge of the area and can't run, so decides to unleash a rocket instead, a thunderbolt shot from distance that sails into the top corner of the net.
From nothing, Warrington have something, and they go for more, late on as 43-year-old Peter Clarke forces a save from Askew, it could have been a late winner from the former Everton man, in the end Alfreton relieved they didn't lose, whilst being disappointed they didn't win, Warrington will take promise from the point they got and on how they dug in when all looked to be long lost.
The Stars
A match saving performance from striker Josh Amis which nobody saw coming would rightly earn him star of my show, but there were some good performances by some decent young players for Warrington on a bloody awful pitch against some tough, niggly, combative opponents in Alfreton..
Their right back, on loan from Wrexham, 19-year-old Aaron James doing well, he got forward on a couple of mazy runs but also defended with intelligence, going forward I liked the ability of Mworina Doro on the left, a recent signing from Oldham just 20-years-old, and Joe Rodwell-Grant up front, pacey and direct, he's on loan from Wigan Athletic.
For Alfreton, their usual suspects grafted with Stefan Freund arbeit, the best at it in midfield, George Cantrill, Liam stating "he never gets free kicks, but they always go against him". Dwayne Wiley heading and kicking at centre half next to the tall Adam Anson, David Salademi at left back did well, Sam Osborne and Lewis Salmon ratting around in the attacking third, it's never pretty but it always seems to be effective.
The Verdict
The draw probably does neither no favours, Alfreton fans now nervous due to facing Brackley and Scunthorpe next, where they don't expect to get any points from, whilst Warrington have a winnable game at home to Rushall on Saturday, before a trip to Chester where they'll take on the league leaders.
I think, despite those two goals from veteran striker Amis that Warrington still need a forward to replace those regular net bulgers lost by Connor Woods, they are eight points from safety whilst Alfreton have an eleven point cushion above the drop zone. I said "they'll be fine" and genuinely believe they will be, and according to Chat GPT last week, they'll be in the National League by 2029, so not a thing to worry about as promotion is soon pending, if robots and AI are to be believed.
The Teams
Alfreton Town: Jake Askew, Josh Clackstone, Adam Lund, Adam Anson, Dwayne Wiley, George Cantrill, Lewis Salmon, Jed Abbey (Liam Waldock 85), Sam Osborne (Nathan Newall 80), David Salademi, Akeel Francis (Jake Day 90).
Warrington Town: Dan Atherton, Aaron James, Hamish Douglas, Peter Clarke, Andy White (Murphy Bennett 76), Dana Amaral, Matty McDonald, Joe Ackroyd (Mikey O’Neill 60), Mo Doro (Josh Amis 60), Joe Rodwell-Grant, Lee Williams (Devarn Green 60).
3:00pm Kick Off. Saturday 1st March 2025, North Street, Alfreton (att 504).
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