Real Football

Alfreton Town 2-1 Gainsborough Trinity (Northern Premier League)

Two teams I have seen a lot of in recent years are facing up against each other in the league for the first time since the 2017/18 season tonight.

Gainsborough Trinity were relegated from the National League North finishing three points below Alfreton Town during that struggling sixth-tier campaign all of eight years ago. The Holy Blues winning 2-1 at the Northolme following an earlier season 4-1 thumping at North Street.

Since then, the two teams have met in the FA Trophy (last year) when two Mark Beck goals either side of a Frank Mulhern penalty saw Alfreton through to the last 32, and they are now back together, on an even playing field, in the Northern Premier League, after Alfreton’s relegation last season.

The Reds lost their opening game against Curzon Ashton on Saturday, losing 1-0 to the side that they played on the last day of last season, who also fell down from the National League North division with them, whilst Gainsborough beat Workington to kick start their campaign, a 2-0 victory with second half goals from Ashton Offler and former Alfreton winger Frazer Preston, doing the damage.

This is my first ‘competitive’ match of the new season and having done a few friendlies of meaningless nature recently, I’m more than ready to rumble with some good old fashioned non-league football. I’ve cut it fine though, a cricket stream I’m working on is running late, but Middlesex finally bowl Sussex out for 6:30pm and I’m straight out the door, heading through Nottingham and onto the M1 for a 40 minute drive across the Derbyshire border to Alfreton, arriving with a good half an hour to spare ahead of kick off, and more importantly, just as Bill brings out the cakes.

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The Venue

Along with Boston United, Alfreton is one of my favourite places to watch football, due to the clubs’ friendly personnel, and up close viewing of the action, in what is a cracking little football ground.

I’ve rushed through the turnstiles tonight as I usually like to get set a good hour before kick off, I like a brew and a bite, a bit of time to cool off, to write the teams down, but I’ve plenty of time tonight even if I’ve half as long as usual.

Tight and compact is this place as the teams warm up in the dusking sun, pitch dry from the recent warm weather but not as bad as I thought it might be, with a few patches of green. “Jake's been out spitting on it” says one of the clubs personnel.

I’m in the media lounge, the press room, it’s basically a stuffy old long room with glass windows where you can see out on to the pitch, Bill has chocolate cake on arrival, “Come inside” he says. “Have some of this”.

I make myself a brew and ask where the kitty man is. I like to put a quid or so into the pot when I come to Alfreton as they always dish me up some delights and Brian tells me “that will see you right for a couple of weeks” after handing over to him £1.10 of loose change.

We chat about Alfreton’s narrow loss at the weekend where Liam tells me they didn’t play badly, before I walk outside to confront the Gainsborough Trinity tweeter. For the second match in a row, he’s put on Twitter (or X) the starting eleven pictures but without names. “It’s a bit cryptic” he says. “I can tell who Fraser Preston is, he’s the tubby one” I tell him "But I haven't a clue who the rest are"… He ensures me they’ll be names to accompany the pictures from next week.

Finally sat down, sun beaming in my face, the players warming up on the pitch, kick off approaching, cake eaten, tea drank, teams written in my notepad, I can enjoy the last few moments of calm before the storm, at this lovely little home, two open(ish) standing ends either side behind each goal, a low tin roofed stand of seating across, and this pokey elevated brick walled mish mash which I’m sat, half full as the players go in, then come back out, to a warm ripple of applause.

The Game

Gainsborough are in a rather bright yellow number tonight as Alfreton in red immediately go on the forage. Siya Ligendza is inside the opposition box inside 56 seconds, he shoots low, he scores, Alfreton one up within a minute. That’ll settle some nerves of those seated around me.

It’s a great start by the side who narrowly lost at the weekend, the opponents who won their match, might have been expecting an easier night than this?

I’m really impressed with Alfreton who pass it about slowly, yes, pass it about I say. As they keep the ball, Brian shouts out “Billy Heath would be having kittens”. Their staff seated alongside me squirm every time they play it out from the back. “You’re not used to it” I tell them. “If they did that under Billy (the previous manager), they would be transfer listed”.

But Alfreton can afford to knock it about a bit, a) because they have good players, and b) because the intensity levels are no way near that they were last season, when in the National North, they would come across fitter, faster, stronger teams, some of which would even be full time.

I’m impressed in everything I see in red, two good centre halves, full backs doing their jobs, three in midfield who work and play, two wide lads with quality and a striker who’s already scored a goal.

Meanwhile Gainsborough aren’t great, I don’t think they were expecting Alfreton to be this good? I know this is a better team than they are showing, but without Frank Mulhern (who’s back from Australia next month), without Johnny Margetts who retired this summer, without Sisa Tuntulwana who joined Buxton in the close season, Trinity are toothless, as skipper Lewis Butroid puts a couple of lovely left footed balls into the box, towards no-one.

The Score

At half time it’s hardly by now a classic, the Often supporters are appy, the Trinity folk perhaps not. I speak to a guy doing radio comms who’s a Stocksbridge fan, he says “things can only get better” for Boro, before reliving the Jamie Vardy years with me. Mark Ward, Brett Lovell, Chris Bettney, all previous Steels players that get a mention. “They were unlucky to go down last season” he tells me. “they drew 14 games, never got battered, just didn’t win enough”.

I’m expecting more from Gainsborough in the second half and it seems that the side have had a rocket up their arse from Manager Russ Wilcox and his sidekick Kevin Pressman who these days is looking much bigger (and older) than he did when representing Sheffield Wednesday in the Premier League, their dugout is quiet compared to other away dugouts at Alfreton, usually there’s plenty of action in front of us as the media seats are right behind hearing every word from the technical area, plenty of F bombs from the likes of Paul Caddis and Phil Brown have been heard in the past, but not by these two.

It’s a good spell however as the sky darkens and the lights come on with Gainsborough pushing, but although it’s wholehearted, gutsy, full blooded, there’s not much end product with quality, from the away side at least.

Star player is a toss-up between Alfreton wingers, Jakub Kruszynski who has one of his best games under my watch on the left, looks to take on his man with trickery, whilst on the right, Dylan Youmbi aims to push past his opponent with power. Youmbi has impressed without really firing into life tonight, then suddenly, he’s on the ball and running into the area, past one, past two, past three, he’s still bloody going, before unleashing a hard low drive into the rippling net beyond a sprawling hopeless dive by Robson, “what a goal” I say aloud, it’s certainly un-Alfreton like over the last few years of seeing them play, when a classic is usually considered as an Adam Lund throw in that’s launched into the box before a melee and an outstretched toe from somebody somewhere scuffles scrappily it home.

Nothing more than Alfreton have deserved, they have looked up for it tonight, and have worked hard, played the conditions, and man for man have really impressed, enough to suggest I think they have a very good chance of doing better than what many people might think they might?

Still time to go as Wilcox throws on reinforcements, Gainsborough win a corner and an inswinger is brilliantly headed home by Ashton Offler for his second of the season, game on, Offler is a centre back by trade, he’s playing centre forward tonight, and has looked a real handful since moving across from Mickleover.

By now its backs against the walls, funny how things can quickly change, from control to carnage, Javelle Clarke is chopped down on the edge of the box, young centre half Kasper Williams has already been booked, he sees red, the final few minutes are going to be played as ten verses eleven.

But spirited scenes from the hosts, Alfreton do everything they can to protect and as a ball into the box bobbles agonisingly wide, Gainsborough’s last chance saloon exits. Alfreton rescued by the referees whistle after four minutes injury time, this will be a win they’ll hugely enjoy.

The Stars

Dylan Youmbi has pace and power and technical take on ability and it’s his goal that in the end provides the difference. He’s a player I’ve been impressed with since he joined from Ilkeston, like many of the Alfreton players, following a pre-season that included games verses Notts County, Burton Albion, Rotherham United, Derby County, they look fitter, they might not have won those pre-season matches, but they’ll be better for playing against that calibre of opposition.

Out right Kruszynski put in a decent performance and shown some lovely feet, linking up with Siyabonga Ligendza who as always a handful, whilst Daniel Odunaiya gave some physical and powerful threat from the bench.

I like the midfield who got it down and played more than previous Alfreton midfields I’ve seen, Frank Tattum is a lovely looking player, he’s recently been released by Birmingham City but spent some time on loan at Leamington last season. Connor Dixon is a shrewd signing who I really like, a work horse with quality, Reco Fyfe had a really good game, working hard off the ball, keeping calm and composed on it.

Defensively, Alfreton also looked strong, Ewan Robson is a centre half signed from Carlton Town who I really like the look of, Kasper Williams, tall, neat, on loan from Doncaster Rovers, his naïve mistake late on fortunately not proving costly, whilst in Sam Parker, they have a solid left back who I think will become a firm favourite with the fans.

For Gainsborough, they didn’t play as well as I know they can, in Ashton Offler up front they have a player who can play in a variety of positions, they didn’t get as many around him as they might have on the night, Fraser Preston is talented, but was subbed, lacking fitness? Theo Williams flattered to deceive despite showing early promise, Javelle Clarke off the bench, looked lively when he came on, but my concern is that he’s on the bench in the first place. A talented footballer who's end product doesn't reach the ability he has.

You can’t fault Trinity’s grit and grind, they never gave up and in Ashley Jackson they have a true leader from left back, in Lewis Butroid they have a ball playing midfielder with a lovely left foot, but they needed to do more to break down the Alfreton door, and they didn’t knock nearly enough.

The Verdict

Pre-game I would have predicted that Gainsborough would outperform Alfreton this season, but having watched the two play, I’m now not so sure? Jake Buxton has cobbled together a really balanced team and I’m liking what he’s done so far. Playoffs isn’t out of the question, but it is a tough competition with a lot of clubs having huge spending power, a long old season, if Alfreton are in and around the top half come Christmas, it might be a sign that they can continue to push on?

I still think Gainsborough will do well, they are more than adequate in depth and have the ability to understand the job in hand, they know the division they are in and have come close before, they’ll be top half for sure, and when Frank Mulhern returns, will have a goal threat which they badly missed tonight.

In summary, two good teams at the level, playing a good gutsy game of football that I have been begging for since it feels forever now. It’s great to be back with some real non-league football on show. For the next nine or ten months, it’s going to be quite the ride.

The Teams

Alfreton Town: James Wright, Louis Francis (George Grumley 56), Sam Parker, Kasper Williams, Ewan Robson, Connor Dixon, Dylan Youmbi (Billy Gough 89), Reece Fyfe, Siyabonga Ligendza, Jakub Kruszynski, Frank Tattum (Daniel Odunaiya 69).

Gainsborough Trinity: David Robson, Harvey Sutcliffe (Jacob McLoughlin 76), Ashley Jackson, George Hornshaw (Bobby Johnson 60), Jack Leckie, Harrison Beeden, Lewis Butroid (Ben Blythe 75), Jordan Helliwell (Elliott Whitehouse 73), Theo Williams, Ashton Offler, Fraser Preston (Javelle Clarke 59).

7:45pm Kick Off. Tuesday 11th August 2026, North Street, Alfreton (att 533).