Trying To Survive

Alfreton Town 0-2 Peterborough Sports (National League North)

The games are coming thick and fast as we reach the business end of the season and perhaps under the grand scheme this is the most important non-league match I’ve covered so far in 2026, both Alfreton Town and Peterborough Sports are battling for their lives in the National League North relegation zone and should either lose ground on those above today, it’ll heap pressure on their survival chances with little more than six weeks of the season left.

Peterborough have actually shuffled their managerial cards since I last watched them, Phil Brown their well known former Premier League boss has decided to move upstairs, Sports in a horrific run of six straight defeats and no win in nine have turned to Michael Gash, a club stalwart who’s held the reigns before, but the Turbines come off a 4-0 loss at Kidderminster last time out, they have however signed Watford defender Ian Kamga on loan, perhaps he’ll help sure up their leaky defence.

Alfreton are a place above, third bottom with four games in hand on second from bottom Peterborough but their form is marginally better, two wins, two losses and a draw in their last five, they got a valuable point at home to Radcliffe last time out with a late George Cantrill leveller, and I’m told they could have even stole it at the death, although it would have been a real smash and grab had they did.

I’ve not seen Alfreton play all season but have been in touch with a couple of members of the club, I’m always willing them to do well as it’s a friendly place for us who frequent their media hospitality section, so I’m looking forward to my short long-awaited trip over the border to Derbyshire, I’m leaving at lunch after a leisurely Saturday morning, up the Nottingham ring road and towards the M1, although a traffic incident at junction 26 has me re-route across the A610 to Codnor before heading up towards Riddings and Somercotes towards the south of Alfreton where I turn left off the Nottingham Road down Pease Hill before pulling up on Brooke Avenue at the bottom of North Street, the road name home of Alfreton Town Football Club, recently known as the Impact Arena, now called the Solana Stadium.

The Venue

It’s changed its name as the club has a new owner who came in during the summer, apparently an American investor who’s into his crypto currency, which was what made him rich enough to buy into the Reds, his idea is to run a budget type Wrexham story by the sounds, he’s upgraded his media personnel with videos that go fly on the wall and has even took a fan vote on what beer the clubhouse should provide, but as I walk up in sunshine towards the old ground, it all looks the same as before, a traditional football home in the midst of plenty of semi-detached houses, quaint and classical, a chalk board standing up beside a cone on the corner of the ground entrance with the words £5 parking written.

The Peterborough Sports team bus is in the car park, it has a lovely logo of the clubs new emblem on its back window, as a few of their suited hierarchy gather outside the clubhouse, the supporters club sitting outside of the actual ground, as I walk through a small door which says reception, besides the turnstiles, where I’m let through by a cheerful lady with a clipboard.

“It’s always sunny here” I say as I enter in the stadiums corner, grass fluffy, pitch slightly sloped, only a few staff inside as I take a photo of the corner flag which I’m stood near, a single old boy sits down besides his decorators table which is full of pin badges for sale.

I’m off to the media seating where there’s a few old faces gathered, Liam is here who’s the club’s tweeter, I’m offered tea, and cake, as I always am, I stick £2 in the coffee kitty, “That’s too much” I’m told, “where else will I get tea and cake from for just £2” I say.

Standing level on half way but slightly elevated in the low roof stand where the media seats are situated, you get a great compressed view, but the sun is in your eyes, it’s a lovely spring day, the pitch in half decent nick following a couple of postponements recently, an open end to my left, a standing terrace that climbs up towards a roofed bank on my right, a small seated stand opposite with a scaffold built TV gantry that sits above, the chat is about “whoever wins will stay up” as we discuss the recent form of the two struggling teams, it all feels a bit like extra time and sudden death ahead of the inevitable penalty shootout. Whoever loses, they'll be tears.

The Game

There’s a guy from Reading sat to my right who’s been travelling the world watching tennis for his data analytical company, one to my left originally from Cyprus, who’s giving me a low down on the Cypriot second tier as he watches his team in action on his tablet, he also works for Derby County and has been casting an eye on Burton Albion this season, he tells me their stand out player has been Charlie Webster.

Action is under way and when I was last here, Billy Heath had a nasty old side that went back to front very quickly, known for doing the ugly stuff, direct football, set plays and long throws, they tried to get away from that at the start of the season when a new guy came in, he lasted just a handful of games and Jake Buxton, the old Derby County defender who once had a spell on loan at Alfreton, he’s taken the reigns and has brought them back to blighty, it’s like I’ve never been away, as Alfreton lump it long, Max Hunt and Adam Lund are nasty niggling centre halves, George Cantrill my favourite Alfreton player, long hair, beard, socks rolled down his ankles, grafting in centre mid, battling away with his one man press, they even have a big lad up top, on loan from Rotherham, Josh Ayres looks a real nuisance, good touch, plenty of power, and in recent matches, an eye for goal.

Peterborough are in terrible form, they look bright in a pink and purple number and have made changes today, I chatted to the Alfreton videographer before the game, “teams always change their line-ups against us” he frustratingly says, annoyed that his expected Turbines XI had the likes of Jez Davies and Sam McLintock in it, ball playing centre midfielders, but Sports like many others who come to Alfreton, mix it up in selection, go for size and experience, they try and stay solid with those more up for a battle than picking the technical kids, it’s testament to Alfreton Town Football Club that teams often do this when visiting North Street, they all expect a hard afternoon's work, and that’s what they all get, even if results, this season, haven’t gone the way that they usually would.

There’s a few long throw-ins and Alfreton win a couple of corners, Lewis Salmon has an early chance tipped around the post, Max Hunt then hits the crossbar and Adam Lund heads inches wide, the home team have the better of the first half but not much really happens, other than some fans kicking off besides us when Kieron Freeman is booked for a deliberate foul on half way.

The Score

“Their bench has scarred me a little bit” says my tennis friend from Reading at half time, he’s not used to all this foul language directly blasted out in front of him, at Alfreton you are right on top of the away team dugout, which is brilliant for hearing every word said by the coaches, Michael Gash is mostly fine, but his assistant Charlie Tonks is constantly at it with the fourth official.

“It’s football” I say, as we sit down for the second half, not much has happened bar someone calling someone else “a mong” and “an idiot” somewhere close by, “there’s been more action in the stands than on the pitch” I say to a Peterborough news reporter.

But as Alfreton come out of the blocks with immediate intention to get a goal, they push players forward and a long ball by Stewart is picked up by Booth, he takes a touch and smashes home from the edge of the area, the lively forward has looked most likely Peterborough’s main threat of ammunition, and a regular goalscorer this season, he delivers a net buster that matters, to put the away side one up.

From there on in it’s a scrap, but a bloody good game, as Alfreton knock on the door, time and time again, Bayley McCann has a shot saved whilst big Josh Ayres scuffs two opportunities, one from five yards out, he clears the crossbar when it looks easier to score, there’s persistence in pressure as Alfreton pump balls into the box, but lead brilliantly by on loan Watford centre half Ian Kamga, next to Anthony Stewart, the away side deal with most which comes at them, Peter Crook in goal isn’t forced into making too many saves of note, and in the final minutes another break, the ball falling to Luca Miller, who absolutely belts the ball as hard as can be, into the roof of the net, to spark off celebrations in front of us, an away win, that gives Peterborough Sports a National League North survival lifeline.

The Stars

Top of the pops, I thought tactically Michael Gash got his team spot on and I really like him as a young Manager, brought back in he was relinquished of the job he started, which I thought was done very well along with Luke Steele before Phil Brown got the job, the fact he stayed on at Peterborough during Brown’s spell shows what he means to the club, and what the club means to him, and if anyone can keep them up in the division, he can.

Anthony Stewart and Ian Kamga were brilliant at centre half, Stewart hardly ever took more than one touch, playing percentages and getting rid at all costs often thumping the ball up and away into the clouds, whilst Kamga even played a couple of diagonals which I suppose only those still associated at Football League clubs would do, when on loan playing at the likes of Alfreton, he's very composed and reads the game well.

Both solid and quick at centre half, if they play like that for the rest of the season they have a good chance of keeping afloat, by not conceding goals.

I like their left back Connor Wood who’s gutsy, in midfield they brought on the silky duo of McLintock and Davies late on, but before that, Elliott Whitehouse and Dan Jarvis battled very well, Whitehouse on loan from Macclesfield looks a very savvy signing, Maliq Cadogan out on the left looked very quick and direct, whilst Kaine Felix on the right played well, he has a long throw for such a small frame, offering pace down both flanks, the difference on the day, which Peterborough had, which Alfreton didn’t.

For Alfreton, despite the result I thought they played really well, and on another day might have scored three or four, they switched off after the break when conceding, and were hit late on when sending numbers forward, but centre halves Lund and Hunt battled well, Lund in particular is a really good player for the level, a threat in both boxes, and has that huge throw which is part of Alfreton’s DNA.

In midfield George Cantrill never lets me down in effort, whilst despite the chances missed, Josh Ayres, on loan from Rotherham, looked a real big battering ram of a number nine, Luke Alker coming on off the bench, looked like he could play a bit, but the lack of pace is something that needs to be addressed, if Alfreton are to survive.

The Verdict

Despite sitting 23rd of 24 teams Alfreton Town still have 12 games to play, they have four games in hand on some above and are just six points adrift of Oxford City who are currently safe in 20th, I do perhaps think Alfreton will fall short, unless they can get a dramatic upturn in results, of which they would probably need a boost in personnel.

Had they beat Peterborough they would have given themselves a great chance of getting out of this seasons mess unscathed, but the result dents confidence, whilst giving hope to the Turbines, who had they lost, would probably have been resigned to going down.

Peterborough, have 36 points from 38 played with eight to go, they are three points below safety, but despite being above Alfreton, and despite winning against them, I feel they probably have just as much hard work to do, to survive.

In the end, today might not have mattered at all, but last chance saloon, if Michael Gash can get this team to safety, they’ll probably build a statue, on Lincoln Road.

The Teams

Alfreton Town: Charlie Casper, Nathan Newall, Adam Lund, Max Hunt, Billy Fewster (Gerry McDonagh 62), George Cantrill, Josh Ayres, Lewis Salmon (Luke Alker 80), Bayley McCann (Sam Osborne 77), Sam Newell, Kieron Freeman.

Peterborough Sports: Peter Crook, Kaine Felix (Shaun Jeffers 90), Dan Jarvis (Sam McLintock 64), Max Booth (Shaq Coulthirst 73), Ian Kamga, Luca Miller, Marcel Oakley, Maliq Cadogan, Connor Wood, Anthony Stewart.

3:00pm Kick Off. Saturday 14th March 2026, North Street, Alfreton (att 581).