Alfreton Town improvement continues after Worcester City win

Despite establishing a comfortable 2-0 advantage inside the first quarter of the game though, the Reds were made to work hard for their maximum points haul with the visitors forcing some crucial saves from keeper Matt Duke.

Ryan Wilson had given the hosts a spectacular opening goal from all of 30 yards in the eighth minute, after a long throw from Niall Heaton had only been partially cleared.

Then in the 22nd minute Tom Allan headed Joe Leesley’s free-kick back across goal for Jordan Robertson to stab across the line at the back post.

Much travelled striker Lee Hughes reduced the arrears on 68 minutes when his close range header from a Dean Waldron free-kick bobbled past Duke, but City were left to rue a missed penalty by Daniel Nti back in the 32nd minute that Duke had parried before Shaun Harrad headed the loose ball wide.

Allan’s 16th minute header from a Leesley corner was headed off the line by Kieran Morris, the penalty incident arose when Leesley was adjudged to have impeded Nti, and a busy first half ended with even more drama as Worcester keeper Daniel Lloyd-Weston slid a yard outside his area with the ball and escaped with a yellow card.

A gravity defying save by Duke somehow prevented Hughes from scoring in the 61st minute, then Sam Jones blasted over from 25 yards after Stefan Galinski’s through-ball had sent Jason Paling to the bye-line.

Jamie Jackson was unable to capitalise when put through by Paling, and at the other end Hughes flashed a header inches wide following a right-wing corner, then towards the conclusion of the game Robertson’s angled drive from an Andi Thanoj pass was blocked by Lloyd-Weston and Deon Burton missed a relatively easy chance for City.

ALFRETON: Duke; Moyo (Paling 38 mins), Galinski, Allan, Berry, Heaton (Thanoj 56] mins), Wilson, Leesley, Jones, Jackson (Johnston 78 mins), Robertson.

Sub not used: Ironside.

Attendance: 489.