21/22 Match Preview: Alfreton Town

After over three weeks away The Lions return to Nethermoor on Tuesday night to take on Billy Heath’s Alfreton Town side in a 7:45pm kick-off.

Match sponsored by: ABL Business

Tickets for can be purchased online in advance here, tickets will also be on sale on the day at the turnstiles with payment by cash only, it is also cash payments only inside the ground for programmes, food and drink and 50/50 cash draw tickets. The clubhouse accepts and prefers payment by card.

The Lions are still looking for their first three points of 2022 after Saturday’s narrow defeat at AFC Fylde with ten men, a performance from which Russ O’Neill and Marcus Bignot can take plenty of positives from as their side pushed the promotion candidates hard.

Our last meeting with Alfreton Town was all the way back in August 2019 when Jamie Spencer and Aaron Martin netted in a 4-2 home defeat.

Looking at the form book going into the match The Lions are without a win in five games in all competitions having lost the last three on the spin but have two draws from the last two home games over the festive period against neighbours Bradford (Park Avenue) and Farsley Celtic.

Following Saturday’s results the buffer to the bottom spot and only relegation place was cut to two points, with Farsley Celtic in action on Tuesday night at Boston United The Lions know they need some points soon.

Alfreton are eight places and ten points above Guiseley having played one game less but have lost their last two matches in all competitions.

Their defeat to a resurgent Blyth side on Saturday followed a penalty shootout loss to FC Halifax Town in the Buildbase FA Trophy a week earlier, they did win their last away game though at Boston United on 2nd January.

Managed by Billy Heath The Reds name former Lions Milan Butterfield, Dayle Southwell and Conor Branson in their squad.

Speaking after the defeat at Fylde Joint Manager Russ O’Neill said “I thought the lads left everything on the pitch, we had a ten minute spell where it was hard to us to be two goals down but it was a dodgy ten minutes. We reacted well, Thierry has come in and got a great goal, the other 80 minutes we have given everything and are unlucky not to get something out of the game.”

Speaking about Andy Hollins’ red card Russ said “I think the referee has branded a lot of cards out in the first half for incidents that both sets of dugouts weren’t bookings but a mistimed tackle by the letter of the law is a yellow card, it is what it is the referee has deemed it as two fouls so there is not a lot we can say about it.”

When asked about our two recent new signings Dom Tear and Thierry Latty-Fairweather O’Neill said “Dom is somebody we have known about for a bit, he came through at Huddersfield and scored a lot of goals, he has done well at Halifax and is highly thought of there and we nearly took him in a couple of times on loan. He had his first start today, he acquitted himself really well, he looked a real threat and out of possession he has chased and he has worked his socks off.”

“Thierry is someone else we have had on the backburner for a bit, we don’t like bringing loans in if they are not going to come straight into the team and Brad Nicholson took a big whack this week and he was touch and go today. I think he can be really pleased with his debut and his goal today, he is good with both feet, you have seen how athletic he is too, it was a great finish into the far corner.”

The former Alfreton Assistant Manager added “We had a striker in on Thursday night who came in and trained with us and he did really well but he took a knock on his ankle and his parent club informed us on Friday morning that they were pulling him out of today. They are going to assess him and hopefully he is with us on Monday.”

Speaking about Jordan Thewlis’ departure to Spennymoor Town O’Neill said “With Jordan it is what is its, he is a loss to us but he is at that end of his career where he is 30 next and he has had a good career at this level. Spennymoor have got the finances, backing and capability to come and pluck players from clubs like us and we have to react to that, it gives youngsters like Dom Tear and Lewis Hey opportunities to come in and fill his boots and I am sure they will.”

As we reached the halfway mark of the season Russ is hopeful of a better second stanza to the campaign “I am very confident that we can pull away but we have to turn the performances into results, we are getting ever closer if we can turn the possession and the control that we have in games and be better and more agressive in the final third then I am sure we will.”

Tickets for the game with Alfreton Town can be purchased at the turnstiles on the night with cash payment only or online in advance here. Don’t forget to pick up a matchday programme for just £3, it is packed full with exclusive content with what you will find inside here.

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