Motormen stall at Alfreton

Mar 12 2008 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

Motormen stall at Alfreton

CARL Macauley’s Vauxhall Motors continue their battle against relegation from the Blue Square North, with a home fixture against Gainsborough Trinity at Rivacre Park this Saturday (KO 3pm).

Last weekend, in Macauley’s first game back in charge, Motors slipped to a disappointing defeat away at Alfreton, in which their pint-sized frontmen hardly got a look in against a tall home side.

After an untidy opening, in which both sides struggled to come to terms with the windy conditions, the hosts suddenly found their feet.

Just seconds after Matthew Glass hooked over the Motors bar, Alfreton took the lead with a well-worked goal on 16 minutes, when Stephen Warne’s cross was headed on by Glass for Josh Law to convert from close range.

The hosts doubled that advantage almost straight away, when visiting keeper Andrew Murphy failed to hold on to a Glass shot and Paul Clayton reacted quickest to steer home the loose ball.

And, but for a full-length save by Murphy, it might well have been three before Motors had a couple of decent strikes through Paul Taylor and Alan Griffiths.

The game erupted on 75 minutes, following a poor challenge by Taylor on Chris Walton, for which the Motors striker was shown a straight red and in the ensuing melee, Tom Field was also dismissed for a second caution.

On 83 minutes, Alfreton made their numerical advantage pay off, when Clayton headed home a free-kick and three minutes later, they struck a sublime fourth just inside the keeper’s left hand post.

The Motormen are offering reduced admission for everyone who turns up in replica shirts, whether it be football, rugby or any other sport, to their fixtures with Hucknall Town on Saturday, April 5.