After all the turmoil and shenanigans of Law's on-off move to Bradford Park Avenue, Alfreton chose this day to re-assert themselves and end their goals drought in emphatic style.

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Josh Law's opening goal in the 17th minute was the Reds' first in 391 minutes of Blue Square North football, and it was followed within a minute by Paul Clayton's strike.

Vauxhall, out to impress new manager Carl Macauley who had taken over following their 6-0 home defeat by Kettering a week earlier, shot themselves in the foot when they had both Paul Taylor and Tom Field sent off in the 75th minute.

And the Reds turned the screw with two more goals in a three-minute burst, with Clayton and Law again on the mark.

It was a day which could have seen the match overshadowed by the events of the previous week, but the home fans held their fire at manager Law and instead got behind the team.

And maybe, just maybe, they may have been mollified sufficiently not to give their manager too hard a time when he faced them later in the evening for a fan's forum.

The swirling, howling gale turned the match itself into a scrappy affair, but Alfreton certainly handed the conditions better, and the applause they received as they left the field may or may not have been an indication that their fury at their manager's actions had been somewhat assuaged.

Probably wisely, Law himself spent most of the match confined to his dugout leaving Chris Marples and Russ O'Neill to run things from the technical area. But with the Reds on their way to a clear victory the manager emerged from his low profile to play his part too.

Maybe now all the heartache of the previous week will be put to bed and Law can set about rebonding with the fans, who hitherto had loyally backed the manager all the way.

Vauxhall, it must be said, did not provide much in the way of opposition, and looked the relegation candidates that they clearly are. But you can only beat the opposition that is put in front of you on the day, and the win was as convincing as the margin of victory suggested.

With Kyle McFadzean having failed a fitness test and no substitute goalkeeper available Alfreton named only four substitutes, but included Matt Glass up front on his return from his loan spell at Lincoln United.

Glass did not score, but he certainly added a touch of zip to the Reds' attacking play and ran mdifielder Steve Warne close for man of the match.

But Warne was at the heart of so much that the home side produced and effectively ran the middle of the park.

The Reds began strongly and positively, but Clayton sliced wildly off target after his beautiful piece of play had opened up the chance in the first place. And Vauxhall keeper Andrew Murphy needed two attempts to push away Warne's firm header from Glass' cross in the 13th minute.

Vauxhall's first raid a minute later saw Chris McGrail through on goal until Laurie Wilson made a timely and well executed challenge in the area to deny him a shot.

Murphy made a hash of collecting Anton Brown's lofted free kick in the 17th minute but managed to get in the way of Clayton's shot, and although Clayton had a second bite of the cherry he lifted it over the angle.

But then the Reds struck a double blow in the 17th and 18th minutes. First, Clayton touched Brown's cross on for Law to put away Reds' first goal in five matches.

Then when Glass and Murphy confronted each other on the 18-yard line the Reds striker's goal attempt rebounded off the keeper and fell kindly for Clayton, who rolled it into the net from 25 yards. It seemed to take an eternity to cross the line.

It should have been 3-0 in the 28th minute. Warne astutely played Glass through, and the returning striker took a couple of paces forward, only to see his shot rebound back to him off the keeper's legs, and then Ged Brannan clear his second try off the line.

The Warne-Glass combination almost worked again three minutes later, but this time Murphy just beat Glass to the ball on the edge of his area.

Brannan, who had presumably picked up a knock, was replaced by Alan Griffiths in the 37th minute, and from his first touch a minute later, which looked a blatant back pass, Murphy was allowed to get away with picking the ball up on his line.

Vauxhall made a livelier start to the second half, and McGrail should have done better than to shoot well wide after Taylor had beaten Brown on the right and crossed.

But Alfreton were soon back in charge, and after half time substitute Mark Maddocks had brought down Clayton just outside the area, Law curled his low free kick around the wall towards the far post, where Murphy got down well to turn it for a corner.

Vauxhall threatened briefly again just after the hour when Taylor broke away, and Lawrence Matthewson had to save with his legs to avert the danger.

But Vauxhall completely lost their already shaky discipline with 15 minutes remaining. Field, who had been booked in the first half, fouled Warne which led to a melee during which Taylor was seen to aim a punch. He received a straight red, and Field also walked following his second yellow for the initial foul.

That ended any Vauxhall hopes of a comeback, and in the 83rd minute Murphy cynically brought Down Glass on the left by-line as he cut in. The keeper was booked, Law floated in the free kick, and Clayton ghosted into the area to nod it home.

The rout was complete three minutes later when Brown played the ball infield and Glass helped it on for Law to execute a crisp low 20-yard drive – and probably make life just that bit easier for his chastened dad at the fans' forum which followed.

ALFRETON: Matthewson, M. Wilson, Brown, Walton, Butler, M. Wilson, Law, Bowler, Clayton, Glass, Warne. Subs not used: Cusworth, Barnard, Pacey, Reet.
VAUXHALL: Murphy, Williams (Maddox ht), Dames, Field, Brannan (Griffiths 37), Robinson, Heler, Owens, McGrail, Smith, Taylor. Subs not used: Holmes, Roberts, Hitchen.
REFEREE: Tony Maton of Oadby, Leicestershire.
ATTENDANCE: 304.
GOALS: Alfreton – Law 17, 86; Clayton 18, 83.
CAUTIONS: Alfreton – Bowler 70 (foul on Griffiths); L. Wilson 78 (foul on McGrail). Vauxhall – Field 33 (foul on Walton); Maddox 59 (foul on Glass); Heler 66 (unsporting conduct); Murphy 83 (professional foul on Glass).
DISMISSALS: Vauxhall – Field 75 (foul on Warnes, second cautionable); Taylor 75 (violent conduct).
MAN OF THE MATCH: Steve Warne.