Alfreton take another step towards Conference safety

The point was also one more small step towards securing Vanarama Conference safety, although Alfreton remain just one place clear of the bottom four, but the game itself produced only a handful of clear chances for either side.

Manager Nicky Law recalled Tom Shaw to midfield with Dan Bradley not fit, Saturday’s goalscoring hero actually missing the best chances of the game as the Reds tried their hardest to overcome a stubborn Lincoln rearguard.

Lathaniel Rowe-Turner had to clear off the line from Ben Tomlinson after Arnaud Mendy’s shot had been blocked in the third minute, although the assistant referee’s flag would have come to Alfreton’s rescue.

In the Reds’ first attack four minutes later John Johnston fired high and wide from a Luke Graham cross, then at the other end Jordan Burrow’s header was wayward from a Jordan Cranston delivery.

Reds’ keeper Jason Mooney held Mendy’s angled drive in the 16th minute, then a deflected Andi Thanoj shot needed a good reaction from Paul Farman in the Lincoln goal. Tom Miller headed behind from a deep Alan Power free-kick then Shaw laid the ball off for Johnston but Joe Ironside just couldn’t make contact with the cross in front of a gaping goal.

Nat Brown cleared a Shaw cross from a Johnston pass as Alfreton responded, but it was Mooney who was the next keeper in action tipping over a stinging shot from John Marsden on 57 minutes.

Mooney then dealt with a Burrow header from another delivery by Caprice, before former Reds’ striker Tomlinson was woefully off target with a brace of efforts from outside the area.

A pacy 20 yarder from Karl Hawley tested Farman midway through the second half, then on 71 minutes Shaw hooked over from 16 yards when set up by Hawley.

Four minutes later Shaw dragged an even clearer effort across the face of goal after Hawley had combined with Thanoj to provide the opening, then nine minutes from time Joe Leesley’s overhead kick almost succeeded from a lengthy Niall Heaton throw.

Alfreton: Mooney; Graham, Howe, Rowe-Turner, Wood, Johnston (Heaton 80), Lenighan, Shaw, Thanoj, Ironside (Leesley 66), Hawley. Subs: Stevenson, Courtney, Howell. Att: 744 (145).