Report: Alfreton Town 2-2 Warrington Town

Josh Amis came off the bench to score a brace and earn Warrington Town a comeback point on the road at Alfreton Town.

The Yellows trailed 2-0 going in to the final 10 minutes, but a header from their captain and a stunning 20-yard strike rifled in to the top corner saw them fight back, and they could have won it at the death, but for a fine save by Jake Askew denying Peter Clarke.

It was a battle of two out-of-form teams, with just two wins between them in their last 23 games, and lady luck appeared to be shining on the hosts, who took the lead after 10 minutes.

An unfortunate handball by Hamish Douglas, as Akeel Francis flicked the ball around him, gave the hosts a penalty, and Josh Clackstone stepped up to send Dan Atherton the wrong way.

The Yellows were peppered with long-throws and set pieces throughout the first half, and did well to keep the score at one.

Clarke cleared off the line to deny Francis from a Lewis Salmon pull-back, and then Salmon showed good technique in hitting a half-volley off the crossbar.

Lund, the man delivering the damage with long throw-ins from almost anywhere on the sidelines, then had a header somehow pushed on to the bar by Atherton.

The tide was stemmed in the early stages of the second half, but Alfreton doubled their lead shortly after the hour mark when the Yellows failed to sufficiently clear the ball from their left corner, and it was worked across to Sam Osborone, who curled a shot through the grasp of Atherton in to the corner.

That looked like that until the Yellows launched an unlikely late comeback, led by the skipper, who was introduced shortly before Alfreton’s second goal in a triple substitution alongside Devarn Green and Mikey O’Neill.

On-loan Wrexham defender Aaron James, again one of Warrington’s best, hung up a cross to the back post that Amis headed in off the crossbar to give the visitors hope with 10 to play.

Four minutes later, they were level. Amis held the ball up in the centre circle well, then released Joe Rodwell-Grant with a ball over the top. He held the ball up and slid it across for Amis to rifle home first-time right-footed in to the top corner in front of the travelling faithful to make it 2-2.

Atherton saved well from Liam Waldock’s free-kick in the closing stages but the golden chance fell to Clarke, who guided his header across Askew, the ‘keeper getting down to his left to push away and then James’ subsequent cross came off the face of the crossbar.

A well-earned point unfortunately isn’t enough for the Yellows at this stage of the season, but it does at least reduce the deficit to safety to eight points ahead of the visit of Rushall next Saturday.

Alfreton Town: Askew, Clackstone, Lund, Anson, Wiley, Cantrill, Salmon, Abbey (Waldock), Osborne (Newall), Solademi, Francis (Day). Unused subs: Hunt, Carson.

Warrington Town: Atherton, James, Douglas, Clarke, White (Bennett), Amaral, McDonald, Ackroyd (O’Neill), Doro (Amis), Rodwell-Grant, Williams (Green). Unused sub: Makinson

Post-match reaction