AFC Telford United 3 Alfreton Town 0 - Report and pictures

Gavin Cowan kept faith with the starting eleven whose dogged persistence brought back a point from Chester a few days earlier.

With Matty Stenson employed as a lone striker, that may have looked unambitious, but the same Bucks players turned in a vastly different performance; instead of safety first, they were quickly into their stride against a one-paced Alfreton side, and they established an early lead they never looked likely to relinquish.

Ryan Barnett was the player chiefly responsible for that advantage, enjoying his best game in a Bucks shirt since returning to the club for a second loan spell from neighbours Shrewsbury Town.

On a pitch which had been heavily sanded, a legacy of heavy overnight rain, Barnett opted to make metaphorical sandcastles, the local boy delighting the home crowd with a hugely positive display.

Despite a lively start, it took until the 17 th minute for the Bucks to find a breakthrough, with Barnett the provider.

Alfreton left-back Jordan Preston endured a challenging afternoon, and Barnett’s fleet-footedness and trickery took him past Preston and a team-mate into the penalty area before he drove the ball low and almost across the goal-line; Brendon Daniels dived in looking to get the decisive touch and an Alfreton defender, tracking his move, appeared to get the final contact.

Barnett’s celebrations were joyous, and better was to follow. Having served notice of his abilities, two Alfreton players were booked in their attempts to reduce his effectiveness.

Ben Tomlinson clattered Barnett first, and then just after the half-hour Preston did likewise, putting himself on a knife-edge.

It took until two minutes before half-time, but that Preston booking helped create the circumstances for the second goal; Alfreton had been building a response of sorts to the Bucks goal, with a Josh Clackstone cross just too high for Morgan-Smith’s head and Ryan Qualter firing a raking low shot just wide of Yates’ right post.

They had also upped their physicality; manager Billy Health’s side are typically robust, and Danny Clarke was booked for jumping into keeper Matt Yates as he challenged for a high ball.

Former Buck Amari Morgan-Smith then left a foot in on Arlen Birch to earn a booking, Bucks skipper Shane Sutton collecting one too for making his feelings known to his ex-team-mate.

However, when the Bucks repelled an Alfreton sortie by clearing to Barnett on half-way, the chance for a counter-attack was on.

Barnett ran directly at Preston, and with the defender seemingly unwilling to commit to a challenge for fear of a second booking, Barnett raced past him and into the box before scoring, finishing high and across Jordan Wright to the keeper’s left from 12 yards.

The second half did see the visitors making efforts to haul themselves back into the game.

Their main avenue was midfielder Bobby Johnson, who whistled a long-range shot over the crossbar as well as getting behind the Bucks to create a chance which the hosts managed to block, the shot deflected over the crossbar.

With Ellis Deeney breaking up play in front of the back four in which Shane Sutton enjoyed a fine game, organising his team-mates as well as nullifying Morgan-Smith, the Bucks looked far more solid, and Adam Walker enjoyed a fine game in midfield, often the springboard for his team’s attacks.

Barnett remained a threat and keeper Wright parried away a stinging angled shot before Barnett created the third goal on 69 minutes.

Invited once more to run at Preston, Barnett looped a cross over the defence and onto the right foot of Stenson, who cushioned home a fine side-footed finish past Wright and in off the inside of the far post.

That finished the contest, although Conor Branson became the sixth Alfreton booking, needlessly taking out Barnett with a sliding challenge.

There was a late denouement involving Morgan-Smith, who would have wanted to do much more on his return to his former club.

He was given an opportunity when a trip on substitute Danny East gave him an injury-time penalty kick and the chance to deny Yates a clean sheet; however, Morgan-Smith ballooned his spot-kick over the crossbar, to the home fans’ obvious delight.

AFC Telford United: Yates, Birch, White, Deeney, Sutton (c), Streete, Barnett, Walker, Stenson

(Williams 73), McQuilkin, Daniels (Dinanga 73).

Unused substitutes: Lilly, Martinez, Knights, Williams, Dinanga.

Goals: Qualter OG (17), Barnett (42), Stenson (69).

Cautions: Sutton, Walker.

Alfreton Town: Wright, Clackstone, Preston, Lynch (Freiter 66), Qualter, Branson, Oyibo, Tomlinson,

Clarke (East 57), Morgan-Smith, Johnson (Thacker 76).

Unused substitutes: East, Andrew, Thacker, Blake, Freiter.

Cautions: Tomlinson, Preston, Clarke, Morgan-Smith, Lynch, Branson.

Referee: Thomas Kirk.

Assistants: Niall Smith, Richard Watson.

Attendance: 1,115.