Friday 14th January 2011

ALFRETON Town put their Blue Square Bet North title chase on hold for the weekend and turn their attentions to trying to reach the last 16 in the country in the FA Carlsberg Trophy.

The Reds host Blue Square Premier Division mid-table side Cambridge United at the Impact Arena with £6,000 prize money also up for grabs as well as a place in the third round draw on Monday.

Manager Nicky Law has Anton Brown fit again and has no suspensions or new injury worries - a good thing as the Reds face their sixth game in 15 days this year.

Cambridge boss Martin Ling also has a full strength squad to choose from with the exception of left back James Jennings who sits the tie out on a one-game suspension following a sending off for two yellow card offences in the league game at Barrow last Saturday.

His replacement is likely to be 19-year-old Darryl Coakley who has only made one appearance as substitute in this campaign but seven at the front end of the 2009/10 season.

U's boss Ling has stated this week that the Alfreton tie is the first of five massive games for his side which could shape the destiny of the rest of United's season.

They sit 11th in the division above Alfreton and still harbour major hopes of achieving a play-off place this season.

On their travels this season the 'U's' have suffered defeats at Wrexham (1-0), Mansfield Town (1-0), Luton Town (2-0), AFC Wimbledon (3-0), Hayes & Yeading (2-0).

There have been just three wins on the road, these coming at Gateshead (3-2), Eastbourne Borough (2-0) and Barrow (2-1) last weekend, while draws have come at Tamworth (1-1), Kidderminster Harriers (0-0), Fleetwood Town (2-2) and Kettering Town (2-2).

There was also a 2-1 defeat at Huddersfield Town in an FA Cup replay after a goalless draw at the R Costings Abbey Stadium, but, significantly, Cambridge appear to have found form of late having recorded wins in their last two successive away league games and they come to the Impact Arena on the back of a three-game unbeaten run, tasting defeat just once in their last seven outings in all competitions.

United have kept ten clean sheets from 29 games played so far this season although only two of those have been on opposition turf. On the other hand, the U's have found the back of the net at least once in all their last six away games.

Nicky Law's side go into the tie unbeaten in their last eight games in all competitions and have scored in all the last ten games, a total of 34 being rattled in over that period.

Top scorers for Cambridge are the highly-rated Robbie Willmott with 9, Wayne Gray 7, Danny Wright 6 and Simon Russell 5 with 11 different players on the scoresheet so far.

For Alfreton, Liam Hearn leads the way with 15 in all competitions followed by Paul Clayton on 11 and Nathan Arnold on 8. Very pleasingly for the Reds, 15 different players have found their way to goal this season and one own goal.

FORM BOOK OVER LAST TEN GAMES IN ALL COMPETITIONS
(Most recent first)

Alfreton Town W D W W W W W D W W

Cambridge United W W D L W W D L D D

Cambridge's line-up in their last fixture, the 2-1 win at Barrow last Saturday, was: Danny Naisbitt,  Kevin Roberts, Josh Coulson, Dave Partridge, James Jennings, Brian Saah, Paul Carden (captain), Wayne Gray, Simon Russell, Robbie Willmott, Danny Wright.

Subs: Simon Brown, Rory McAuley, Conal Platt, Adam Marriott, Daryl Clare.

Scorers were Willmott (18 mins) and Wayne Gray (54 mins), Barrow only reduced the arrears in the 90th minute.

With over 200 Cambridge fans expected to travel to Derbyshire, a good atmosphere should be evident for the tie - the outcome of which is difficult to predict and could go either way, perhaps to whoever is the bravest on the day.

If a replay is necessary, this will be staged at Cambridge's R Costings Abbey Stadium next Tuesday, January 18th, with a 7.45pm kick-off which would mean Alfreton's Derbyshire Senior Cup fourth round home tie against Glapwell would have to be rearranged.

Kick off is at 3pm.

RECENT STORIES

NEARLY THERE... -
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