Magnificent Mackenzie Maltby nets a point for depleted Scarborough Athletic at in-form Alfreton Town

This earned a 1-1 draw for an Athletic side without Will Thornton, Luca Colville, Lewis Maloney and Michael Duckworth through injury or illness, writes Steve Adamson.

The draw extended Alfreton’s unbeaten run to seven games, and their unbeaten home run to 18 matches, but battling Boro were worthy of a point, in the club’s 100th National League North fixture since winning promotion from the NPL.

Boro started brightly, Frank Mulhern teeing up Harry Green, who blazed over in the opening minute, then on five minutes Alex Wiles won the ball and passed to Mulhern, whose 20-yard shot was tipped over by George Willis, and Green curled a shot over.

The hosts then dictated play, but Boro defended well, with Alex Brown, Kieran Weledji, Bailey Gooda, and Maltby in his first start, all getting in tackles and winning headers as Boro defended numerous long throws and crosses into the box from Adam Lund.

A terrific Brown tackle halted the run of Billy Fewster, Maltby headed away a Lund cross from under the bar, and a Jed Abbey shot was blocked by Gooda, before a scramble developed in a crowded Boro area, and the ref spotted a handball, but Ryan Whitley dived low to his right to push away Abbey’s 18th minute spot-kick.

Richie Bennett had shots blocked by David Moyo and Max Hunt, then Wiles raced down the right and whipped over a cross that was hacked clear by Abbey as Brown ghosted in at the back post.

Alfreton broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time, when a low cross from Moyo on the right, fell to Fewster, who drilled his shot into the bottom right corner.

Liam Waldock fired into the chest of Whitley early in the second half, then Whitley pushed the ball clear when a back-header from Maltby almost crept into the net, and a long throw from Lund was fired goalwards by Fewster, but Weledji was there to block.

On the hour Boro were furious with the ref, when a ball forward from an excellent Maltby sent Bennett racing through, and he tangled legs with defender Hunt, both players falling to the ground, but the official ignored appeals that Bennett had been fouled when through on goal.

The equaliser was set up by Glynn, who squared to Maltby, the young defender’s 25-yard strike took a wicked deflection off the heel of Dwayne Wiley, and sped into the bottom right corner.

The game was now wide open, both sides creating chances. Waldock and ex-Boro striker Jake Day fired over for the hosts, then Billy Whitehouse teed up Day, whose shot was saved by Whitley.

Alex Purver won possession and passed to Kieran Glynn, who glided past his marker and squared to Cam Wilson on the left. His cross was cleared for a corner, which Green floated over, and Weledji flicked the ball inches past the back post. Another Green corner was headed into the goalmouth by Gooda, and Weledji’s snap shot was smothered by Willis, as the game finished all square.

ALFRETON - Willis, Perritt, Newall, Cantrill, Lund, Hunt, Wiley(c), Abbey, Moyo (Day 72), Waldock, Fewster (Whitehouse 82)

BORO - Whitley, Weledji, Brown, Maltby, Gooda(c), Purver, Tear (Glynn 65), Wiles, Mulhern (Wilson 65), Bennett, Green

REFEREE- Mark Bell

GOALS - ALFRETON - Billy Fewster 45 BORO - Mackenzie Maltby 78

GOAL ATTEMPTS - ALFRETON 9 (5 on target) BORO 7 (2 on target)

CORNERS - ALFRETON 2 BORO 7

OFFSIDES - ALFRETON 2 BORO 1

YELLOW CARDS - ALFRETON - Liam Waldock, Billy Heath (manager), George Cantrill, Nathan Newall BORO - Richie Bennett, Alex Brown, Dom Tear

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Kieran Weledji

ATTENDANCE - 673 (168 away)