Derbyshire Senior Cup Third Round
Alfreton Town 6 (Hobson 36, Denton 45, 81, McGrath 59, Butterfield 61, Southwell 64)
Ilkeston Town 1 (T Wilson 41)
Alfreton Town made us pay for not taking our chances as they romped to Derbyshire Senior Cup success on Tuesday night.
The scoreline was perhaps harsh on the Robins who played well at numerous stages in the game and were always a threat going forward, but three goals in five second-half minutes killed the tie and ensured Alfreton would progress.
We started the game far stronger, Chris O’Grady and player-boss Jamie Ward both testing Jake Askew in the Reds goal, the latter from 45 yards as Ward tried to catch Askew off his line.
Then O’Grady failed to connect with a fine Tom Hilton cross soon afterwards a few yards out when unmarked in the middle.
At the other end, Milan Butterfield was close from distance, but it would then be Alfreton who would take the lead as Bailey Hobson let fly from 25 yards and his effort found the corner of the net on 37 minutes.
We were soon level, however, as O’Grady fed Ty Wilson through the middle and he finished well for his first Robins goal.
But Alfreton regained the lead on the stroke of half-time as Tom Denton flicked home a corner from the left.
We began the second-half strongly, Remaye Campbell and Kieran Fenton both having shots cleared off the line and Wilson’s effort well saved by Askew.
But the Reds then struck three quick goals to run away with the tie.
First, substitute Jay McGrath turned home a corner from the right hand side, then Butterfield struck from the edge of the penalty area with a low shot.
It was then five when from another corner, Dayle Southwell got his head to the ball to net from close range after Ilkeston hadn’t cleared.
Debutant Silvio Bello nearly pulled one back with a diving header from Dempsey Arlott-John’s cross but it went just wide.
Alfreton then sealed the win on 81 minutes when Denton’s effort was judged to have crossed the line despite keeper Saul Deeney getting a good hand to it and the ball being cleared, and the Reds were comfortably through.
Alfreton: Askew, Clackstone, Preston, Southwell, Wiley (McGrath 31), Butterfield, Thewlis, Branson, Denton, Lund, Hobson (Conway 65)
Not used: Smith, Cantrill, Rhead
Ilkeston: Deeney, Bello, Hilton, Thomas, Delap, Fenton, Campbell, Ward (Eratt-Thompson 60), O’Grady (Bradley 72), Fyfe, Wilson (Arlott-John 70)
Not used: Tomlin, Woodward
Att: 184
By Mark Duffy