HARRIERS responded perfectly to the nightmare end to their game against Salford by posting an ideal 2-0 victory at Alfreton Town.

Looking to quickly respond from the disappointment of the last-gasp draw at the hands of league leaders just days prior having been in a commanding position, Harriers kept faith with an unchanged starting eleven – the only change for the night coming on the bench as Tom Palmer replaced Nathan Vaughan.

Alfreton enjoyed a bright start to the game and a positive spell near the end of the half but, otherwise, Harriers enjoyed a fairly dominant night of it. Early chances from Bradley and, up from the back, Horsfall took the visitors close, while Alfreton also saw sight of goal through Brendan Daniels.

Around the half-hour mark, Alfreton were enjoying their best spell of the game by far and had two key chances to break the deadlock but spurned both; Westcarr seeing his shot cleared away from close range, before the lively Jennings was kept at bay by Brandon Hall – at the tip of an incisive home passing move, he shot slow and hard but couldn’t beat the stopper on the angle.

McQuilkin should’ve punished them five minutes later but, on the break, he shot across goal when better options surrounded him, while Bradley’s snap-shot just afterwards was safely held by the goalkeeper.

Harriers came out full of purpose after the restart and broke the deadlock on 55 minutes; Ironside fed inside the penalty area thanks to a great Sonupé cross and, on the angle, driving the ball beyond the goalkeeper for his 20th of the season.

McQuilkin spurned another chance on 58 minutes as Harriers looked to press home their advantage, before a rare second half opportunity for the home side saw, on 66, Disley’s weak header find the gloves of Hall.

Any last remaining resistance from Alfreton was broken with 20 left to play when Harriers added a second – Croasdale the lynchpin with an incisive pass to free Bradley on the break, who kept his composure in charging down on goal before dispatching his fourth goal in three games.

With less than a quarter-hour left to play, Sonupé might well have added a third as he found space on the counter, but an attempted curled effort flew over the target.

HARRIERS: Hall, Vaughan, Taylor, Pearson, Horsfall, Croasdale, McQuilkin, Weeks, Sonupé, Ironside, Bradley.

Subs: Waring, Brown, Digie, Austin, Palmer.

Attendance: 433 Referee: Sam Mulhall