Athletic end season with loss to Alfreton
Boro’s season ended in disappointing fashion as they slipped to a 1-0 home defeat by play-off bound Alfreton Town in a game of few chances with both defences on top for most of the afternoon.
Boss Jono Greening made four changes from last week’s thriller at Boston, withKie ran Weledji, Lewis Maloney, Kole Hall and Harry Green replacing Olly Dy son, Cody Johnson, Frank Mul he rn and Dom Tear, while Alfreton had ex-Boro duo Jordan Thewlis and Jake Day on the bench.
Alfreton’s Liam Waldock had a shot blocked by Bailey Gooda inside the first 20 seconds.Borodead-ballspecialist Maloney curled in a free-kick from wide on the left on 12 minutes, and keeper George Willis palmed away.
The visitors then had a spell on top, a Ryan Taylor shot on the turn was blocked by Will Thornton, then the Boro skipper cleared when Harrison Perritt surged forward into the area.
The deadlock was broken in the 19th minute when Perritt hoisted forward into the Boro area, a group of players went up, and 6ft 4ins former Peterborough, Notts County and Port Vale defender Shaun Brisley looped his header over stranded keeper Ryan Whitley into the net.
Boro’s best move of the game almost brought them level on 27 minutes, when Fin Barnes, who had a terrific game, won possession wide on the right and flicked a pass inside to Alex Purver, who burst forward before spraying the ball out to Green on the left, and his fierce shot crashed off the top of the bar.
A Maloney corner was headed just over by Bailey Good a, then Alex Wiles laid off to Green, whose shot was deflected out for a corner, from which Gooda’s header was saved at full stretch by keeper Willis.
Green was on top form, and after the break he played aprecisethrough-balltoWiles inside the area, but Lewis Salmon slid in to challenge as Wiles was about to shoot, then Kieran Weledji raced down the right and passed inside to Barnes, but keeper Willis dived at his feet to snatch the ball away.
Maloney sent a 22-yard free-kick into the chest of the keeper, and Frank Mulhern rampaged forward, but was halted by Kennedy Digie’s strong challenge.
On 71 minutes Maloney sent a 30-yard free kick round Alfreton’s five-man wall, but Willis dived to push the ball round the post, the only difficult save either keeper had to make all game, then Mulhern laid off to Maloney, who fired just over.
Alfreton brought on Thewlis, and he looked lively in the closing stages, shooting wide from distance, then flicking a shot wideafter being teed up by Taylor.
Boro pushed skipper Thornton forward as they chased a late equaliser.
A Barnes corner was headedover by Green and Cam Wilson fired narrowly wide, but the visitors held out to secure the points, extending Boro’s winless home run to nine matches.
Not the greatest of games, but brilliant support for both teams, and on reflection, it’s been a decent season fo rB oro, endingwithamid-tablefinish, following a good FA Cup run earlier in the season.
BORO MAN OF MATCH Harry Green
ATTENDANCE - 1,835 (176 away)