Bristol Rovers

Attendance: 880 (315)

Alfreton Town and Bristol Rovers share the spoils in a goalless draw at the Impact area.

Darrell Clarke made two changes to the side that exited the FA Cup on Saturday bringing Jamie White and Daniel Leadbitter into the starting 11.

The Rovers boss opted to start with a 3-4-3 formation with Matty Taylor playing off of a front two of Ryan Brunt and Jamie White.

The first half was slow to start and the first effort came from a Lee Brown free kick from 30-yards. Brown got the free kick over the large wall and forced a save low down to the goalkeepers left.

Rovers had Steve Mildenhall to thank for keeping the game goalless with almost 20 minutes on the clock as Dan Bradley’s shot from distance took a deflection but was denied by a world class stop from the Rovers keeper.

Back in the starting 11 for the first time since Braintree away, Jamie White had a brilliant chance to score but headed over from a Lee Brown cross from the left.

Rovers were looking to use the diagonal pass forwards and Tom Parkes used this to good effect on the half hour mark.

Parkes’ pinpoint ball was plucked out of the air superbly by Jamie White who decided to set up Brunt who could only shoot over as he was falling to the ground.

Jamie White had a lively first period as his pace off the mark seemed to cause the Alfreton back line issues on several occasions and it was his acrobatic shot from the edge of the edge of the box forced a good save from Cameron Dawson.

Alfreton were limited to long-range efforts by the Rovers defence, the closest of which fell to Nathan Hicks. The winger found space in the middle of the pitch and tried his luck from 30-yards but fired narrowly wide of Mildenhall’s right hand post.

Chances were limited in the opening exchanges in the second half with Matty Taylor’s shot straight at Dawson the only chance of note.

Substitute Ellis Harrison showed a burst of pace down the Rovers left and neatly played in Lee Brown in the area but the full back could only fire wide of the goal just past the hour mark.

With 15 minutes remaining a ball deep into the Alfreton penalty area was brought down well by Tom Parkes who forced an excellent save from Cameron Dawson to keep the game level.

Rovers pressed for the all-important winning goal but Matty Taylor and Lyle Della-Verde had efforts off target in the final stages.

Up next for Rovers is a long awaited return to the Memorial Stadium as they take on Kidderminster on Saturday.

Alfreton: Dawson, Wood, Rowe-Turner, Graham (C), Hicks, (Keane – 73) Clayton, Bradley, Howell, Shaw, McDonald (Lamb – 53), Davies.

Unused Substitutes: Courtney, Smith, Ironside.

Rovers: Mildenhall, Lockyer, McChrystal (C), Parkes, Leadbitter (Martin – 68), Mansell, Sinclair, Brown, Taylor, Brunt (Harrison – 60), White (Della-Verde – 68).

Unused Substitutes: Puddy, Cunnington.