Written by Szymon Gasior for Alfreton Town FC

A goal in each half is sufficient as Reds record first league double of the season to climb to 11th in National League North.

Alfreton Town’s forwards Matt Rhead and Dayle Southwell scored either side of the break as the Reds convincingly dispatched Kettering Town.

Top scorer Rhead, 38, put the hosts ahead early on when his volley from Bailey Hobson’s cross squeezed under Kettering’s loanee goalkeeper Harrison Foulkes.

Billy Heath’s men were unlucky not to have doubled the lead minutes later through Jordan Thewlis, who crashed a venomous effort off the post from a narrow angle.

The visitors best chance to level the game came five minutes before half-time, when forward Sam Bennett rolled Gary Stohrer’s cut back agonisingly wide of George Willis’ far post.

There was a heated beginning to the second half with the game threatening to boil over, however lacking chances until the Reds were awarded a penalty for a foul on Southwell with twenty minutes to go.

Southwell, 29, coolly converted the spot-kick to register his fourth league goal of the season and first in the competition since the reverse fixture in August 2022.

Left-back Danny Preston almost added a third in the dying embers with a Paolo Di Canio-esque scissor kick from the edge of the area, but his strike sailed above the bar.

Alfreton have now stretched their unbeaten run to six games, keeping five consecutive clean sheets in the process.

The Reds have climbed to 11th place in the table and are three points off the play-off positions.