Alfreton Town remain in eighth place in the National League North, just one point off the play-offs, after being held to a 0-0 draw by Chester FC at the Impact Arena yesterday.

With just two games remaining the Reds still have a chance after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games, a position they could not have dreamt of just a few weeks ago.

The hosts started the game brightly with Matt Rhead twice playing Dayle Southwell through inside the opening three minutes, the first effort resulting in Conor Branson going close and the latter with Danny Preston firing over.

A couple of Chester attacks involving the lively Harrison Burke came to nothing before Bailey Hobson unleashed a thunderbolt for the Reds that visiting keeper Wyll Stanway tipped over at full stretch.

As Chester came more and more into the game George Willis had to produce defiant saves from Marcus Dackers, Darren Stephenson and Declan Weeks, yet Alfreton still pushed forward in response to no avail.

A frenetic start to the second half saw Rob Apter fire wide from a good position for the Seals, with Southwell then seeing a header tipped over by Stanway at the other end from a Hobson cross.

Three more chances were to fall Alfreton's way as stalemate became evident, Dom Smith heading over from a Southwell corner, Yusifu Ceesay seeing his shot saved after a lengthy run and Southwell just wide from 25 yards as Milan Butterfield teed up a free-kick.

A draw was probably a fair outcome from a largely uneventful game, but the Reds will not be happy to have received six cautions from a game overseen by a very finicky official.

ALFRETON: Willis; Clackstone, Preston, Branson [Butterfield 62], Wiley, Smith,
Salmon [Ceesay h/t], Lund, Rhead, Southwell, Hobson.
other subs: Reeves, Johnson, Smith-Eccles.

Referee: Dane McCarrick
Attendance: 740