Alfreton Town were on the wrong end of a seven-goal extravaganza at the lmpact Arena on Tuesday night, slipping to their third successive defeat in the process.

With keeper George Willis out injured long-term manager Billy Heath secured the signature of former Rochdale stopper David Robson in time to play, but it was his opposite number Jonny Maxted who drew the headlines.

In the tenth minute the Brackley keeper failed to prevent a back header from going behind and then managed to fumble Billy Whitehouse's subsequent flag-kick over the line to give the Reds the lead.

Then after the visitors had uncompromisingly taken the game by the scruff of the neck with three goals blew a fuse on the stroke of half-time, bringing down Liam Waldock in full flight on the edge of the area.

The referee had little choice but to brandish red, reducing Brackley to ten men and, with no keeper on the bench, George Carline took over between the sticks.

Having given the Saints a 2-1 lead on 25 minutes with a simple conversion of a right-flank cross, Carline's first job was to pick the ball out of the back of the net after Jed Abbey had duly despatched the free-kick.

Alfreton had led for just seven minutes when Alfie Bates slammed home a loose ball and Connor Hall had made the score 3-1 to Brackley after 32 minutes with a header from a Matt Lowe cross.

Spurred on by the turn of events the Reds were quickly out of the blocks after the interval and by the 48th minute a long throw by Adam Lund had caused enough confusion for Max Hunt to grab an equalising header and from that point there was hope in the air.

Try as they might though the hosts met Northamptonshire resistance, with good chances falling to Abbey, Jake Day and sub Lewis Salmon before Brackley delivered the sucker punch in the shadows of added time with Lowe sparking wild celebrations on the visiting bench when he slid home a right-wing cross rather too easily.

ALFRETON: Robson: Clackstone, Hunt, Wiley, Newall, Perritt. Lund,
Whitehouse [McDonagh 73], Waldock, Abbey, Day [Salmon 80].
other subs: Solademi, Hinton, Askew.

Referee: Mr J. Chadwick
Attendance: 327