Moors suffered a blow to their National League North play-off hopes as they were beaten by Alfreton Town at The Impact Arena on Saturday.

Graeme Lee’s men were given a mountain to climb as the hosts moved into a two-goal lead by half time and Glen Taylor’s late strike was not enough to help them rescue a share of the points.

After only playing on Thursday, Lee shuffled his pack as Finley Shrimpton and Corey McKeown returned to the starting eleven while Dan Myers came onto the substitutes’ bench.

A swirling wind and a bobbly pitch made things tricky for both sides and it proved a scrappy encounter in the early stages.

However, it was the hosts whose robust style seemed more suited to the conditions, and they took the lead on 12 minutes. A long ball forward fell kindly on the right of the area for William Fewster, and he sent a clinical volleyed finish across Brad James and into the net.

Former Moors players Jordan Thewlis and Jake Day combined to create a decent opportunity for the former just after the half-hour point but Thewlis slammed his effort too high to trouble James.

There was an even better chance just afterwards when Moors failed to deal with a ball into the box and Liam Waldock struck an effort on goal which was deflected just wide.

Alfreton wouldn’t take no for an answer though and when Thewlis found space on the left of the area to fire a low shot on goal, James brilliantly parried it across his line only for Day to get there first to gleefully lash home Alfreton’s second.

A double change early in the second half proved a turning point for Moors as Glen Taylor and Isaac Fletcher were introduced from the bench and both were to make an impact.

Day was proving a real handful for the Moors defence though and he came close to make it 3-0 when he took a ball forward on his chest and drilled a shot on goal which flashed just wide of the far post with James beaten.

Moors began to get a foothold though and McKeown found space to deliver a teasing cross from the right which found Rob Ramshaw at the back post but his header crashed back off the bar and the hosts survived.

On 76 minutes, Moors had hope. Fletcher took the ball short from a corner on the right and clipped a cross to the far post which was brilliantly volleyed home by Taylor for 2-1.

The front man could even have levelled it for Lee’s men not long afterwards when Callum Ross slipped the ball through to him on the left of the area, but this time Taylor’s powerful shot was superbly saved by Alfreton keeper George Willis.

There were some anxious moments for the host as Moors continued to press through five minutes of stoppage time to cement their own place in the top seven and put a dent in the hopes of Lee’s battling side.

Full Time: Alfreton Town 2 Moors 1

Alfreton Town: Willis, Clackstone, Digie, Wiley, Newall, Cantrill, Lund, Waldock (Perrett 73), Thewlis (Salmon 78), Fewster, Day (Taylor 86).
Subs not used: McDonagh, Askew.

Booked: Newell (65), Clackstone (70).

Moors: James, Ledger, Mbeka, Pollock, Staunton, Dolan (Ross 68), Shrimpton, Greenfield (Fletcher 54), Ramshaw, McKeown, Harris (Taylor 54).
Subs not used: Myers, Liddle.

Referee: Tom Ellsmore

Attendance: 679