Witton Albion 2 Ilkeston Town 1

6:00pm Saturday 12th January 2008

WHAT a difference a player makes.

Jim Vince asked all Albion fans to hail Alex Brown this week after his star midfielder returned from injury.

He'll be hollering it from the rooftops now.

Brilliant Brown nicked the points for Witton with a shot so perfect it should be framed - his arrowed drive fizzed into the top corner from 25-yards.

He'd been on the pitch three minutes.

Before that the hosts had huffed and puffed their way to level terms after another moment of magic from Mark Peers.

A peripheral figure for much of the contest, he danced past three defenders before spearing an unstoppable shot past poor Ilkeston custodian James Lindley.

It was harsh on his team to leave Wincham with nothing.

After all it was the visitors' opener that punctured the tedium of a tepid first half.

With Adam Warlow still suffering from a virus Albion were struck down by lethargy from the kick off.

Lee Featherstone's scorching shot was tipped around the post by Kennedy inside three minutes as Ilkeston began brightly.

They did escape on 26 minutes when Witton seemed certs to be awarded a spot kick.

Liam Brownhill was scythed down by lunging Liam Powell on the left-hand edge of the box but, despite falling into the area, the match officials punished the Robins with a yellow card and a free kick rather than a penalty.

Peers then skidded a shot off target before Ilkeston eked out the games' first goal.

Justin Walker scooped the ball towards John Douglas but, with Ian Kearney holding him off the attack seemed set to end in anything but the slapstick that followed.

Kearney watched Kennedy, who was watching Kearney and their dithering resulted in a the Witton keeper spilling the ball to Douglas for an easy tap-in.

More comedy capers ensued after the interval as Brownhill was beaten to the ball by Adam Muller, but his toe-poke was blocked by Kennedy.

Peers ended the circus with a trick of his own.

Picking the ball up in the centre circle, he blazed a trail past three retreating Robins before planting a leveller through Lindley.

Witton then rallied, Rod Thornley's header scraped off the line by Lindley before debutant Tony Evans was thwarted by the keeper after he had parried another Thornley effort.

Kearney picked Walker's pocket at the other end as he scampered onto Muller's pass before Dave MacPherson skied over from point-blank range from Brownhill's assist.

Ilkeston then spurned their best chance when Colin Hunter shot feebly at Kennedy after Walker's superlative pass had sent him clear.

Evans capped a debut to forget when he scuffed a simple chance straight at Lindley six-yards from the target following Kearney's knock-down.

By then Brown had seen enough and showed them all how it should be done.

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STAR MAN: Ian Kearney - A solid, uncompromising performance from Brian Pritchard's stand-in. Not at fault for the Robins' goal, keeper Jon Kennedy should have helped him out. Apart from that a near flawless display on the ground and in the air.

ALBION(4-4-2): Kennedy (GK), Coo (Pritchard 71), Kearney, Barras, Brownhill, Brodie (Brown 81), MacPherson (Rutter 85), Lloyd, Thornley, Evans
Goals: Peers 55, Brown 84

ILKESTON (4-4-2): Lindley (GK), Powell, Woolley, Timons, Featherstone, James (Holmes 67), Gardner (Winder 85), Walker, Hunter (Lee 72), Muller, Douglas.

Goal: Douglas 35
Booked: Powell, Timons (both fouls)

Attendance: 470