PREVIEW: Luton Town v Alfreton Town

The Reds have done superbly to sit fourth in the table, with a magnificent 18 wins to their name, a tally bettered only by Luton.

To show just how far they have come, victory at Kenilworth Road tomorrow would take them to 60 points, the same total they managed throughout the whole of last season.

The part-timers have been improving year on year too as after a 15th placed finish in their first term at Conference level, they were 13th last year and have realistic ambitions of a top five spot now.

Away from home, boss Nicky Law has masterminded seven victories, including notable triumphs at Cambridge, Wrexham, Kidderminster and Macclesfield, but they struggled in the other 11 matches, drawing one and losing 10.

The Reds are on a run of four games without defeat after recently putting together a sequence of five straight Conference wins, an effort that was all the more impressive, coming after they were hammered 5-0 on home soil by Luton.

Alfreton are unbeaten on the road in three too, winning at Cambridge and Welling, while drawing at Salisbury, but their two away clashes prior saw them lose at Lincoln and Barnet.

The wet weather has hit Reds hard though with the club facing a cashflow crisis caused by home postponements.

They urged supporters to buy tickets early for upcoming games after seven weeks without a home match and were left struggling to pay their bills.

Director John Glasby said: “Now is the time to really step up to the mark and help your club.

“This would mean a lot to the club as we would at least have some income to help pay the weekly wages.”

Team news: Hatters are fully fit once more meaning just Jonathan Smith and Danny Fitzsimons are missing.

Alfreton also have no injury worries, with the exception of long term absentee John McGrath

Man in the middle: Peter Bankes - Official has shown a hefty 75 yellows and three reds during his 17 Skrill Premer games so far this season.

Has also had the whistle in League Two, while was an assistant at the Emirates for Arsenal’s Premier League clash against Sunderland recently and the League Cup semi-final between the Black Cats and Manchester United.

Refereed Luton once in the league this term, the 0-0 draw against Grimsby, and has been in charge for Alfreton twice, a 1-0 win at Macclesfield and 3-0 home triumph over Halifax.

Also took Luton’s 1-1 draw at Bath City in 2011-12, sending off two of the hosts players.

Top Skrill Premier scorer: Hatters: Andre Gray (24). Reds: John Akinde (10).

Average Skrill Premier attendance: Hatters: 6,822. Alfreton: 773.

In charge: Nicky Law - started as a youth teamer with Arsenal, before spells at Barnsley, Blackpool, Plymouth Argyle, Notts County, Scarborough, Rotherham United, Chesterfield and Hereford United, until retiring in 1997.

Became Chesterfield manager in 2000 and has been in charge of Bradford City, Grimsby Town and Buxton, before taking over as Alfreton boss on May 14, 2007.

It was Law who ended a seven-year stay in the Conference North for the Reds as they won promotion to the Conference after finishing as champions in the 2010-11 season.

View from the opposition: Boss Nicky Law was present as Luton hammered Wrexham on Tuesday night.

When asked what his plans would be for the match, Law told the club’s website: “Pray!”

He went on to say: “We are going to have to think about something. If I am honest, we can’t go there and play 4-4-2 and perform like we did against Gateshead last weekend.

“We are going to have to come up with a bit of a plan this week, maybe go with a 1-9-1 formation!

“They (Luton) are going to win this league by a long shot. They are way, way above this level looking at the resources they have got, the players they have got and the good manager they have got.

“John (Still) has come in and changed a lot of people’s attitudes towards Luton, they are getting respect and earning respect in the right way.”

One to watch: Shaun Harrad, striker who knew where the net was during his spell at Burton Albion betwen 2005 - 2011, bagging 75 goals for the club in that time.

He moved to Northampton and then Bury, while more recently having loan spells at Rotherham and Chelteham. Back at Gigg Lane this term, he struggled, scoring just twice in 22 games.

Joined Alfreton in January and netted on his debut in the 2-1 win at Welling.

Friendly faces: Lathaniel Rowe-Turner, the defender spent four months on loan at Alfreton earlier in the season, making 22 league appearances, before returning to Kenilworth Road.

The Reds have also recently signed midfielder Godfrey Poku, who played 29 times for Luton, on loan from Mansfield Town.

The 23-year-old made four appearances for the Stags in League Two this season, before joining Alfreton in January and has played six times.

We’ve got form: Alfreton are yet to take a point or even score on their trips to Kenilworth Road.

Twice the Reds have visited, with Town winning both encounters, 1-0 and 3-0 respectively.

Last time out: A second half blitz saw Hatters defeat Alfreton last season. The visitors had held Town until the break, before goals from JJ O’Donnell (53), Jonathan Smith (56) and Andre Gray (58) ensured Town eased home.

Hatters: Mark Tyler, Lathaniel Rowe-Turner, Janos Kovacs, Jake Howells, Simon Ainge, Ronnie Henry, Alex Lawless, JJ O’Donnell (Dan Walker 89), Jonathan Smith, Scott Rendell (Jon Shaw 86), Andre Gray (Stuart Fleetwood 86).

Subs not used: Dean Brill, Arnaud Mendy.

Referee: Wayne Barratt.

Attendance: 5,648.

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