Harrogate Town remain next to bottom in Blue Square North after suffering a convincing 3-1 defeat at Alfreton.

Anton Brown, Paul Clayton and Jake Moult put the home side three up, with Adam Nowakowski scoring a consolation.

Harrogate manager Simon Weaver told BBC Radio York: "If it was a boxing match they would have called it off after the first 20 minutes.

"Physically they were too much for us. I wanted us to bully them but we have not come as far forward as I'd hoped."

He added: "We missed Jason Bradley a bit up front, and we went for a different look in midfield, but we got out-muscled.

We're in an absolute scrap at the minute and I need scrappers to come to the fore Simon Weaver

"In the first 20 minutes Alfreton were winning every ball in midfield, every drop down from the centre-halves fell to them.

"Then they hooked it in behind our back four, played for throw-ins, corners, free-kicks, basically territory.

"They beat us up physically and that's disheartening."

Martin Foster was dismissed near the end and Weaver added: "It was a cheap sending-off and he's lost his head. At least he's got a bit of fire but that was in the wrong place at the wrong time and he'll have to pay the fine."

Town are only above bottom club Vauxhall Motors on goal difference now and Weaver knows they badly needs a result at Blyth Spartans on Tuesday.

"I just want them to look after the performance and put that first 20 minutes in," Weaver added.

"We're in an absolute scrap at the minute and I need scrappers to come to the fore."

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