ALFRETON Town boss Billy Heath celebrated victory over a club he described as a National League North “big fish.”

But, in truth, from the moment Tom Denton rose like a salmon to head Heath’s team in front at York City, there was an air of inevitability about the final outcome.

The Minstermen’s long-suffering supporters have come to expect false dawns and, as rousing as the midweek victory over title favourites Stockport was, this match was always going to be regarded as an early litmus test to ascertain whether this squad of players, which still included five members of last term’s team in the starting XI, were going to shed the infuriating inconsistency that has stunted progress from one match to the next for so long.

Just as Stockport are tipped to finish top of the pile this season, the 2017/18 campaign saw City twice beat eventual title-winners Salford – once under Gary Mills and once under Martin Gray – but, in both cases, the victories were followed by two highly-demoralising defeats.

First, after knocking Salford out of the FA Cup on their own soil, the Minstermen produced an insipid display to go down far too easily in their first North Yorkshire derby with Harrogate Town – a match that proved Mills’ final league game at the helm.

Then, with Gray having also inspired a 1-0 league triumph over the champions-elect at Bootham Crescent in February, the same 11 players were sent out for one of the most humiliating results in the club’s 96-year history the following weekend - a crushing 4-1 defeat at Curzon Ashton.

Aidan Connolly went from a 9/10 performance to a 3/10 Press rating in those two games but, while the capricious Scotsman might have moved on over the summer, there still appears work to be done before Gray can rely on his players meeting dependable standards.

As at Curzon, when City were sloppy from the start and trailed 3-0 by half-time, the hosts were architects of their own demise during the opening exchanges of this contest, conceding two poor goals in as many minutes during the opening quarter-hour.

A further comparison with Curzon was provided when Adam Bartlett spared his team further embarrassment by saving Richard Peniket’s penalty on the hour mark.

That’s perhaps where the similarities with Curzon should end, though, as this display, however deflating, does not really belong in the same bracket although it did take the introduction of Alex Kempster to provide some solace in that match and City also perked up in this fixture when Jon Parkin and Macaulay Langstaff were hailed from the bench with the former setting up the latter for their team’s 68th-minute consolation.

Kempster limped out of the action in this game after five minutes following a strong challenge by visiting right-back James Clifton, before City suffered two setbacks in quick succession.

On 13 minutes, Jordan Burrow failed to retain possession just inside his own half and, after conceding a free kick, the hosts could not stop Denton from climbing highest in the box to head Clifton’s right-wing delivery past Bartlett.

Just moments after the restart, City were then caught one-on-one on the counter attack, with Bateson brushing aside Kallum Griffiths just past the halfway line.

The Alfreton winger went on to calmly round an onrushing Bartlett before rolling the ball into the net.

With City shell-shocked, a Bateson 20-yard attempt was also deflected wide after Adriano Moke had been outmuscled just outside the penalty box.

The lively Bateson went on to send in a low right-wing cross that saw Peniket steal in front of Hamza Bencherif far too easily, only for Barrtlett to react quickly to smother the away striker’s shot. Continuing to threaten, Bateson fired over after receiving the ball from a short corner and sidestepping Sean Newton’s challenge, while the Minstermen’s only goal attempts of the half came from corners.

But Bencherif and Burrow both headed too high from Newton and Griffiths’ respective flag kicks.

After Bateson had found far too much space in the home box but seen the sting taken out of his eventual shot by Joe Tait, Burrow then met another Newton corner at the near post but could only guide his shot across the face of Alfreton’s goal. After the restart, City might have fallen further behind following a clumsy challenge by Newton on Bateson that resulted in the penalty.

But Peniket’s awful spot kick was weakly struck down the centre and easily saved by Bartlett.

At the other end, Bencherif again headed over from another Griffiths corner, before City reduced the deficit on 68 minutes.

A long ball forward was expertly headed on by Parkin and Langstaff smartly collected the knock down before confidently finding Sam Ramsbottom’s bottom-right corner from 15 yards.

Five minutes later, Tait drove an ambitious 30-yard effort well wide after being urged to shoot by the David Longhurst Stand faithful.

Tait then squandered an easier chance shortly afterwards, contriving to hit the roof of the Longhurst from eight yards out with a free header from Russ Penn’s cross.

City continued to press for an equaliser with Wes York racing on to long pass from Tait and, when his low cross in turn found Parkin, the former Championship campaigner’s goal-bound effort was only diverted behind by Clifton's block With the clock ticking, Parkin could not direct his 86th-minute far-post header on target from Griffiths’ corner and, in stoppage time, Tait steered another header well off target from Penn’s ball into the box.

Defeat left the Minstermen 17th in the early standings and meant Alfreton protected their proud record of never having been beaten at Bootham Crescent ahead of the move to Monks Cross next season.

The North Street outfit have won two and drawn one of their three visits to the 86-year-old stadium, taking seven points from a possible nine.

City ratings

Adam Bartlett 7 

Kallum Griffiths 5 

Hamza Bencherif 5 

Joe Tait 6 

Sean Newton 5 

Wes York 5 

Russ Penn 6 

Adriano Moke 5 

Alex Kempster N/A

Jordan Burrow 5 

Jake Wright 5  

Substitutes: David Ferguson 5 (for Kemspter, 5), Jon Parkin 7 (for Burrow, 58), Macaulay Langstaff 7 – (for Wright, 58).

Subs not used: Tom Allan, Ryan Whitley.

Star man: Parkin - kept defenders occupied and showed nous with his headers

Alfreton: Sam Ramsbottom, James Clifton, Jack Lane (Harry Middleton, 78), Luke Shiels, Josh Wilde; Curtis Bateson (Danny Clarke, 70), Tom Platt, Nathan Hotte, Craig King; Tom Denton, Richard Peniket. Subs not used: Declan Bacon, Tom Nicholson, Callum Chettle.

Alfreton star man: Bateson – City struggled to contain him during his 70 minutes on the pitch

Referee: Andrew Kitchen: 5/10 – missed a lot

Booked: Shiels 70, Ramsbottom 90+2

Sent off: None

Attendance: 2,105 (73 from Alfreton)

Shots on target: City 2, Alfreton 5

Shots off target: City 8, Alfreton 2

Corners: City 8, Alfreton 3

Fouls conceded: City 13, Alfreton 11

Offside: City 1, Alfreton 1