Match Report

Although Altrincham had won their opening fixture of the season, they had not performed as well as they had in that game as in some of the pre-season matches, whilst Worksop were also looking for an improvement after a surprising 3-2 reverse at Vauxhall Motors. Tonight's match saw the first appearance of the new Altrincham away kit; white shirts with a black collar and some red trimming. Whilst Andy Cole and Juan Sebastián Verón, who watched our game on Saturday, had not followed us to Worksop, former Robins' captain Chris Timons had done so. Chris is now at Ilkeston Town.

After hitting the upright inside the first minute, Altrincham enjoyed a good and fairly even first half with Worksop. Hulme's goal after 28 minutes was well worked and they held onto their lead with some solid defending and a fine save from Coburn. Worksop started the second half better than they had done in the first period but their equaliser was a little fortunate. A looping header from the edge of the box finding Coburn just too far off his line to stop it entering the net. Altrincham's second came from another good move, down the left, and was well finished by Ian Craney. After that Worksop were relatively easily contained and Altrincham went close several times in the latter stages.

Paul Taylor remained sidelined following his cartilage operation and Danny Murphy was reduced to the subs' bench as he appears to be carrying an injury. Danny was replaced by Jeremy Illingworth on the left of midfield in an otherwise unchanged side. However, Jason Gallagher started the game at the back in a switch of position with Steve Hawes. Worksop included veteran Chris Waddle on the right flank and a number of new faces. After the transfer of last season's leading scorer Kirk Jackson to Darlington, Gary Townsend and Kristof Kotylo were entrusted with the Tigers' frontline role.

With only some 30 seconds on the clock Rod Thornley rattled Holmshaw's right upright with a shot from the left of goal after good work by Jeremy Illingworth. After this lively start, play settled down as each side tested out the other's defences with moves which failed to materialise into goalscoring chances. Jason Gallagher soon provoked the home crowd's anger when he held on to a Worksop shirt near the half-way line, after his block tackle had threatened to allow the ball to rebound into an opponent's path (8 mins). Alty's next move of note saw Hawes and Thornley combine, only for Illingworth to finish off the attack with an over-long cross from the left (9 mins). Thornley, as ever, was chasing every ball to put defenders and the keeper under pressure. After Furlong had been dispossessed, not for the last time in this match, Gallagher fouled Townsend and received a yellow card (10 mins). From another Worksop free-kick, taken short to Waddle, the ex-England man man shot firmly but directly at Coburn (13 mins). Townsend came closer with a flashing left foot shot just over the bar a minute later as Worksop now began to improve after a slow start. Following an Adams throw-in, two defenders jumped all over Illingworth and a free-kick was awarded. Hawes took the kick, from 35 yards out, and although Hulme got on the end of it, he could not direct it goalwards. Soon after this, Alty won a corner on the right but the ball skimmed off Maddox across, rather than at, goal.

Altrincham again annoyed the Worksop crowd when Hawes committed a late tackle in his own half. Furlong did little to help the cause when, once more, he lost possession (21 mins) and Hulme was also caught napping a couple of minutes later and was robbed of the ball. Things improved when a neat flick by Thornley reached Hulme via Furlong but the referee whistled for off-side (26 mins). Worksop's next move saw a ball from Townsend swept out to Waddle on the right flank. As he tried to sell a dummy to Illingworth, the Altrincham midfielder failed to buy it and took the ball away from the former England international. He took it forward up the left side of the pitch before involving Hawes, Craney and then Hulme in the movement. The ball then came to Thornley to the right of goal; he turned and played it back into the goalmouth where Hulme arrived to round off a fine move and head the ball firmly into the net from about 10 yards (28 mins) for his first goal for Altrincham since his move from York City in the close season.

Worksop had a chance to get level two minutes later when the referee adjudged Sertori to have fouled the Tigers' skipper, Johnson, just outside the Altrincham penalty area, slightly left of centre as Worksop attacked. Waddle's curling free-kick went a good six feet over the bar but, before play could resume, Mr Brittain booked Steve Hawes, presumably for dissent. It was the second yellow card for the Alty skipper so far this season. Worksop had an even better chance after 33 minutes when Sertori, for once, was turned inside out by Goddard. The Worksop number eleven got a clear and firm shot in at goal but Coburn made a magnificent reaction save to beat the ball away. After this escape another good forward movement by Illingworth ended when his cross found Hulme, arriving late once more at the back post, but the Alty midfielder was unable to direct the ball at goal (34 mins). Illingworth then beat Johnson and tried to feed Furlong but his ball was just too long. A foul on Thornley gave Altrincham another opportunity from an Adams free-kick but nothing came of this. After another Robins' move had ended in offside, Townsend got the better of Gallagher, who fell, but Adams cleared the danger with a fine header from inside the box (38 mins). Williams then fired in a 25-yarder which went narrowly wide before Thornley responded with a low shot from the right, an opportunity which arose after Hawes had made a fine tackle and played the ball forty yards forward. Thornley's shot was safely gathered by Holmshaw (39 mins). Following a Waddle corner, Furlong cleared his own lines with a run forward before his advance was halted by a defender and the two players ended up locked together, with Mr Brittain giving a somewhat dubious free-kick to Worksop. It was not Furlong's night.

Hawes took a free-kick from the right after Thornley had been fouled which Holmshaw punched out to Hawes but no further danger to the keeper's goal resulted (43 mins). A Worksop long-range free-kick went straight to Coburn before Maddox cleared the next attack with a hoof onto the stand roof. With the half drawing to its end the keeper took the ball off Furlong's foot following a pass from Illingworth and Hulme appeared to be caught in the face by a Worksop player. As the players left the field, there was a melee around the referee in which Sertori appeared to be prominent.

Poland almost immediately won a corner on the Alty left. From Hawes's corner the ball came out to Illingworth who lifted it high and wide from 25 yards. Kotylo and Goddard now made way for Worksop's substitutes, Eshelby and Gray (59 mins). Next, Carl Smith smashed a 30 yard shot straight at Coburn, who held it without having to dive (60 mins). A free-kick from Waddle deflected off Hawes for a corner on the left before a header from Hulme was misdirected to a Worksop man, Smith. From the resulting cross Townsend sent a looping header from the edge of the penalty area which dipped over Coburn's hands into the back of the net for the equaliser (64 mins). For a few minutes Worksop's tails were up; a long punt by Holmshaw had to be cleared by Coburn, chesting the ball outside his area. Next, Maddox broke up an attack by knocking the ball into touch. However, from Coburn's next clearance, Illingworth won a header on the left touchline. The ball went forward to Poland whose neat lay-off to his right set up Craney. Ian had time to compose himself before passing the ball expertly into the net from the edge of the box to restore Altrincham's lead (70 min).

Altrincham went on to dominate the remaining 20 minutes of the game. Craney was soon racing into the box when Smith crudely obstructed him and the Worksop man was rightly booked (74 mins). Hawes's free-kick from just outside the box, hit the wall. A fine Thornley flick next set Poland in on goal but he was marginally off-side. From a Hawes throw in the right corner, Thornley turned well and got into the box but his shot was blocked. Then Hulme was bowled over on the touchline by Williams. The home crowd began to leave with some 11 minutes still left on the clock. Craney, Hulme and Thornley got together to try to get Poland in on goal but the final pass was not accurate. With Altrincham firmly in control, Gallagher started to make inroads up the right wing. His low cross came off Poland for a goalkick, however (85 mins). More runs up the right followed from Gallagher, one ending with a foul on him by the by-line. Jason's annoyance led to a lecture for both him and the offender, Johnson (87 mins). As the final whistle went, Altrincham left the field and as they went into the dressing rooms immediately behind the stand their loud celebrations could clearly be heard. This was a fine performance and a great encouragement for the coming season. Hulme would arguably have been Man of the Match had there been one for Altrincham. Illingworth had a fine first half and Hawes and Craney ensured that the whole midfield functioned well.