Match Report

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A month after Alty had beaten the Vics in a pre-season friendly, our old foes were back again at Moss Lane for this CSC match- and once more it ended 3-2 to Altrincham. The Referee was Mr Stephen Brand, whom Alty fans will remember from his entertaining impromptu talk on the art of refereeing to a supporters' meeting two seasons ago.

Altrincham gained a narrow but deserved win in this match against a strong but not full-strength Vics' eleven. Northwich went ahead through a penalty after 13 minutes, scored by Barnard, but a fine header from Lee Poland from a Steve Hawes cross levelled things after 37 minutes. Altrincham's third penalty in as many games was converted by Thornley after he himself had been felled (57 mins). The Vics equalised through a good shot by Brownrigg five minutes later but Danny Murphy volleyed home the winner after 68 minutes.

Mark Maddox was an unexpected absentee, with an injury, so Kevin Hulme was moved to partner Mark Sertori in central defence. Jason Gallagher was rested as he too has a slight knock, whilst Carl Furlong remains suspended but he did his bit by passing comments to the fourth official throughout the game, from his seat in the stand! Gary Scott made a welcome return from his shoulder injury and Keith Mairs joined the squad on the bench. Northwich had their strikers Mike and Blundell on the bench, too, with teenager John Dawson up front with Mitchell. Gary Talbot did not figure against his former club but Northwich otherwise had a fairly strong if not full-strength side on display. Manager Jim Quinn played himself as well as his deputy Steve Davis in the starting line-up.

An Alty free-kick inside the first 30 seconds signalled a fairly bright start for the Robins before referee Brand was obliged to lecture Vics' captain, Bailey, for a foul on Adams (6 mins). But it was the Vics who almost took the lead after 10 minutes after Poland had lost possession. Dawson got free up the right and passed inside to Mitchell who drew a fine point-blank save from Stuart Coburn. Poland almost made amends immediately when, from a Hawes pass, he shot firmly but narrowly wide of the left post (11 mins).

Play was now end to end. Kevin Hulme misplaced a pass in centre-field and Northwich broke to the left of centre. Devlin got to the by-line and his cross went across the face of the Alty goal, seemingly to safety. However, the referee had spotted an offence, which seemed to be that Adams or Sertori had impeded the incoming Dawson, who would almost certainly otherwise have scored from close range. A spot-kick was awarded and though Coburn guessed correctly, diving to his right, Barnard's kick had enough power to beat him (13 mins). Both Adams and Sertori debated the penalty with the referee but only Sertori appeared to be booked. A feed from Bailey soon let in Dawson again but his shot was competently saved as he shot at Coburn (14 mins). Illingworth then put the ball in the Vics' net but the whistle had long-gone for a free-kick (15 mins).

Altrincham's best effort at this stage was a very wide shot from Poland as his strike-partner Thornley, normally so lively in the opening stages of games, seemed a bit below par. Poland got in another shot, which Gibson saved low down without difficulty (19 mins). Young Dawson again caught the eye when he beat Hulme and fed Mitchell, but the Vics' man was offside. Hulme did better soon afterwards when he headed clear from Quinn's cross from the left (21 mins). A good Alty move came when Hawes and Scott fed Craney, on the half-way line. He then combined with Hawes to feed Poland and the striker's quick cross from the left found Murphy in a promising but narrowly offside position.

Murphy nearly got in again soon after this as the Vics' defence dithered; Danny was now having a much better game than of late. Soon, Lee Poland won a left-sided corner after Craney, Hulme and Thornley had combined well. Craney got the ball from the flag-kick but, under pressure, dragged his shot well wide from the edge of the box. The best move of the half then came when Adams passed to Murphy on the left. Murphy laid the ball left to Poland whose fast cross was met by a flying header from the advancing Murphy which crashed back off the left upright to safety, with Gibson beaten (25 mins).

Although Altrincham were playing well, the Vics were also knocking the ball about and when Hulme recklessly dived into a tackle just inside the Vics' half and missed, the visitors broke away with Dawson playing the ball left for Mitchell whose shot hit the recovering Hulme to give the Vics a corner on their left (30 mins). Hulme further redeemed himself when he swept up danger from Dawson after Adams had lost the ball (32 mins). Following a foul on Poland, Hawes's free-kick almost reached Murphy but the keeper just got to it first. Another free-kick soon followed when Hawes was tackled by Davis but Adams overhit the dead-ball (37 mins). Mr Brand stopped to talk jointly to Dawson and Murphy in the Vics' box before Steve Hawes could take another free-kick from the Alty right.

His pinpoint ball was met firmly by Lee Poland's head and the ball flashed into the net to give Alty their equaliser (37 mins). Just after this, Hawes was brought down and as he looked quizzically at the referee Mr Brand simply shouted "Good tackle" and allowed play to continue. Alty were now well on top with Steve Hawes once more having a fine game, ably abetted by Ian Craney in midfield. Alty's next move saw Thornley and Scott interchange passes before Scott cut in from the right to shoot just wide from outside the box (40 mins). Northwich came back into it when Mitchell and Dawson won a right-sided corner but a foul on Hulme from the flag-kick ended any threat to Coburn (41 mins). Poland responded by gaining a corner on the Alty left. Hawes's kick shaved off a Vics' head for a corner on the right, which Gibson plucked out the air from Adams's kick (43 mins). The half ended just after a fine ball from Illingworth set up Thornley but the striker was unable to convert the chance (45 mins). Altrincham were unlucky not to be ahead at this stage.

As the players returned to the pitch the suspended Carl Furlong jokingly shouted from the stand to Lee Poland, "You've got till Tuesday, then the number nine shirt's back on my back!" On the pitch, fouls by Murphy and Craney gave the Vics two early free-kicks in the second half as the game developed an end-to-end pattern. After Adams had tugged a Vics man, Bailey's free-kick from their right found Quinn who headed just wide (51 mins). Dawson soon won a corner as the Vics looked strong at this stage. However, a ball from Murphy soon set up Poland but the striker got the ball under his feet and he was only able to win a corner. From this, Hulme won a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area, which was cleared but it was not long before a fine ball from Craney for Murphy resulted in another flag-kick to Altrincham on the left (55 mins). From this Thornley was knocked over but play continued.

However, a moment later he earned a positive response from Mr Brand when Poland fed him again and as he skipped past Barnard, the defender tripped Thornley to give Alty their third penalty in consecutive games. As usual, Thornley himself took the kick and sent the keeper the wrong way, the ball being steered into the bottom right hand corner of Gibson's net (57 mins). Unfortunately, Thornley's habitual celebrations went wrong for once and his cartwheel ended in a crash-landing! Before the restart Barnard received a lecture but was not cautioned. The goal had come after a period of sustained home-side pressure but after it, it was Northwich who stepped up a gear. They immediately brought on the former Vauxhall Motors striker, Greg Blundell to replace Mitchell (59 mins). Within two minutes Blundell was just wide with an attempt on goal. However, the visitors did soon equalise when Bailey found Brownrigg unmarked on the edge of the box and the midfielder scored well, side-footing the ball firmly past Coburn's dive to his left (62 mins).

Northwich continue to pen Altrincham back in their own half and after Barnard had shot well over the bar, they won a corner.

But the Vics gave the away the decisive goal of the game when an awful ball out of their defence went straight to Illingworth some 35 yards out. He fed Thornley, who won a corner on the right. The defence made a hash of clearing Adams's corner and Murphy lashed the loose ball back into the net on the volley from ten yards (68 mins). Alty's next threat came three minutes later when a poor kick from Gibson went to Scott and he set up Thornley, who was now much more lively than in the first half. His shot led to the keeper saving low-down, near his upright. Immediately after this Gibson had to save from a Craney shot as Alty looked good value for their lead.

Dave Swannick now came on for Lee Poland (74 mins) at the same time as Mike replaced Dawson for the Vics. Swannick slotted into midfield with Murphy moving alongside Thornley up front. Soon afterwards Gary Burke came on for Knowles (78 mins). After Hawes had lost the ball, Adams swept up the danger as, somewhat prematurely the Man of the Match was announced, with eleven minutes still to go. Danny Murphy was the recipient, though Steve Hawes and Ian Craney may also have been in the frame. Blundell won the Vics a free-kick near the right-hand corner flag but this was cleared (84 mins).

hen, Mr Brand mysteriously stopped play to book Dave Swannick, presumably for a verbal offence. Northwich now pressed for an equaliser which would have taken the game to extra time. Blundell won a corner off Sertori on the right but Mike's lay-off from the corner led to Quinn curling the ball very high over the bar (87 mins). After Murphy had been penalised, Vics players queued up for shots at the edge of the box as Altrincham tried to clear their lines but finally Brownrigg screwed the ball well wide of goal (88 mins). At the other end, Burke then gave the ball to Thornley and compounded his error by fouling the Alty man as he advanced on the right (89 mins). The final move of the game saw Garvey cut in from the left and his cross ball reached Brownrigg at the back post but he spooned a volleyed half-chance way over the bar (90 mins). Altrincham played well tonight and deserved their progress into the next round.