Match Report

Alty knocked Witton out of the FA Cup, 4-1, two weeks ago and had also played them in pre-season, so this was the third encounter between the sides in recent months. The pitch was damp but rain held off throughout the game. Witton were still in the care of Terry Murphy (Director of Football) following the resignation of Eddie Bishop, whilst midfielder Charlie Boyd had also left the Club rcently.

After a fairly even first-half, Altrincham went behind early in the second period when half-time substitute Jason Gallagher mis-headed a back pass to allow Knight to score from close range. Altrincham were second best after going behind and things got worse when Carl Furlong suffered a serious injury after 64 minutes, when his attempted shot was blocked by a tackle as he turned. Carl was carried off and an ambulance was called to take him to hospital for treatment to a suspected cruciate ligament injury. Alty went two down when Pritchard was allowed a free header from a free-kick conceded by Murphy, who was booked for the offence along with his opponent, Heywood (71 mins). Witton scored a fine third, breaking down the left for Rendell to volley home at the near post (89 mins).

Steve Hawes was back for Alty after a bout of flu but Rod Thornley (groin strain) and Kevin Hulme were missing from the first-choice starting line-up. This allowed Lee Poland a rare start, alongside Carl Furlong. Stuart Locke played at left-back, with Chris Adams in midfield. Compared with the FA Cup tie between the sides on 13 October, Witton had Whitehead in goal in place of Price, whilst Morley, the departed Charlie Boyd, Jones and the injured ex-Alty man, David Anane, were also non-starters tonight.

For Altrincham, Carl Furlong started brightly, winning a throw in the forward right corner in the first minute and then being involved in a move which ended in a long distance, underpowered shot from Adams. Carl then had a shot himself from a Coburn punt, after seven minutes, which keeper Whitehead collected comfortably (7 mins). Witton's best early effort was a downward header from Moseley which Coburn saved as Witton began to find their feet following Altrincham's promising start. (9 mins). Williams soon won a corner for Witton on their left but Coburn punched it clear. Furlong then almost got clear at the other end but was held by Knight to concede a clear free-kick before Furlong himself was adjudged offside. A mis-kick by a defender then gave Poland a crack at goal but he shot low and wide of the target (14 mins). Next, Ian Craney danced past one defender before the keeper smothered the ball at his feet. Play was now end to end with Coburn soon punching clear before Poland was caught offside. The Alty strikers were to be repeatedly caught by the flag in this game.

Next, a Scott ball into the area was punched out by Whitehead before a tame effort from Furlong from 40 yards ran into the keeper's arms (24 mins). A great ball from Hawes, showing no ill effects from his flu, found Murphy advancing into the right side of the box but all that resulted was a fruitless long throw from Locke (26 mins). Locke did better in dispossessing Knight as he advanced, before a good run forward by Styles produced a good save from Coburn (29 mins). Then Furlong advanced into the box at the other end and went down but the referee showed no interest in a penalty award. A corner resulted instead, from which Furlong headed wide (30 mins). So far the game had been open and fairly even with not a single stoppage for the physios but this changed after 35 minutes when Knight fouled Furlong and the Alty striker needed some work on his injury.

The next victim of some strong Witton tackling was Hawes, chopped down by Graystone, and the Alty captain reacted angrily. After recovering, Furlong played a ball for Hawes to advance on goal but he slipped in the box under a challenge (40 mins) For Witton, Heywood played Moseley into the right corner but Maddox blocked successive attempted crosses by the Albion man to concede a throw on the right, near the corner. Alty continued to get caught offside, with Poland a regular victim of the trap. The half ended with Knight blasting a shot over the bar after approach work by Williams on the left. A moderately entertaining first half ended with the sides scoreless, thanks largely to a lack of quality so far as the final ball into potential shooting positions was concerned.

Witton brought on ex-Alty man, Lee Cox, in place of Moseley at half-time, whilst for Alty, Jason Gallagher replaced Chris Adams in midfield. The half started with a bad tackle by Graystone on Poland (46 mins). From the free-kick Alty built a short wall in front of the Witton defensive line but Craney lifted the ball well over the bar. Pritchard then fouled Murphy after the ball had gone to concede another free-kick. This led to a corner to Alty, which was poorly struck by Craney (49 mins). Things got worse for Alty when a ball from the Witton right was met by Gallagher. As he was not under direct pressure, Gallagher opted to attempt a header back to Coburn rather than a headed clearance, but got it wrong and the ball dropped in no man's land behind him rather than into his keeper's arms. This allowed young Melford Knight to nip in and score comfortably past an irate Coburn (52 mins).

Alty now went through a wobbly couple of minutes of unforced errors but, soon, from a Craney corner Furlong directed a free header well over the Witton bar (54 mins). Witton's use of the offside trap continued, with Murphy being the next victim but then Poland did get round Pritchard only for the ball to run to the keeper. However, it was Witton who were now setting the pace, with Cox looking useful on the left. Alty's misfortunes continued when a good ball into the box by Scott led to Furlong turning to strike the ball at goal. As he did so, his foot met a closing Witton defender as well as the ball and both players were injured. However, Furlong's proved serious and he was helped off the field on the shoulders of the physio and an assistant (64 mins). Dave Swannick now came on for Furlong, with Murphy and Craney now playing just behind Lee Poland up front as Swannick went into midfield.

Alty continued to be second best at this stage and had failed to have a decent shot at goal in the second half so far. A tussle between Murphy and Williams ended with both players being booked but the free-kick going to Witton, some 25 yards out to the right of centre. Pritchard headed into the box and rose unchallenged to power a header past Coburn to double the lead (71 mins). Altrincham's moves forward continued to run foul of the offside flag before another rugged challenge, involving Pritchard's elbow on Danny Murphy, resulted in the Witton's captain being booked (78 mins). From the free-kick, Hawes's well struck shot was deflected off a defender over the bar for a corner. Again Craney's trajectory was too low and the corner was cleared. At the other end a long range lob from Knight ended on the roof of Coburn's net. But at last Alty got in a shot at goal worthy of its name when Murphy seized on a ball just outside the Witton box and forced a great save out of Whitehead. Poland and then Craney were successively caught offside before a Witton corner caused Coburn to tip the ball away. Witton put the final nail in the coffin when a good move up their left by Cox and Williams produced a cross which Rendell volleyed home impressively from inside the box (89 mins). Mr Gerrard added little time on, despite the various injury stoppages but by that time, Alty's cause was well lost.

After a good a start in this competition away to Runcorn, the UniBond League Cup is again, as last year, becoming something of a disappointment for Altrincham. The injury to Furlong, thought to be to his cruciate ligaments, necessitated a trip to hospital for the young striker. With the important FA Cup tie against Nuneaton this Saturday, it is to be hoped that the Altrincham performance will be much improved then.