Match Report

This was a curious game in that Altrincham went 2-0 ahead with effectively their first two on-target shots of the game, having not fired on all cylinders in the first half. Then, they got a third just after half-time and looked to have settled down, only to concede a goal as the skies opened and monsoon rain was blown on strong winds into the faces of the home side for the remainder of the contest. These conditions affected the match as a spectacle. Gary Scott opened the scoring when he crashed in a shot off the crossbar after good work between him and Craney (25 mins). Rod Thornley added the second from close range from a Murphy cross (37 mins). The third came from Thornley after a fine clearance by Coburn (47 mins). Bowden made it 3-1 after 56 minutes. Kevin Hulme was named Man of the match having played 45 minutes in midfield and 45 at centre-back when Mark Maddox limped off at half-time.

Altrincham were without the injured Jason Gallagher, Anthony Hargreaves coming into the league squad for the first time to replace him, on the bench. Neither Accrington's former captain Jay Flannery, who had unexpectedly announced his departure from Stanley over last weekend, nor Gary Williams, who had returned to the Club after a loan spell at Southport, were in the visitors' side. Also missing was striker Lutel James.

Altrincham kicked off the game, attacking the Hale End but the game opened without significant incident until Murphy skipped past two opponents and was tripped, to earn Altrincham a free-kick. From Hawes's kick, Thornley headed to keeper Speare (3 mins). Hollis had a much clearer heading opportunity from a Stanley free-kick on their right, soon after this, but his effort ran weakly to Coburn. From another free-kick, conceded by Adams, on the Accrington right touchline, the ball came out to Hollis, who hammered in a thirty yarder which Coburn, continuing his excellent form from Saturday, tipped over the bar for a Stanley corner (6 mins).

Altrincham remained on the back foot, with Maddox having to be alert to stop Carden (10 mins). Altrincham were playing an unaccustomed fluid formation, with Scott further forward than usual, against Flitcroft, and for much of the time only three at the back. The formation did not produce much cohesive play in these early stages. Accrington looked a bit more fluent but eventually Alty got in an attempt at goal when Locke prompted a Hulme header, which went just over the bar (14 mins). Altrincham then won a corner when a Coburn punt was nodded on by Murphy for Thornley on the right.

But it was Accrington who looked the more dangerous, with Flitcroft prompting a move which ended with a shot by Carden which Coburn did superbly to save, going to his left to push the ball out (16 mins). Alty coach Graham Heathcote made his displeasure clear to his team. Coburn again had to go full length, this time to stop an effort from Brennan (21 mins). He was in action again shortly afterwards, doing well to stop a long shot from Smith, which was deflected and bounced just in front of him. Stuart did not hold it at the first attempt but fortunately the ball stopped dead and he was able to collect it at the second attempt (24 mins).

As against Nuneaton on Saturday, it was the Alty keeper who was keeping the scoresheet blank. Then, out of the blue, Altrincham put together a fine movement which was completely out of character with their earlier play. On the right, just inside the Stanley half, Scott fed the ball inside and forward to Craney, who did well to get the ball back to the overlapping Scott who advanced on goal and hammered the ball into the net off the crossbar. After a moment's hesitation as to whether the ball had crossed the line, the goal was given (25 mins). It was Scott's first league goal since his brace at Hyde early last season. Robinson nearly equalised a minute later when he got past Hawes and shot narrowly too high (26 mins).

Stanley then won a corner, which Alty needed two attempts to clear before Thornley and Hulme collided going for the same ball, allowing Hollis to stride out of defence for Stanley. However, Craney then played a superb ball over the top of the visitors' defence but Speare got to it just before Thornley, as the game belatedly began to liven up a little. However, it was not top quality fare and a Craney shot, well wide (35 mins), was the best that Alty had to show for the next ten minutes. Even an impressive jink round two defenders by Murphy in the right corner proved fruitless before a shot by Mullin ran easily to Coburn. Then, once again, amidst the routine play, a moment of skill produced another goal.

Hulme and Thornley contrived to get the ball out to Murphy on the right. Murphy did well to advance into the box and clip a low cross across the area as he was tackled. The ball found Thornley at the back post and he evaded a defender and turned the ball into the net (37 mins). Accrington now replaced Mullin by Strange (39 mins) before a stoppage for treatment to Hollis. Just before the interval an Adams shot was deflected and Speare did well to catch the ball in the air (44 mins). The players left for their break after a strange first half in which Altrincham had produced two moments of magic in a performance that was otherwise stuttering.

Lee Poland replaced Mark Maddox at the interval, Maddox seeming to have injured his leg, whilst Hollis gave way for the visitors to Anthony Bowden (46 mins). As a result of the change, Alty's Hulme moved from midfield to accompany Sertori at centre-back. As play began to settle down in the second half, Stuart Coburn punted the ball accurately 70 yards to the loosely marked Thornley, slightly to the right of goal, near the edge of the Stanley box. Rod controlled the ball expertly and advanced a few paces before any challenge could be mounted against him. He then drove the ball home, low, across Speare, the ball entering the keeper's net near the post to his right to give Altrincham a 3-0 lead (47 mins).

The trademark cartwheel followed from Thornley who now has seventeen goals this season from sixteen starts (and one sub. appearance). Stuart Locke now gave way to substitute Dave Swannick (51 mins) and Altrincham began to look as if they would go on to score more goals, especially when a Murphy ball from the left narrowly evaded Thornley only for the incoming Scott, behind him, to send a diving header narrowly wide (53 mins). However, heavy rain now started to fall to add to an already gusty wind and these adverse conditions were to affect the game seriously as a spectacle. Stanley, however, tried to get back in the game and with Howarth now playing in a forward position, he almost got onto a ball deep inside the Alty box. However, the arrival on the scene of a charging Mark Sertori, at full pelt, was enough to persuade Howarth to jump out of the way as Sertori slid in and to allow the impressive defender to clear. But within a minute, the Alty defence parted and Howarth was able to feed an unmarked Bowden, who was left-centre of goal, inside the box. The Stanley sub was in the clear and he gave the Alty keeper no chance as he shot the ball into the net (56 mins).

However, Gary Scott, relishing his midfield role, got onto an excellent Craney pass and forced a good save from Speare, who tipped the Alty man's shot over the bar for a corner on the left (58 mins). The rain was now torrential and it was blown by a strong wind against the Altrincham side (60 mins). However, a Thornley pass gave Hawes a 25-yard crack at goal which was not far wide of the target (61 mins). With conditions now approaching those of a monsoon, the impressive Howarth beat three defenders and got into the box to win a corner for Stanley. This, and a quick second corner were both cleared (63 mins). Coburn's kicked clearances were now being stopped by the wind from reaching half-way. Hawes then needed treatment for a knock to his face as Alty battled against the strong rain blowing at them. The surface also now became slippery as Hawes left the field for a couple of minutes for treatment. Lee Poland was showing some industry up front alongside Thornley but no real chances were resulting.

A lengthy stoppage then occurred when Murphy was caught in an aerial challenge and he emerged from physio Gary Thompson's attentions with a large lump of petroleum jelly slapped on to the side of his head, presumably to staunch a small cut (72 mins). As the rain lashed down Craney's promising surge forward was stopped by a foul but the ensuing free-kick movement ended with a Hawes header, which went easily to Speare (75 mins). Conditions made it difficult for Altrincham to clear their lines and Accrington continued to press but without any major threat to Coburn's goal resulting. Probably to the bedraggled players' disappointment, referee Mr Kellett found more than six minutes of time to add on to the second half, a generous allocation even allowing for the injuries to Murphy and Hawes and for a couple of other stoppages. Although Stanley kept going, even winning a corner in the dying seconds, they never really looked like retrieving the game.

Kevin Hulme was named man of the match, having spent equal portions of it playing impressively in midfield and in defence, where he performed very capably once more as a makeshift centre-back. Other prize candidates must have included Rod Thornley, who now has 26 goals in 25 starts for Altrincham since he joined the Club towards the end of last season. Five of Rod's strikes have now come in two home matches against Accrington, whom we may well meet again this season. Altrincham will travel to Accrington in the second round of the FA Trophy if both sides win their games this Saturday, against Spalding United and Radcliffe Borough respectively. Altrincham moved up to second place in the league tonight but Burton's narrow win over Worksop maintained the points differential at the top.