Match Report

Altrincham arrived in buoyant mood after recent FA Cup and league victories, but Spalding also came into this Trophy game with only one reverse in their last five league matches.

An Altrincham side which began the game with a number of "walking wounded" players comfortably gained a replay in this disappointing match at Spalding. The injured-list grew worse during the game when Jason Gallagher was carried off on a stretcher and Kevin Hulme limped off with an apparent hamstring injury. Rod Thornley and Kevin Hulme both came close to scoring in the first half but Spalding spurned a good chance early in the second period before a Maddox header was well saved by Spalding keeper, Bunce. Sertori hit the bar from a second-half free-kick but overall this was a game of much effort but relatively little quality.

Altrincham arrived with a long sick list. Apart from long-term absentees, Carl Furlong and Paul Taylor, other absentees today were defenders Chris Adams and Stuart Locke. Chris had stitches put in his ankle after the recent Accrington game. Into the Altrincham first-team squad for the first time came Patrick Claffey. Centre-back Pat was a mainstay of last season's double-winning Youth Team and this season he has been a regular in the Reserves. As well as Lee Poland, joining Pat on the bench were another Reserves' player, Anthony Hargreaves, the Reserves' captain Keith Mairs and substiute keeper Kurt Edginton. On the field, Jason Gallagher was selected though clearly not fit and Steve Hawes took to the field with a black eye, sustained in the game against Accrington.

The game started quietly, in bright sunshine, and continued in that low-key vein in the opening stages. A very wide mishit by Sowerby was the first vague attempt at goal (4 mins). It was soon evident that Jason Gallagher was labouring with his injury as he was unable to show his normal pace and effort. Kevin Hulme soon also needed treatment but played on (10 mins). Next, Danny Murphy was winded by a ball into his abdomen as Altrincham struggled to get their rhythm going on a good-looking, but bobbly, pitch. At last, a Hawes pass prompted Scott forward and a corner was won off Cocksworth (12 mins).

The Alty captain continued to try to get his team going but Spalding were the next to threaten when Sertori had to make a good tackle to halt Stevenson. Ian Craney was also showing some urgency alongside Hawes and it was he who sparked the best action to date when he prompted a move via Thornley, Murphy and himself, once more, out to Swannick on the left. The full-back's testing ball into the box was just marginally too high for Murphy's head to reach before the keeper's arms (16 mins). As if inspired by this, Spalding replied with their own best move so far. Cocksworth advanced up the left and his blocked shot came to Cundy, to his right. His ball into the box for Williams produced a Tulips' corner on their left (17 mins). The flag-kick was kicked straight into touch for a goal-kick. However, the visitors soon won a corner for themselves when Hawes, then Murphy, fed Craney and his shot bounced off Cocksworth. Hawes's corner was cleared but soon afterwards, after a nice turn by Craney, the loose ball fell for Thornley. Cutting in from the right, Rod's curling left foot shot only just missed the top left corner of the net but was by far the best shot of the game so far (19 mins).

Play went from end to end as Maddox lost possession to Williams by the left side of goal. The Spalding man elected to cross shoot harmlessly into Coburn's arms from an acute angle rather than to cross to a colleague (20 mins). Although there was goalmouth incident now for the spectators, the standard of approach play by both sides was not good.

One of Alan Johnson's photos from the game.

Thornley was then crudely fouled by Baker, who received a lecture from the referee (26 mins) before the same player made a bit of a mess of a back pass and almost let in Craney but his goalkeeper cleared (30 mins). Play continued in its pattern of abortive midfield moves until Gallagher went down in clear distress after making a routine challenge inside the centre circle. A long stoppage resulted for treatment to the Alty midfielder before his own manager, Bernard Taylor, appeared on the pitch with a stretcher in his hand. Gallagher was placed on the stretcher and ominously had his lower legs tied together by physio Gary Thompson before he was carried off by a stretcher party which included his playing colleagues Gary Scott and Kevin Hulme. As play restarted, Lee Poland came on to replace his injured team-mate (37 mins). Murphy now switched to the right as Poland supported Thornley up front. Soon Poland played a ball forward for Thornley, who was forced left and closed down well by an efficient Spalding defence. Altrincham continued to press till Craney lost the ball and Williams, Stevenson and Sowerby then combined to win a corner on their left, off Craney himself.

This led to a corner on the right and then a third flag-kick off Maddox, on the left, which Hawes cleared. Hawes then won a corner at the other end in a move involving Scott who, by the time the ball had gone out of play, had been injured by an accidental elbow from a Spalding attacker. Hulme ended on the ground as the corner came in from Hawes but nothing was given. However, Murphy soon got round Dennis and won another corner on the right off Cocksworth. Hulme met Hawes's kick with a fine goal-bound header which was headed off the line at the keeper's left post by Dennis (42 mins). After a foul on Maddox in centre-field, Sertori's free-kick found Poland, via a Hulme header, but Poland's own header was fielded by Bunce. As half-time approached a fine 30 yard shot by Cundy was held by Coburn (44 mins). Although there had been quite a bit of goal-mouth action, the overall game had been disappointing with too many unforced errors from both sides.

Altrincham started the half with some pressure at the Spalding end and gained an early free-kick just outside the box for a clear push on Poland. However, Thornley put the free-kick over the bar (47 mins) before Spalding then missed their best chance of the game. Stevenson got past Sertori and Swannick to the left of centre and had his shot well saved by Coburn. The loose ball fell for Williams who shot badly over the bar with the net at his mercy (48 mins). Swannick now prompted successive movements up the left but these came to nothing. Indeed, sustained passing moves were a feature generally absent from this game. In fact there was little of note as the game approached and passed the hour mark.

Then Thornley fed Murphy, who cut in from the wing on the right, forcing a defender to head over his own bar for a corner to the Robins. Bunce caught Hawes's corner as Thornley closed in (64 mins). Following a throw on their right, Lewsham got in a cross which Sowerby headed narrowly over the bar (66 mins) at the other end. Things continued to improve on the entertainment front as a back-header from Thornley from a Swannick cross was tipped over by Bunce for a corner (68 mins). This was cleared as Jason Gallagher appeared in the stand on crutches, his knock having been diagnosed as an ankle ligament injury. A Murphy lay off gave Thornley a sight of goal but Thornley miscontrolled the ball and the chance went. Kevin Hulme then went down, off the ball, and after treatment got up hobbling with an apparent hamstring injury. Two minutes later he was replaced by Keith Mairs (72 mins) in midfield. Poland then won a corner which was cleared before the most controversial incident of the game occurred. Thornley was fouled by Cundy as he headed across the outer fringes of the Spalding box. But Rod did brilliantly to retain possession when it had looked like he had lost it.

Unfortunately Mr Ripley had already blown his whistle as Thornley regained his feet, still in possession of the ball. Thornley went on to smash the ball home but well after play had stopped. As Mr Ripley went to book Cundy, a fracas broke out behind him involving several Spalding players and Altrincham's Maddox and Murphy. After consulting his linesman, Mr Ripley booked Maddox and Cocksworth as well as Cundy (76 mins). The free-kick, just outside the box, was taken by Sertori whose well placed shot cannoned back off the crossbar with Bunce beaten. The ball came back into the goalmouth from Thornley and Maddox powered a closed range header at goal which Bunce did very well to keep out (76 mins).

Spalding now made a double substitution, with McPherson and Bailey replacing Williams and Stevenson in attack as the home side strove to avoid a testing replay (77 mins). Two minutes later Cundy gave way to Bell as the home side went for broke (79 mins). They soon won a corner, on their left, but wasted it. With five minutes left an overhit Sertori back pass hit Coburn's hand provoking claims for a free-kick but Mr Riley correctly judged the handball to be accidental. A bad foul on Murphy, after the ball had gone, earned Dennis a booking (87 mins) before Hawes's fine ball set Thornley in on goal, but defenders crowded him out successfully. So, the game ended goalless and for the Altrincham fans it was to be a long trek back home after a generally disappointing game.

Their injury-ravaged side had had the majority of the chances but had failed to find the net. However, the draw meant that the scheduled league match on Tuesday against Marine was to be postponed, allowing the many injured players in the Altrincham camp a bit longer to recover before league points would be at stake once more. Whilst Altrincham will have played 180 minutes in their efforts to get to the 2nd Round of the Trophy, their title rivals Lancaster, Burton and Worksop were all exempt from this round and, moreover, were able to fit in an extra league game today. Meanwhile, Altrincham's fixture backlog grew to four games and they dropped a place in the table. The replay will be at Moss Lane on Tuesday evening, presumably at 7.45pm.