Match Report

Altrincham won the corresponding match comfortably last season but after Marine's good performance at Burton last Saturday, this was not going to prove such an easy outing. In the crowd, was former Alty star Kevin Ellison, now at Stockport County, but based in his native Merseyside. This game had been rescheduled from 4 December due to Altrincham's Trophy involvement.

A poor first-half performance cost Altrincham this game. They went behind after 33 minutes when Townsend netted for Marine, hooking the ball home after a corner from the right had been headed back across goal. Altrincham were much improved in the second half and Ian Craney's well-struck free-kick hit the bar after 50 minutes. Rod Thornley won a penalty seven minutes from the end and he took the kick himself but drove the ball well wide, so Altrincham did not get the point that their second half performance promised.

Altrincham had two strikers on the bench, Lee Poland and Carl Furlong, along with Dave Swannick, who had made way for the return of Danny Murphy to the starting line-up. On the pitch Rod Thornley started as the lone front man, with support from Murphy and Ian Craney. Neil Ryan played at right-back obliging Gary Scott to start once more in midfield.

The game was preceded by a minute's silence in honour of Marine's Reserve team secretary, John Johnson, who died recently and the home side wore black arm bands as a sign of respect. A ninety yard punt by Stuart Coburn and then his counterpart Chris Clarke's smothering of the ball, as a clever Rod Thornley dummy threatened to let in Danny Murphy, suggested that Altrincham were going to start the game well. But these hopeful signs were not to be fulfilled. Then, an early stoppage saw Gautrey need treatment after an accidental collision in midfield; the Marine trainer was busy throughout the game in contrast to Alty's Gary Thompson's quiet time with the Altrincham sponge.

There were no real openings for either side and Coburn's punch out from Randles's left-wing cross was about the summit of the excitement in the first ten minutes. Then, a high looping cross from the left by Thornley found Murphy whose header ran comfortably for Clarke in the Marine goal. This was to be Altrincham's best effort on goal in the entire first half (11 mins).

After Maddox had been harshly penalised for a tackle just inside the Alty half, both he and his captain, Steve Hawes, were lectured by Mr Taylor (13 mins). Marine soon came close to scoring when Black's cross from the left was headed on to the post by Townsend (18 mins) as Marine began to look the more cohesive unit. Marine should have taken the lead after 22 minutes when a nice move up the right involving Lally and Thompson saw the latter's cross met by a free header from Randles which went over the bar. Shortly after this Ryan was booked, apparently for dissent (23 mins) and he was immediately followed into the book by Maddox, for a rash tackle on Thompson (24 mins), as Altrincham's stuttering performance continued.

Soon after this, Maddox put in an excellent sliding tackle to show that the booking was not preying on his mind. Another massive punt by goalkeeper Coburn was the best attacking effort from Altrincham at this stage (30 mins). The Robins were also conceding a regular stream of free-kicks in midfield and following one of these Thompson won the first corner of the game on the Marine right (32 mins). The corner-kick found a Marine head at the back post and the ball came back into the goalmouth where Townsend hooked the ball into the net (33 mins). As Altrincham continued to misplace their passes, Marine continued to make the running. The home side won two more corners as the game approached half-time (39 mins) at which point Altrincham's fans were less than happy with their team's performance but held out hope that things could only get better.

Things did get better. The start of the second half saw an immediate transformation as Altrincham at last began to play some cohesive football. Kevin Hulme was pushing further forward as Altrincham penned Marine back into their own penalty area in the opening minutes of the half. From a free-kick, some 22 yards from goal, Ian Craney curled a fine shot against the crossbar as Altrincham looked likely to get back into the game (50 mins). However, Coburn had to be out swiftly when Townsend threatened to capitalise on a Ryan error at the other end. Craney went close again after 52 minutes when his left-foot shot went just wide.

After their barren first half, Altrincham had now gone close twice in just seven minutes of the second period. A third chance soon came when Hulme almost converted a Ryan cross (55 mins). After Hulme had been flattened, Lally escaped with a lecture. Altrincham continued to dominate play until Black turned past Ryan but then mis-kicked weakly to Coburn when he had only the keeper to beat from six yards (57 mins).

Shortly after a foul by Hawes had been punished by a free-kick, the same player was adjudged to have transgressed again and this time was booked (60 mins). Rod Thornley almost got a bizarre equaliser when, with no apparent danger to the Marine goal, he hooked the ball round a statuesque defender and only just wide of the post (62 mins). Soon, Hulme broke free on the right and was not very pleased to be called back for a free-kick awarded to his side. Then Hulme fed Thornley but Clarke made a comfortable save (66 mins). Lee Poland now came on for Danny Murphy (67 mins). Although Altrincham were still on top, Marine's breakaways were proving dangerous. From one of these, Black got round Maddox and from his cross, Ryan got Lally's shot away, with Coburn waiting right behind the Alty defender on the line (68 mins).

Altrincham had yet to win a corner but four successive throws on the right by Ryan gained more than seventy yards of territory. However, only a goalkick resulted before Thornley was brought down as he latched onto a Hawes pass. From the free-kick, Craney passed to Ryan but his cross was mis-hit (72 mins). Marine showed how to win corners when Paul Taylor was forced to concede one on the Marine right (73 mins). Marine then replaced Thompson by Bainbridge (73 mins). Altrincham were not now creating the openings that had come at the start of the half apart from a good effort by Poland from the left, after a Thornley pass. Poland's shot went across the face of goal, however (74 mins). Carl Furlong now replaced Ryan (74 mins), with Scott moving to right-back in his place.

Alty now had Hulme, Furlong and Thornley foraging up front but could still not create any telling opening against a defence in which the tall Rimmer was outstanding. In fouling Scott, Hussin injured himself and received lengthy treatment (80 mins). Altrincham keeper Stuart Coburn then came out 40 yards to clear up a through ball and though he mis-kicked, the ball was cleared. After Hawes had taken a free-kick 40 yards out, the referee blew his whistle and lectured Rimmer before ordering the kick to be retaken (82 mins). Another stoppage for another Marine injury soon followed before Coburn had to act again as an auxiliary outfield defender.

Just as it looked as if time was going to run out, Rod Thornley burst into the box to the right of goal and went down under a challenge. Although his fall seemed a little elaborate, the referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty. Rod had scored nine penalties this season but this one he blasted comfortably wide of the keeper's left post as Clarke dived in the correct direction (83 mins). There was time for Stuart Coburn to show some good dribbling skills in his own penalty area before yet another injury stoppage, this time for Thompson, helped Marine to take the sting out of the closing stages in which Altrincham belatedly even won a corner, their only one of the match (89 mins). Altrincham had done enough in the second half to earn a point but left with nothing. This was only their second league defeat in twelve games but as both of these have been against teams in the bottom six (Frickley and Marine), these have been disappointing reverses. Had the first half performance matched that of the second, Altrincham might well have maintained their pressure on Burton and Lancaster but the latter's win last night only opened a bigger gap between the Robins and the main title challengers.