Match Report

This was one of Altrincham's catch-up games in their fixture backlog and a prelude to the reverse fixture at the Irongate next Tuesday. Bamber Bridge lay 22nd and Altrincham 6th before the kick-off. The Brig have seen many changes of personnel in recent weeks as manager Paul Byron has sought to keep the team in the Division in a context of severe financial restraint following his recent appointment.

Altrincham made heavy weather of defeating a spirited, young Bamber Bridge side. Carl Furlong won and then missed an early penalty but four minutes later Dean Cooper shot Brig ahead, off the crossbar (12 mins). Lee Poland scored his first League goal for Alty, a fine header, to equalise (22 mins) before Smith shot firmly home to restore the visitors' lead. Neil Ryan blasted a goal from 25 yards to make it 2-2 (28 mins) but then an own-goal by Lin from a Poland cross-shot made it 3-2 to Alty after 34 minutes. Brig's captain, ex-Alty centre-back, Terry Bowker fired home to make it 3-3 (58 mins) before Furlong won another penalty.

This time Poland took it and made no mistake to clinch the game (64 mins). This was a game of "firsts" and "seconds"; it witnessed Lee Poland's first league goals for Alty after his 12 strikes in cup competitions this season, it saw Neil Ryan's debut goal for Altrincham and it was Bamber Bridge's first three-goal haul, away, in the league this season. It was also Alty's second successive four-goal tally in home league matches and for the second game running we benefited from both an own goal and a penalty.

Rod Thornley was away on England masseur duties in Amsterdam and Paul Taylor was not in the squad either. Danny Murphy was only fit enough for the bench but Jason Gallagher was given his first league start since his hernia operation; he had last started in the League five months ago at Burscough on 15 September, 2001. Jason was named at right-back, with Gary Scott shifting to the left in place of Taylor. Up front, Carl Furlong retained his place after Saturday's sending-off, with Lee Poland gaining only his fourth League start alongside him. Bamber Bridge were captained by Terry Bowker, who played 15(+2) games for Altrincham last season and started this campaign as the captain of the Robins' Reserves.

Altrincham kicked off towards the Golf Road End but it was Bamber Bridge's Skeoch who had the first shot of the game, a 30-yarder just over the bar (1 min.). However, it was Altrincham who then dominated the opening stages, during which a young lady in the crowd was hit on the head by a Brig clearance and needed treatment (5 mins). A foul on Scott by Robinson, after Scott had got rid of the ball, led to an early booking for the visitors' number four (6 mins). Altrincham then won a penalty when Furlong was pushed over as Bowker tracked him into the left hand edge of the box. Furlong got up and struck the spot-kick too near to the keeper, Sharrock, who beat the ball out, from where it was cleared (8 mins). At this stage it simply looked like the miss would delay an inevitable Altrincham goal but it was not to turn out like that.

There seemed little danger as Smith got past Hawes in the Bamber half on the left. However, the ball was then played across to the right where the lively Skeoch, in space, latched onto it. His diagonal ball into the box just evaded both the head of Smart on the six-yard line, left-centre of goal, as well as the Altrincham defence and dropped to Dean Cooper, also in space, beyond the back post. He controlled the ball well before lashing a shot into the net off the cross bar from a tight angle (12 mins).

After the re-start, Altrincham soon won a corner but Ryan's kick was cleared. There was then a bizarre incident when a ball forward for Smart found the Brig player well off-side as he retreated towards the half-way line. The player deliberately handled the ball as he realised he was off-side but the referee gave neither the off-side nor the hand-ball and, in fact, a Bamber Bridge free-kick soon resulted, thirty yards from the Alty goal (17 mins). An Altrincham move then broke down with a misplaced pass by Furlong before the Robins won a corner on their right, taken by Ryan. From this, Craney's shot was blocked and Bamber broke away to the other end, but Skeoch's cross was met by an air shot from Smart, to Alty's relief. From passes by Hulme, then Hawes, Carl Furlong chested the ball down and made an extravagant overhead shot at goal, which almost found a colleague in the box. Altrincham continued to improve as Hulme made a neat lay-off for Poland to launch a rasping left-foot shot from the left side which Sharrock beat out well for a corner.

Ryan's corner, from the left, was half-cleared back to him and his second attempt ended with a fine header by Poland which arrowed into the net from 15 yards or more (22 mins). Once again Alty's fans settled down, expecting their side to build on the equaliser. Once again, they were to be rocked by a Brig goal. This came after Hulme had appeared to be held by Woodward as he went for a punt from Coburn. However, play continued and another right-wing cross found the Alty defence absent once more, the ball landing at the feet of Smith to the left of goal. The Bridge's number eleven struck the ball cleanly home, from a position just slightly further out than the source of their first goal, to restore the visitors' lead (25 mins).

Altrincham almost made it 2-2 immediately as another good lay-off by Hulme led to a rasping, swerving shot from Poland which Sharrock kept out well (26 mins) as rain started to lash down. However, Altrincham did soon equalise, following a foul on Scott by Hankinson some forty yards from goal on the Alty left. Hawes's free-kick was punched out but eventually came to Ryan. The Alty midfielder belted it, low, into the net from a central position some 25 yards out for his first goal for the club (28 mins). Skeoch in particular continued to look menacing on the break for Bamber Bridge but it was Altrincham who won the next corner, via Hawes, on the right (30 mins). Furlong almost converted Ryan's corner kick but his effort was cleared off the line.

As the rain stopped, Altrincham got ahead for the first time in the game when a strong cross-shot from the left by Poland was deflected by Lin, in the centre of the six-yard box, into his own goal (34 mins). Altrincham now replaced the obviously under-par Gallagher with Dave Swanick (36 mins). Though naturally a right- or centre-back Dave slotted in at left-back, with Gary Scott moving across to the right side. The final stages of the half saw no more goals and the crowd were left to discuss a bewildering 45 minutes during the interval. The home side had conceded two very similar goals but now that they had got ahead, the fans hoped that they would build on this in the second period.

The half started with a header skimming off Bowker and going wide of the Altrincham goal (46 mins). Otherwise proceedings got off to a slow start, with Robinson needing treatment from the Brig physio who had also been in action enough in the first half to earn four minutes of added time. Altrincham won a corner when the second of two successive shots by Scott was blocked from 22 yards out (49 mins). Sertori then showed some ball playing skills at the Brig end of the pitch when, following the corner, he crossed from the by-line and almost found Poland at the back post.

Play stopped again for a Bamber player to be treated as the half continued to stutter along. Scott seemed to be the most positive of the Alty players at this stage though Hawes was also in evidence. The home fans were to be stunned again, however, after Sertori committed a holding offence 35 yards out from his goal. Smith's free-kick found Robinson and from his cross from the right, an unmarked Terry Bowker shot the ball home, though Coburn managed to push the ball onto the inside of the post as he dived to his left (58 mins). Again the Alty defence cannot have been happy with conceding such a goal. This was the first time that Bamber bridge had scored three away goals in the league this season- and the first time Alty had conceded as many at home.

Altrincham continued to enjoy more of the ball without creating any openings at this stage. But then Furlong turned neatly as he received the ball with his back to goal and as he made progress on the very edge of the right side of the penalty area, he was brought down by Lin. The defender's protestations were chiefly that the offence had been outside the box rather than that it had not been a foul in the first place. After consulting his linesman, who was well placed to judge, the referee awarded a penalty.

Keeper Sharrock was lucky not to be booked as he refused to get into his goal and strode around the penalty area trying to put off the penalty taker. Not surprisingly, Furlong was not entrusted with this second spot-kick of the night and, instead, Poland (pictured right by Terry Rowley) strode forward to plant the ball into the keeper's left hand corner as Sharrock remained rooted to the spot, having not allowed enough time to compose himself (64 mins).

After the re-start and not for the only time in the game, Mr Denniff's attention had to be drawn to a frantically waving linesman's flag as Altrincham sought to press home their advantage. Despite Scott's probings up the right side, Altrincham were still not at their best, though were on top. Lin gave way to O'Neill for the visitors (75 mins) shortly before a fine ball from Craney should have given Poland a crack at goal but Lee miscontrolled the pass. Play stopped for treatment once more to Robinson (76 mins). Soon after this Sharrock only half got to a Scott cross and the ball dropped to Poland but got stuck under his feet and ended up back with the keeper (77 mins). Kevin Hulme had a good second half but was lectured, following a foul in midfield. Simon Burton then came on in place of Smart for the visitors (79 mins).

Bamber were still not giving up, however, and it took a superb tackle by Maddox to stop a breakaway by Burton on half-way. Burton next prompted Sertori into a foul 25 yards out on the left which ended with a 30 yard shot, wide, by Skeoch (83 mins). After another Bamber free-kick in midfield, Sertori again offended as Altrincham still looked less than totally secure in their narrow lead (88 mins). However, they rode out the final minutes and heard further good news after the final whistle when the result from Vauxhall Motors came through to confirm that rivals Lancaster City had lost.

This was a curious game, in which Alty got the right result but made hard work of gaining it. The marking for all three Bamber Bridge goals was lax. However, it was good to see Lee Poland break his league duck; his first goal was a superb header and his penalty was also well struck. He also contributed well, especially in the first half. It was also pleasing to report that Carl Furlong had a well-behaved game after his sending-off last Saturday. Alty fans will hope that Jason Gallagher has not set himself back by playing too soon after his operation but it does look as if he needs a bit longer to regain his full fitness. There was no formal Man of the Match award but Gary Scott and Lee Poland would have been strong contenders had there been one.