Match Report

After snow and gales in the Altrincham area and northwards on Saturday morning, it was surprising to the travelling fans that this match took place at all. In fact, most of the game was played in sunshine but with a very strong, cold and gusty wind blowing across the pitch throughout. The crowd of 479 was the highest in the UniBond on the day. The matchball was sponsored by Jack Charlton, whose son John is the Blyth manager. The former England and Leeds centre-half watched the match from the back of the stand.

Celebrations after Murphy's goal, captured by Alan Johnson

Weather conditions made this a difficult game for the players but Altrincham mastered the conditions well and ran out clear winners against a side whom they had never previously beaten on their own territory. Blyth had the better of the opening stages without creating real chances but overall this was a surprisingly comfortable win for the Robins against a side who have a strong home record this season.

An error by Martin let in Thornley for the first goal, which he took at the second attempt after the keeper had saved his first shot. Blyth's defence stood still to allow Murphy to head home a Ryan corner after 59 minutes before Poland slammed home the third goal from a Thornley pass, following a fine through ball from Scott (87 mins). Overall, this was an excellent performance from Altrincham.

With Carl Furlong suspended and Jason Gallagher now out long-term with his injury, Altrincham's starting eleven was more or less as expected. On the bench David Wills came in to join Dave Swanick and Lee Poland. Altrincham started with Kevin Hulme accompanying Thornley at the front end with Neil Ryan at right back and Gary Scott in midfield. Blyth started with a 5-3-2 formation. They were without the injured Graham Pepper and Justin Keegan.

After the Spartans had kicked off, Altrincham conceded two early free-kicks for minor fouls by Murphy and Craney in midfield. Radigan took the latter kick and Ryan almost turned it into his own net before the ball went out for the game's first corner (4 mins). Then another free-kick by Radigan, from 35 yards, was turned over the bar by Coburn (5 mins). But it was Alty who almost then broke away and scored. A pass inside, from the right, by Scott found Thornley whose shot-cum -cross was held back in the swirling wind and found Murphy's head at the back post to the left of goal. Danny's header went just wide of the keeper's right upright (7 mins).

It was then Blyth's turn to concede a couple of petty fouls. Soon, a foray by Martin past three Alty men on the Spartans' left was neutralised before an incident involving Robson and Coburn saw the Blyth man rightly booked (14 mins). Coburn had taken exception to a challenge from the Spartans' number nine who then punched the ball out of Coburn's hand in the aftermath. Despite much of the play being in the Alty half at this stage, the visitors defence was playing well and it was the Robins who made the first breakthrough. Martin, the Blyth left-back, played a woefully short back pass from 20 yards out on his side's left flank, which came to Thornley. He advanced into the box to the right of the centre of the goal. Thornley's shot was not his most powerful and Gilmore made a good save. However, the ball seemed to rebound off Little, back to Thornley, and this time Rod sidefooted the ball into the net (17 mins).

After the restart a long ball found Robson in space but he lifted his effort well over the bar (18 mins). The uncertainty of the Blyth defence was again evident when the hardworking Thornley dispossessed Forster, who then recovered the ball but promptly gave it to Scott. From this Thornley's cross for Hulme was just too high. Thornley then had a spell drifting along the left side of the attack, presumably hoping to make use of the wind direction should he get a crack at goal. However, a mis-pass from Murphy saw Blyth sweep the ball from right to left just outside the Alty box. Mark Sertori was alert to the danger and came across to his right to make an important clearing tackle but Mr Simpson judged it to have been mis-timed and Sertori saw a yellow card for the first time in 25 league starts this season (23 mins).

Radigan's resulting free-kick was poorly struck. Sertori himself was then the victim of a foul by Stewart, who looked the pick of the Blyth side throughout this game, with his intelligent probings in attack. For Alty, Ryan and Craney were impressing but Blyth continued to enjoy more of the possession. Nevertheless Altrincham were looking the more incisive.

A fine ball over the top of the defence from Hulme set Thornley in on the keeper. Rod had got half way round the diving keeper, to the left of goal, when Gilmore smothered the ball well as Thornley went down (32 mins). Soon afterwards, a Hulme header looped to Gilmore before a fine ball from Maddox found Thornley, who won a free-kick to maintain some pressure on Blyth's defence. Then, a ball forward at the other end found Robson unmarked in a central position but his shot from the edge of the box was way over the target (35 mins). Hulme was showing some good form and he almost set up a header for Murphy but Gilmore intercepted his cross. The keeper then had to punch clear from Craney as Altrincham went forward.

The first meaningful action of the second period saw Hulme toe-poke over the bar from a Hawes pass (46 mins). Hulme and Craney were much involved at this stage and Hulme was soon the victim of a foul by Forster. But Coburn was then in action with two successive punches clear (51 mins) as Blyth came back at the visitors. The wind ruled out a lot of pretty football but Altrincham coped well with this and the slippery conditions caused by overnight snow and rain. A turning point occurred after 56 minutes when Williams got behind Maddox and Coburn had to advance smartly to save well. Stuart did very well to hold the ball cleanly. After Maddox had won a free-kick which led to Hulme being offside, Thornley then won Alty's first corner of the game on the left.

Ryan's well-flighted kick found Murphy rising totally unchallenged by the massed Blyth defence, to nod the ball firmly into the net from about six yards (59 mins). In an injury-plagued season, this was Danny's second league goal of the season. Three minutes later Murphy gave way to Lee Poland who slotted into midfield (62 mins). Stewart almost prompted a response for Blyth when his cross from the right was met by Robson but he could only get a little power on the ball and might have done better to leave the cross to a colleague behind him. A foul by Robson on Hawes was awarded but when the same player seemed to catch Maddox, albeit accidentally, with his elbow, play continued.

A pass from Poland then saw Hulme take a snap shot, which Gilmore fielded at the second attempt (67 mins). At the other end Stewart received a pass in space and his volley was only just wide of the target (68 mins). Robson then shot over the bar before Perry replaced Scroggins for Blyth (69 mins). Blyth now applied some pressure but after Craney had done well and won a free-kick, Poland was tackled firmly on the left flank and appeared to be seriously injured. After lengthy treatment to his knee he limped off for further attention and play resumed after the now shaven-headed Craig Skelton had replaced Martin for Blyth (74 mins).

Dave Swanick was readied to come on in place of Poland but Poland made a recovery and returned to the fray. Almost immediately Poland was bundled over on the very edge of the Blyth box. Lee himself hit the free-kick into the wall as Altrincham looked to be in control of their two-goal lead (77 mins). Ryan next headed out a Stewart cross to give Blyth a left-side corner, which Scott cleared. Dave Swanick did then make his appearance on the pitch, replacing Paul Taylor at left-back (79 mins). Stewart soon won another corner, off the deep-lying Poland, on the right.

There was a light-hearted moment after 83 minutes when Sertori was clearly fouled but attempted to make sure that he got the free-kick by making a less than convincing tumble. Ex-Alty man Craig Skelton was so incensed that he did his own impersonation of Sertori's fall. A foul by Craney on Stewart near half-way saw Little wade in as Craney walked away, with the result that both Craney and Little were booked. As with Sertori earlier, this was Craney's first league booking of the season after 25 starts (86 mins). Ironically, it was Blyth's star man Stewart who made the error which led to Alty's third goal. Scott picked up the ball and played a fine pass forward to Thornley.

Rod advanced on goal, to the right of the net and then relayed the ball across to his left where Lee Poland thumped it home firmly from ten yards or so (87 mins). There was still time for a superb through ball from Craney to Hulme, but when Thornley returned his pass, Hulme was unable to get in a shot. A good Swanick header and a superb tackle from Mark Maddox saw off any late danger from the hosts.

This was an excellent performance by Altrincham in very trying conditions. It was especially good to see Danny Murphy back on the scoresheet after having to play for so long with a hernia injury which awaits an operation. The Alty defence dealt well throughout with the swirling wind and the midfield coped excellently with a sticky pitch, whilst Hulme's guile and Thornley's pace and stamina were a constant threat to the Blyth defence. Blyth had only lost one home game until this week but they have now lost three after a defeat by Hucknall Town last Tuesday. This was Alty's third win on the run and allowed them to gain ground on Burton who were occupied in the Trophy.