Match Report

The soft pitch at the Butcher's Arms looked as if it had just been mechanically raked as it was covered completely by parallel grooves about six inches apart. The uneven surface, combined with a strong wind blowing down the pitch made playing conditions poor. As the floodlights were not the brightest in the UniBond, identifying the Droylsden players with their black numbers on red shirts was very hard so, apologies, for any errors in the match report below. Since our visit last year the goal at the Manchester Road has had its fence removed and there is now a spectatorless open space behind that end's net. Dave Pace, the Droylsden boss, had threatened Alty with a difficult game and so it was to prove.

Altrincham could not complain at the outcome to this match as they created only one worthwhile chance in a game played on a very poor surface in windy conditions. The Bloods took the lead with a fine strike from just outside the box by Wright (38 mins) and doubled their lead when Evans rounded Coburn after 53 minutes. This goal provoked a major protest for offside and the game then degenerated into a bad-tempered affair with, first, Farley being dismissed after a run-in with Hulme (61 mins) before Alty captain Steve Hawes was also sent off (70 mins). Hawes also appeared to be struck in the tunnel as he left the pitch. Just before this, Coburn had made a magnificent penalty save after a foul by Maddox had conceded the spot-kick.

Altrincham's injury list continues to grow and in addition to the long-term absentees, Jason Gallagher and Chris Adams, new loan-signing Barry Shuttleworth was ruled out of this game with an ankle injury and left-back Paul Taylor had succumbed to tendonitis. Danny Murphy was on the bench but he expected to enter hospital today (Wednesday) for his long delayed hernia operation.

Even coach Graham Heathcote had been under the surgeon's knife, having had a cartilage operation on Monday. So, Altrincham brought in Dave Swanick at left-back and Barry Guildford and David Wills were named as substitutes. Neil Ryan started at right-back with Gary Scott in midfield, whilst Rod Thornley was supported by Kevin Hulme. Striker Lee Poland was played out of position on the left side of midfield. Droylsden included three ex-Alty men in their back four, namely Robert Trees, James Glendenning and Adam Farley but there was no place for a fourth ex-Robin, Steve Porter.

Altrincham gained an early free-kick, after Droylsden had kicked off, when Glendenning held Thornley. The Droylsden centre-back then had a lucky escape when the free-kick was played into the Droylsden box and was flicked on by Sertori. Glendenning's raised arm seemed to handle the ball (2 mins). Following this Neil Ryan picked up an early booking for dissent (3 mins). However, the play was fairly even for the first few minutes and in the sixth minute Droylsden won a free-kick by the corner-flag, to the left of Coburn's goal. The Alty keeper seemed to misjudge the free-kick in the swirling wind and Evans nipped in to head against the crossbar. After Droylsden had begun to enjoy some possession, Ian Craney picked the ball up and played the pass of the night, a forty yard diagonal ball forward over the defence for Thornley. However, Rod was quickly closed down and the move ended in a blocked shot by Scott (13 mins). Then came Alty's best chance of the night, a cross from Hulme found Thornley whose header was finely saved by keeper Phillips from close range (15 mins).

The bobbly surface continued to cause problems and Scott lost possession, as a result, to Bradshaw. The ball was moved forward for a shot by Wright, which went wide. Altrincham won their first corner after 20 minutes and though Ryan found Hulme with it, the latter's shot was very high. A late tackle by Maddox on Evans then conceded a free-kick (22 mins). A shot from Hulme went wide (23 mins) as play continued fairly evenly but without too much goalmouth excitement. The first really unsavoury incident of the night came when Farley needlessly barged Thornley into the concrete fence behind the Droylsden goal, earning himself a deserved booking and causing Thornley to need the physio's assistance. Evans then produced a weak shot at the other end when he shot at Coburn but generally the Alty defence, led by Mark Sertori, was coping well with the Droylsden attacks.

After an Alty move had been halted, Droylsden broke forward to the right and there did not seem to be undue danger until the ball found Wright on the "D" of the Alty box. The Droylsden man got in a fine shot just as Maddox tackled him and the ball flew past Coburn for the opening goal of the game (38 mins). Just as at the start of the half, the end of the first period saw a strong appeal for an Altrincham penalty for handball, when a Thornley flick seemed to be stopped by an arm (41 mins). However, the score remained 1-0 as the interval whistle blew and, on balance, Droylsden were probably just about good value for their slender lead.

Altrincham, playing into the wind, enjoyed more of the early possession in the second half and soon won a corner off Glendenning, gained by Craney. (50 mins). However, the Bloods then doubled their lead in controversial circumstances. The ball seemed to deflect off Sertori into the path of Evans, who was on his own in a suspiciously offside position. Play continued, however, and the Droylsden striker rounded Coburn, who had advanced from his line, and slotted the ball into the empty net from the left of the target (53 mins). There were immediate protests by the Alty players and coach Graham Heathcote to the referee and linesman but the goal stood. The fact that the ball had come off an Alty player probably had some bearing on the decision. Graham Heathcote and Dave Pace then exchanged "pleasantries" before Steve Hawes was booked by the referee for his complaints (53 mins). Play eventually resumed and soon Danny Murphy came on for Lee Poland on the Alty left (56 mins).

Altrincham had created precious few chances in the first half and even fewer in the second period, whilst Droylsden looked more incisive. The undercurrents provoked by the circumstances of the second goal came to the surface when Hulme and Farley tangled in midfield. After the players had briefly shoved each other, Mr Dunn consulted his linesman and booked Hulme before dismissing Farley for his second cautionable offence (61 mins). Things got worse for Altrincham when Evans got the better of Sertori to the left of the Droylsden attack and Maddox came across to cover but brought down the Bloods' ex-Stalybridge striker to concede a clear penalty. Stuart Coburn made a magnificent save, diving to his right, to keep out the spot-kick which, in the gloom, seemed to have been taken by Kerr (67 mins).

There was then another fracas when Hall and Hawes tangled near the centre-line and the Droylsden man ended up seeming to pin Hawes to the ground by the shoulders. Hall was booked and play seemed to be about to continue when the referee called over Hawes and sent him off. Whether this was for his role in the incident with Hall or for dissent afterwards was not clear. As Hawes went down the perspex tunnel to the changing rooms, he appeared to be assailed by someone in the tunnel (70 mins). So, the sides were now ten men each. The bad tempers continued with Kerr hacking down Murphy, who had got past him on the Alty left and the Droylsden man joined Mr Dunn's list of cautions (75 mins).

Altrincham now had a back three of Scott, Maddox and Swannick as Ryan and Sertori were pushed forward. However, the visitors were still unable to create any real chances before Kerr was substituted for Droylsden by Quinn. (80 mins). Although Alty pressed and Sertori won a corner (84 mins) there was to be no reprieve for Altrincham. All in all this was a very disappointing night, compounded by news of Burton Albion's win at Hucknall. With Hawes and Hulme both now awaiting suspensions and the injury list growing by the week, Altrincham are going to be severely stretched in the run-in to the end of the season. Perhaps the most worrying aspect of the evening was the lack of punch in the final third of the pitch; apart from his one good first-half save, the Droylsden keeper was scarcely troubled.