Match Report

This game took place after a morning of strong winds and heavy showers but the game itself was played in sunshine throughout. Altrincham were seeking revenge for a defeat at Frickley earlier in the season, whilst Frickley had an FA Cup defeat at Moss Lane to avenge.

A second defeat inside a week saw Altrincham's title hopes effectively disappear as Frickley deservedly completed a league double over the Robins. As at Droylsden last Tuesday, injury-weakened Altrincham rarely looked like scoring and for the first time this season have now gone two consecutive league games without a goal. It was ex-Robin Leroy Chambers who almost inevitably got the first, converting Evans's pass after 30 minutes. Evans himself settled the game after 48 minutes converting a fine pass from Reece. Altrincham enjoyed a lot of second half possession but to little effect. It was probably a pointed statement on the Alty performance that Gary Scott was named Man of the Match despite being substituted after 54 minutes.

Ex-Alty striker Leroy Chambers, who had scored twice against the Robins in the 3-3 draw at Frickley last season, was in the starting line-up today for the Yorkshire side, whilst another former Moss Laner, Mark Ogley, was on the bench. Altrincham gave a first league start to David Wills on the left of midfield, in place of Danny Murphy who finally had his hernia operation this week. Wills's previous UniBond experience had been as a substitute in Division One for Trafford. This meant that Lee Poland dropped to the bench, where he joined Barry Guildford and Keith Mairs.

Guildford is not only the first player to come to Moss Lane after playing in the Vietnamese League, but he must also be the only Robin ever to sport a dyed red head, styled in a semi-Mohican style! Carl Furlong remains suspended but participated in the warm-up but regulars Jason Gallagher, Chris Adams and Paul Taylor were once more unavailable for selection through injury, as was recent loan signing Barry Shuttleworth. Hulme partnered Thornley up front, with Wills on the left of midfield and Scott on the right.

After changing ends Alty kicked off defending the Golf Road End. Apart from a foul by Wills, the game got off to a fairly slow start with little goalmouth incident at all. For Frickley, Evans looked to be useful at the front end of their attack. Leroy Chambers soon brought an ironic cheer from the Alty fans when he sent a diving header as near to the corner flag as to the goal (4 mins) but he was to have the last laugh. In fact, Chambers soon won a corner off Mark Maddox (8 mins). Alty's first corner arrived three minutes later when a free-kick by Hawes cannoned off the wall, after an foul had been awarded against Jones on Hulme.

From the corner, Sertori headed narrowly over. Wills was then tripped as he broke away but nothing came from the resulting free-kick. The slow start to the game continued as play stopped for lengthy treatment to Jones who had been kicked in the face accidentally by Hulme's raised boot (13 mins). Wills then committed his second offence and Price reacted angrily; both players were booked. Frickley were shading the game at this stage but a free-kick, following a foul on Craney, saw Sertori's ball into the box punched clear by Wilkinson (18 mins).

Altrincham belatedly put together a decent move after 21 minutes when Scott fed Thornley, who reached the ball on the right edge of the Frickley box before Wilkinson. Thornley's cross found Hulme's head but under a challenge he could not steer the ball accurately and a goalkick resulted. Frickley then won another corner when Ryan headed out Hanby's ball into the box from the left (24 mins). Thornley was then caught offside for at least the third time in the game so far before Maddox lunged in on the half-way line to concede a free-kick. Following this, Ryan lost possession in midfield and Prendergast got it via Collins to Russell who produced a great stop, low down, from Coburn as he advanced on goal. But just as Alty thought that the danger had passed, Evans found space on the right and played the ball across the penalty area to the unmarked Chambers who slotted the ball home from about ten yards for his third goal against Alty in a Frickley shirt over the last two seasons (30 mins)

The game continued in a fairly uninspiring fashion with Altrincham still unable to string together enough passes to unlock a resolute Frickley defence. Coburn was then unable to keep a misjudged Sertori back header in play and a Frickley corner resulted (38 mins). This came to nothing before Altrincham put together their best move of the half. Hawes picked up a loose ball in midfield and Thornley, Wills and Craney then combined to allow Scott a hooked shot which went over the bar (42 mins). However, half-time arrived with Frickley still deservedly a goal ahead.

Frickley started the second period brightly with Collins getting up the left and his side's move only ended with a save by Coburn at the second attempt, after the first shot had come off his chest (46 mins). Soon afterwards, Chambers got the better of Ryan and the ball came out to Reece on the right touchline, some 40 yards out. His excellent, curling ball forward into the Alty box found Evans who volleyed the ball home from 15 yards to put Frickley two ahead (48 mins). Soon after this, Thornley got free but Wilkinson beat out his shot (50 mins). After Reece had shot wide, Lee Poland came on for Hulme who is clearly not fully fit (52 mins).

Two minutes later, Barry Guildford replaced Gary Scott on the right of midfield (54 mins). The changes did improve things in that Alty finally began to string together some passes and enjoy more possession than their opponents. Indeed, a swirling ball into the box by Swanick found Lee Poland in the box but his attempted volley missed the target by a large margin (57 mins). Altrincham continued to enjoy the lions' share of the possession without seriously threatening the Frickley goal.

Frickley were now restricted to breakaways and their best effort of this stage came when Chambers seized on one of many misplaced passes by Altrincham but his attempt to chip Coburn was nowhere near good enough to succeed (66 mins). Evans did better a minute later when he got behind Sertori and Coburn did well to keep out his shot; the rebound came to Evans again and this time his shot ended in the side netting. Then, and as at Droylsden on Tuesday night, Sertori pushed up into midfield, leaving just three at the back (Swanick, Maddox and Ryan). Former team-mates Leroy Chambers and Steve Hawes were then involved in a scuffle near the half-way line on the Frickley right and both players were booked (69 mins). Frickley now brought on the former Northwich striker Graham Lewis for Evans (72 mins) but Altrincham nearly scored a minute later. After Craney had been fouled, Swanick's free-kick was flicked on by Sertori to Poland who hooked his shot just wide (73 mins). From a breakaway by Russell, Lewis got in a shot which Coburn gathered low down.

Altrincham were still having most of the possession but moves continued to break down with a poor pass or an ill-directed lob forward. Indeed, Frickley looked the more incisive. After Ryan lost the ball, Chambers forced Coburn to another good stop, which he followed up with a save from Hanby's follow-up shot (79 mins). As Altrincham headed towards only their second home league defeat of the season, (Burton being the only previous victors at Moss Lane to date), they still were unable to unlock the Frickley defence although Guildford did show some promising touches on the right.

As the minutes ticked away Myers replaced Prendergast (87 mins) for Frickley whilst Keith Mairs came on for Wills (89 mins) but the changes were too late to influence the game and Altrincham tamely slipped to their second successive goalless game and league defeat. With just one point gathered from the last nine, Altrincham will have to produce a miracle to catch Burton Albion now. Apart from Stuart Coburn and Mark Sertori, few Alty players came out of this game with much credit and the choice of Gary Scott as Man of the Match, despite only lasting for 54 minutes of the game, underlines the team's disappointing performance today.