Match Report

Both sides were in much need of a win after poor recent runs. Before the match Altrincham had held a meeting about the Club's parlous financial state which had underlined the threat to the existing set-up both on and off the field and indicated that there would be a substantial cut in the players' wage bill for next season. For their part, Burscough were coming to terms with a new managerial regime following the shock departure, after seven years, of manager John Davison, a former Moss Lane favourite in his playing days.

Alty, without a win in eight games before today, played out a lacklustre and goal-less first half against a Burscough side who were themselves without a win in six matches. But things immediately got worse after the break when an error by Ryan let in Lee Furlong for a straightforward goal a minute after the re-start. Altrincham played their best football after this but rarely looked like levelling against a Burscough side fielding five of their Youth team. Knowles knocked in number two when a throw-in was not cleared (75 mins).

Alty were poor from then onwards and, when Coburn missed a corner ball, Mason headed home after his first effort had come back to him off the upright (89 mins). This was Alty's heaviest home league defeat for five seasons.

The unfortunate injury to Andy Tunnicliffe meant that Rod Thornley's return to the side after masseur-duty for England in midweek necessitated no further personnel changes from the squad beaten so disappointingly by Hyde in midweek. However, Gareth Strange, on loan from Accrington, replaced Lee Poland in the starting line-up and Keith Mairs's place on the bench went to Vernum Rowland, who was celebrating his 17th birthday today.

Alty adopted a starting line-up which saw both Barry Shuttleworth and Dave Swanick playing in front of the back line, whilst Kevin Hulme was Rod Thornley's partner up front. The game got off to a quiet start and got no better in the remainder of the half as might have been expected from two sides whose confidence had been dented by recent poor runs. A first-minute wide shot by Dann and a fine ball from Hulme to Strange which eventually ended up with the ball running to the Burscough keeper from Swanick, were the highlights of the opening exchanges. Then, from Maddox's free-kick Taylor punched the ball off the head of Sertori (4 mins).

The fairly even opening continued as a fine sliding tackle by Maddox on Dann won both the ball and a free-kick to Altrincham. However, the Burscough striker, recently signed from Porthmadog, had been injured in the process and after treatment had to be stretchered off. He was replaced by Mason (10 mins). For Alty, Maddox was impressing at the back whilst Strange was getting involved on the right flank. The newcomer, Mason, soon found his way into the ref's book, being booked at a throw-in, presumably for something said to the referee (16 mins).

A punt from Taylor then found its way via Mason to Furlong, who got to the by-line, and with no one to cross to, he launched a fierce shot from a narrow angle at Coburn which the Alty keeper held cleanly (17 mins). The game continued in its generally uninspiring manner with few chances arising; Hulme's looping header over the bar from a Craney cross being an exception (23 mins). It was another seven minutes before anything resembling a further shot arose, when Strange lost, but regained, the ball and crossed for Thornley whose effort was blocked but ended up as a Burscough goal-kick (30 mins). However, it was Burscough who had the clearest chance of the half when Birch was played through into the left side of the penalty area and only a prompt dive at his feet by Coburn managed to knock the ball away. From the follow up shot by a Burscough player, Maddox headed clear (34 mins).

Following this, Knowles won a corner on the left for Burscough but the impressive Maddox was again the man on hand to head clear. Furlong then had the ball in the net but he had been given offside (35 mins).

However, these attacks were warnings to the home side that they needed to tighten up their performance. It was Maddox again who put in a fine tackle to stop Furlong a few minutes later. However, Alty did win a corner on their left after 41 minutes but this was cleared. Soon after this, Craney also turned nicely onto a pass but mis-hit his shot wide (43 mins). With the crowd very quiet, given the unexciting fare on the pitch, the first half came to an end with the spectators hoping for something better after the break. There had been a lack of urgency in the first half with too many players going through the motions.

Disaster struck for Altrincham within a minute of the re-start when a routine punt forward seemed to get stuck under Ryan's feet on the outer fringes of the Alty box and it ran, inside, to Furlong who took his chance cleanly to give Burscough the lead (46 mins). Altrincham had a fine chance to equalise soon afterwards when Hulme got a free header inside the Burscough box but he managed to miss the target completely from 12 yards (48 mins). A minute later Thornley got the ball to Craney, who likewise steered his shot wide from close range (49 mins). Altrincham had scored just three goals in their preceding seven matches and confidence in front of goal seemed to have drained away. To shake things up Alty brought on Vernum Rowland in place of Gareth Strange on the right of midfield (51 mins). However, it was Burscough who were the next to put together a flowing movement with Knowles, Molyneaux and Birch combining well before the last-named side-footed over the cross bar from the edge of the box (54 mins). However, Alty responded well with a Swanick free-kick causing the keeper to half clear before Craney and Rowland combined for the youngster to put in a menacing low cross, which was cleared. Craney then won a corner on the right but this, too, led to nothing (56 mins).

Lee Poland now came on to replace Swanick (58 mins) as Alty pushed three men forward. Hulme then played a neat flick forward for Thornley. His cross from the right was too long for Hulme in the centre but it came back into the box from Shuttleworth, on the left, to Hawes. Though unmarked, Hawes was unable to direct his header anywhere near goal (59 mins). At last, however, Altrincham were creating some chances after their lacklustre first half.

This was now Alty's best period of the game and a trip on Hulme by Lawless gave them a free-kick some 22 yards out in a central position (65 mins). Shuttleworth laid the free-kick off to Poland who drilled in a firm, low shot which Taylor saved well, diving to his right. Burscough responded with a neat move which ended with Lawless's cross being a bit too high, from the left. Rowland was showing some promise on the right and from his pass Poland, Thornley and Hulme contrived to win a corner on the right (69 mins). This was cleared, however, and Sertori needed treatment afterwards for a leg injury. Burscough's reply was a high shot from Mason followed by a well struck 25 yarder by Furlong which cleared the bar (73 mins). A Burscough short throw from their right, about 15 yards from the Alty goal, was then worked across to Knowles who was unmarked in front of goal. He applied the finish to double Burscough's lead (75 mins). After the re-start Craney fed Poland and his shot was well saved by Taylor (76 mins) before Leahey came on to replace Birch for Burscough. Birch then took up his coaching position on the sidelines as Altrincham looked despondent.

However, hope came when Thornley, Shuttleworth and Hawes linked to allow Thornley an opening to the left of goal but he sidefooted his effort well over the bar (79 mins). A Burscough free-kick from the left narrowly evaded Leahey and the Alty back post as the home side now played on without much conviction. In fact, it was hard not to be distracted from the play on the pitch by the aerobatics of a low-flying police helicopter which circled the nearby allotments during the next ten minutes. Indeed, even Alty coach Graham Heathcote had to shout and point out to his players that "the goals are over there and we are two-nil down" to remind his players of the target of their efforts. Alty's last chance came when from Shuttleworth's cross, Hulme's challenge caused Taylor to drop the ball but Thornley was unable to get any power into his stooping header (87 mins). With Altrincham fans hoping for the final whistle to put them out of their agony, Burscough added a third when Coburn missed a corner from the left and Mason headed, firstly, onto the upright and then into the net from the rebound. This was now Alty's worst home league defeat ever in the UniBond League and their worst in any league game since season 1996-97 in the Conference. No Man of the Match was announced but Mark Maddox would have been a serious contender.

So what has gone wrong with a team which only weeks ago had champions-elect Burton Albion within their sights and had had a fine FA Cup run? Clearly, injuries to key players such as Gallagher, Taylor, Adams and Murphy have taken their toll. Likewise, exhaustion after 53 competitive games so far this season is another factor. A third element may well be the behind the scenes situation at the club where not only is the financial situation less than healthy but there is much speculation about the managerial position next season. Additionally, a cut in the players wage-bill of 40% for next season had been made public before kick-off.

At present, Altrincham must have the worst form in the Division with no wins in eight league games and the next win looking very elusive. The fact that Burscough beat us today with a team including five starters from the game earlier this season between their Youth side and ours team may be a timely reminder that we do have some very promising young talent of our own. Indeed, Alty's Youth team are ahead of Burscough's in their league and have two games in hand. With little now to play for this season, many spectators feel it would be an ideal time to blood some more of them and Reserve players in the first team and see what they can achieve. Whether or not they can produce better results remains to be seen but they would certainly deliver some more passion than was evident in some quarters today.