Match Report

This match had been twice rearranged (from 27 October and from 19 February). It looked in jeopardy again last night when the Altrincham team arrived but their kit did not. Eventually the kitman arrived and kick-off was delayed by 16 minutes. Bamber Bridge had given Alty a close game at Moss Lane, losing to the odd goal in seven and Alty came to the Irongate on a dreadful run of no wins in ten league and cup games. A defeat in this match would consign the Brig to relegation. They had already completed all of their away games this season and they therefore were finishing the campaign with four consecutive home games on a pitch that was in excellent condition.

Alty, however, still had ten league games to play. One of the linesmen for this game was a Mr G. Heathcote and the other was Mr C. Hargreaves; the former was not the Altrincham coach Graham Heathcote and the latter, one assumes, was not any relative of Brig's Anthony Hargreaves. The referee, Mr Ireland, had handled Alty's league cup defeat by Trafford at Moss Lane earlier this season and he was to have a very good game here. The matchday programme was excellent value at £1 and was packed with statistical information, the most telling of which was the form chart. Printed originally for this fixture when it was due to be played in February, it showed Altrincham then in fourth from top position. The revised form table for 1 April showed us joint bottom!

Altrincham came within three minutes of recording their first win in eleven matches but a late own goal by Ian Craney ensured that Bamber Bridge retained the mathematical possibility of avoiding relegation. In a game whose start was delayed for 16 minutes by the late arrival of the Altrincham team's kit, Bamber Bridge started well but the Robins then improved and had the better chances. The visitors took the lead four minutes after the break with a superb strike from 25 yards or more by Steve Hawes. Brig barely had a shot in the second period until the closing stages when a cross from the left was knocked past his own keeper by Ian Craney from six yards (87 mins). This was a much improved performance from Altrincham despite losing both Hulme and Poland before the half-hour mark.

Captain Mark Sertori back was back after missing the game at Bradford but Neil Ryan was missing, having been ill earlier this week. Ryan was replaced at right-back by Vernum Rowland, who started in his more accustomed defensive role for the first time since he got into the first team recently. Lee Poland got a rare start alongside Rod Thornley up front with loan player Marc Whiteman sitting on the bench with Keith Mairs and Lee Thompson. There were two familiar faces in the Brig ranks. Terry Bowker, the Brig captain, and Anthony Hargreaves were both still Altrincham players earlier this season. Hargreaves's loan period has now turned into a permanent move to the Lancashire club. Bamber Bridge's Robinson wore a number seventeen shirt throughout as the number seven shirt had been ripped.

When play eventually started just after 8pm, Anthony Hargreaves soon went on a surging run forward which ended with a shot over the bar. Alty had started with a 4-4-2 formation which saw Hulme revert to a midfield slot on the return of Sertori to the back four. However, after just four and a half minutes Alty's Hulme was substituted by Keith Mairs in midfield. Bamber Bridge made the early running, winning three corners in the first ten minutes with their pacey attacking play. Sertori, twice, and Rowland were the Alty defenders whose covering work led to the corners. All of these cleared without too much problem but the tall striker, Halliwell, and the speedy Hargreaves were keeping the Alty defence on their toes both on the ground and in the air. There were then two stoppages for treatment to home players; firstly Robinson (11 mins) and then Bowker (13 mins) but both resumed.

Thornley and Poland began to show some threat, but Woodward cleared up a rare Alty attack as the two Altrincham strikers combined (15 mins). Altrincham's improvement, with Steve Hawes prominent in it, continued as Coburn dribbled out of his box to clear to Thornley, who went past two defenders before being penalised (18 mins). Thornley again menaced shortly afterwards following a build up from Swanick and Hawes on the left. However, Halliwell, Hargreaves and Nezianya then combined well at the other end but with the assistance of Swanick the ball came to Coburn. Brig's Smith then shot wide from 25 yards (21 mins) before Altrincham won their first corner of the game after 23 minutes on the left. Poland's kick came off Sertori for a close range shot by Thornley which cannoned off a defender to Maddox whose goalbound shot was very well diverted onto the cross bar by keeper Sharrock, for a second Alty corner, this time on the right.

This was cleared but soon Keith Mairs did well in midfield and via Swanick and Poland, Craney got the ball and went past two opponents before crossing for Thornley, only for Sharrock to take the ball at the second attempt (25 mins). Lee Poland now needed treatment but resumed after it only to go down injured again a couple of minutes later. Physio Gary Thompson came on, this time without any equipment, and immediately Poland was removed from the fray. So, Alty's second substitute, Marc Whiteman, came on to the pitch with just 30 minutes gone.

When Bowker headed out a Swanick cross, Rod Thornley took the corner from the left but this was cleared. (32 mins). The match continued at its high pace, with no one willing or able to slow it down. A fine tackle by Maddox stopped a Halliwell advance (38 mins) but conceded a corner to the Brig. From this short corner Nezianya flashed a header across goal but narrowly wide. However, Altrincham almost took the lead soon after this. After a foul on Whiteman, Hawes's free-kick from 25 yards out on the right found Sertori towards the back post. The big centre-half shot for the near post but Sharrock made a fine save when a goal looked certain (40 mins). The game was fairly even at this stage with Hawes and Mairs industrious for Altrincham and the better chances coming the visitors' way. Seventeen year-old Rowland, looked assured at right back and his two-footedness was a boon to the defence. The half ended scoreless after 45 minutes of high speed football that might have benefited from some composure.

Bamber Bridge made a change at the interval, Nezianya giving way to Dean Cooper. As in the first half it was Bamber who started the half with a swift forward movement, with Lee Pryers involved on the left. However, they were soon to fall behind when Ian Craney laid the ball off sideways to his right from the left side of the pitch about 25 yards out. Steve Hawes strode on to it and hit it low and true, just inside the diving keeper's right-hand post for a fine goal (49 mins). The goal lifted Altrincham and Hawes and Strange both soon made surges forward which were stopped by the Brig defence. A very neat backheel from Keith Mairs then set up Thornley for a shot that was blocked but which won a corner on the Alty right. This was cleared before Hawes had another pot from 25 yards, again from another Craney pass. This time Steve's effort went too high and rose over the bar (60 mins).

At the other end Rowland broke up two attacks before Hargreaves needed treatment for an injury. With Alty now on top, they won another corner on the right (65 mins) but Thornley took this poorly. Gareth Strange, who had a quiet first half, was much livelier in the second and his well hit shot from 20 yards was beaten out well by Sharrock only for Thornley to fire in a rebound which the keeper saved equally well (66 mins). Steve Hawes then got in his third long-range shot of the half after Whiteman, Thornley and Strange had been involved in the build-up (73 mins). Despite trailing and facing relegation the Bridge side showed some spirit and continued to make a fight of it but without creating any threatening openings in front of Coburn's goal. Indeed, referee Ireland had to have a calming word with Pryers after he had vociferously contested a decision.

As the final ten minutes arrived Bamber Bridge won possibly their first corner of the half on the right when Rowland intercepted a cross by Paul Ryan to head out of play. Halliwell won the ball in the air from the corner and looped the ball over Coburn but Strange was able to clear before it could cross the line. After Bowker had fouled Strange the two were involved in a minor flare-up which Mr Ireland dealt with by a lecture. Hankinson was then replaced by the tall Thompson for Bamber Bridge and the sub joined the front line to give them three attackers (84 mins). Alty were now on the back foot and had not had a worthwhile shot at the Brig goal for ten minutes or so. Then a routine cross from the Bridge left landed near the six yard line, slightly to the right of centre where Ian Craney diverted it into his own net, the ball going back across goal and into the right hand corner of Coburn's net (87 mins). The distraught Craney held his head in his hands. Bridge then pressed forward but in the final minute Vernum Rowland broke out of his own half after intercepting a pass and raced fifty yards before sending a curling left foot shot just wide from the edge of the Brig box (89 mins).

Altrincham had looked comfortable till the last ten minutes but paid for not increasing their one-goal lead. They have now gone eleven league and cup games without a win. Given the uncertainty at the club about finances, about who will be the new Chairman, about who will be managing or coaching the team next season and about who will be still on the playing staff given the 40% cut in the wage bill promised for next season, it is not surprising that results on the field have taken this dip. Hopefully once some of the rumours are confirmed or scotched, the team will be able to concentrate 100% once more on events on the pitch. Nevertheless, this was a much improved showing on Monday's lacklustre display at Bradford Park Avenue. Next up is a trip to Gateshead, who lost 0-7 last night- to Bradford Park Avenue!