Match Report

Gateshead had lost 0-7 on Wednesday to Bradford P.A. but Altrincham had been having a poor time, too. They had not won in their last eleven league and cup games, their last triumph being in the North East at Blyth on 23 February. The game was played in bright sunshine with a strong, biting wind and the dry pitch had a bobbly surface, which made playing passes difficult.

Altrincham recorded their first win in eleven league and cup games at Gateshead today - their last win was also in the North-East, at Blyth, on 23 February. There was little flowing football on a bumpy pitch in a biting wind but Alty took the two clear chances that came their way in the latter stages of the first half. Thornley broke through the Gateshead back-line to round keeper Russell and score after 35 minutes, following a good pass from Craney. Then, a defensive error left Hulme in the clear with the ball and he made no mistake with his shot after 43 minutes. Altrincham let Gateshead make most of the second half running but the Robins' defence, marshalled by Sertori and Maddox, had relatively few serious worries.

Gateshead made four changes from their starting line-up against Bradford, bringing in Bowman and Jones at the back, as well as McKenzie and McAlindon. For Alty, Ryan returned after illness with Lee Poland being the man consigned to the bench to accommodate the change. Lee had limped off on Wednesday at Bamber Bridge, as had Kevin Hulme. Hulme, however, started this game and was to see out the full 90 minutes. Loan signing Gareth Strange started on the left of midfield, with Ryan on the right. 17 year-old Vernum Rowland retained his place at right back.

Gateshead kicked off but the opening minutes were largely forgettable with passes misplaced by both sides as they strove to come to terms with the difficult conditions. The first action of note came from a prodigious long throw from the Gateshead left by Morgan which Thompson headed at goal, where Coburn saved comfortably (4 mins). A minute later an underhit back pass from Rowland allowed Thompson in inside the left side of the penalty box. Prompt action by Coburn, racing out to dive at the feet of the striker saved the day for Altrincham, at the cost of a corner on the Gateshead left (5 mins). Following McAlindon's corner, McKenzie put in a good shot from some distance, which just cleared the bar (6 mins). The pattern of mis-passes and minor fouls continued as the game struggled to come to life.

It was Gateshead again who went close after 13 minutes, however, when Painter put in a low cross from the right by-line and Thompson got his foot in first to poke the ball narrowly wide of Coburn's left post from six yards. Referee Smith then aided the home cause by harshly judging that Coburn had received a back pass when the ball had come to him from a deflected clearance. This decision gave Gateshead a free-kick virtually on the by-line on their left of the Alty goal, near the edge of the penalty area. The kick was taken short and then driven across the face of goal where it hit Thompson and went out for a goalkick to Alty (14 mins).

Altrincham were creating little up front at this stage. As usual, Thornley was running around purposefully but Hulme's movement looked restricted by the injury that he is plainly carrying and which saw him withdrawn after fewer than five minutes of last Wednesday's match. A series of free-kicks for minor infringements had helped Gateshead keep up the pressure from the kick off and these did not help the flow of the game. However, the Alty back four had dealt well with the threats for the most part, Maddox and Sertori clearing all the aerial threats. At last Alty showed some style when Hawes won the ball and Craney surged forward and passed to Thornley but he was dispossessed (20 mins).

Altrincham delivered their first shot at goal as late as the 24th minute when Craney won the ball in midfield and shot firmly from 22 yards but Russell fielded the shot comfortably. When Sertori played a ball over the top of the Gateshead defence, Thornley could not get at it as Jones shepherded it out for a goalkick. However, Mr Smith gave Alty a surprising free-kick on the by line, which evened up the decision earlier when Gateshead got a freekick for the handling of an alleged back-pass. Hawes's free-kick found Hulme who rose well and unchallenged but headed wide from 10 yards or so in front of goal (27 mins). Altrincham were now getting the upper hand after being on the back foot for the opening half of the first half. Following a free-kick for foot up by Thompson against Swanick, Coburn's kick produced a corner to Alty through the efforts of Craney. This was cleared by Reed (30 mins).

Further evidence of Altrincham getting the upper hand came when Craney beat Antony and Rattle to get in a cross but this was cleared and Gateshead soon won a free-kick at the other end, which led to nothing. Hawes and Hulme then fed Thornley, who had space to advance to his left but he chose to cut inside where he was challenged. However, the ball fortunately ran to Hulme who shot well but at the keeper (34 mins). Following another of Morgan's prodigious long throws, Sertori headed clear and the ball went from Maddox to Thornley. He interchanged passes with Craney and found himself clear of the defence and bearing down on keeper Russell. Despite a bad bobble as he ran at the keeper, Rod swept past the advancing Russell and from the right of goal turned the ball into the empty net, although a retreating Gateshead defender almost got to it on the line (35 mins). This was the first goal in ten league matches for the Robins' leading scorer and only his side's seventh goal in their last twelve league and cup matches.

A mix-up between Rowland and Coburn almost let Gateshead in, four minutes after the Alty goal, but Dave Swanick managed to clear the danger. The first appearance of a physio on the pitch came shortly after this, when a Gateshead man needed some attention. Then, after Coburn had chased all the way to the touchline to see a ball out of play, the referee called over Swanick and Antony for a very long lecture though what this was for was not clear (41 mins). Soon afterwards, a mix up in the Gateshead defence saw the ball bouncing past a Gateshead man to Hulme, who was in the clear, with only Russell to beat. This he did with great efficiency to give Alty a two goal lead (43 mins). The Altrincham travelling supporters, vocal throughout, were now ecstatic. However, Gateshead had a great chance to pull a goal back just before the interval when a cross from the left was met by a firm header from Thompson which flashed over Coburn's crossbar (44 mins). With the referee somehow finding three extra minutes of play despite a board having been shown for just one minute of added time, Alty survived a late corner conceded by Rowland.

Gateshead had had more chances in the first half than Altrincham but had failed to take them. Altrincham, after a slow start, had played well but both sides were hampered by the swirling wind and the uneven bounce.

Each side made a half-time change. For Alty, Reserves' captain Keith Mairs replaced the quiet Gareth Strange in midfield, whilst Gateshead brought on defender Mark Sunley for front man Paul Thompson (46 mins). Mairs was immediately in action and had he realised how well placed he was when he received a pass just in the Gateshead half he would have advanced rather than passing back. Morgan soon threw in another stupendous ball from the touchline with great power and distance but Sertori was equal to it.

As Gateshead made the early running, Mr Smith pulled Morgan aside for a lecture; the referee was clearly an advocate of the long lecture rather than the waving of the yellow card and he was to be applauded for that. His tolerance also allowed Hulme to get away with showing his displeasure at a linesman's decision shortly afterwards. After Thornley had been tripped by Bowman and no free-kick given, play stopped for treatment to the striker's back from physio Gary Thompson (51 mins). It was Gateshead who continued to press till Thornley won a corner off Jones on the left (54 mins). After this was cleared the ref again stopped play for a lecture; this time to Sertori and Jones. What with these stoppages and the lack of fluent passing movements, the game was far from a brilliant spectacle.

Mairs was now settling into some effective work in midfield alongside Hawes and Craney before Gateshead made another change of personnel, Flockett coming on for Painter (56 mins). Another torpedo-like throw from Morgan, from the right, found Sunley's head and his effort only just cleared the Alty bar (57 mins). Gateshead were making the running as in the early stages of the first half but were lucky to avoid censure when Hulme was tripped from behind and needed treatment (58 mins). A stoppage soon after to treat McKenzie, who had injured himself making a challenge, continued the second half pattern of frequent stoppages to the action. Sunley was soon involved in a move which saw Flockett shoot wide, just before the veteran Sam Kitchen came on as Gateshead's third substitute, replacing McKenzie who later left the playing area with an ice pack held to his groin.

It was then McAlindon's turn for a talking-to after he fouled Craney (65 mins). Two more mighty throw-ins from Morgan forced Alty to defend well. Any throw in from 35 yards out or nearer was as good as a freekick to Gateshead with Morgan's throwing ability. From the second of these throws the ball skimmed off a Gateshead head just wide of goal (67 mins). Altrincham remained on the back foot, defending their lead and offering little at the forward end of their team. Yet another stoppage occurred when Craney was injured.

However, a little later Keith Mairs did meet a flap out by Russell, from a Hawes cross, by sending in a 20 yard shot, which went wide (71 mins). The diet of throw-ins, freekicks and other stoppages continued and after Craney had been penalised, he was fortunate not to be booked for kicking the ball away (78 mins). Craney was soon the victim of a foul but Sertori sidefooted the free-kick and Russell saved comfortably low down, to his right (80 mins). Cheered on by the extensive repertoire of the Altrincham supporters' choir, Altrincham continued to ride out the Gateshead attack without too much concern. Hawes briefly left the pitch for treatment to an injury (83 mins) before Rod Thornley was withdrawn and replaced for the final three minutes by Marc Whiteman, on loan from Bury. The final whistle which confirmed Altrincham's first win in eleven games was greeted with ecstatic scenes from the Altrincham fans and responsive clapping from the players. The trip back to Altrincham seemed a lot shorter with three points in the bag than it had seemed on the way up to the North East.