Match Report

Altrincham finally ended their long run without a win last Saturday at Gateshead and were looking to finish the season on a high note. Runcorn have been steadily climbing the table and would go above Alty if they won this game.

Two first-half goals saw Altrincham slide to their sixth consecutive home game without a win and the defeat was compounded by injuries to Kevin Hulme (subbed after 37 mins), to Stuart Coburn, who limped through the second half and to Keith Mairs, who lasted less than half an hour after coming on as a substitute. Cowley opened the scoring after 27 minutes when he got onto a through ball behind Sertori and poked the ball past Coburn. Eight minutes later an up and under from the left was met well by Cowley, virtually on the by-line at the back post.

As Maddox attempted to clear off the line, he only managed to put the ball through his own goal. Runcorn sat on their lead in the second half and despite a lot of possession, Alty never looked like retrieving the game. The only bright spot was the Man of the Match award to 17 year-old Vernum Rowland.

Altrincham were unchanged from their team at Gateshead last Saturday. Vernum Rowland and Dave Swanick were the full-backs with Neil Ryan starting in midfield. Hulme partnered Thornley up front. Runcorn included former Alty men Matt McNeil and David Gamble in their line-up.

After Altrincham had kicked off, towards the Golf Road end, the sides exchanged early off-side offences. Ian Craney was evident early on and when he won the ball and surged forward, Runcorn had to drive him to his right. Having reached the by-line, Ian's cross was a little too strong and, beyond the back post, Gareth Strange missed his resulting shot completely (5 mins). Things were fairly even at this stage with Matt McNeil making his impressive physical presence known to the Alty defence and receiving a lecture from Mr Pashley for disputing a foul awarded against him (6 mins). After Sertori had fouled McNeil, 45 yards from goal, the free-kick found Cowley on the right and his cross yielded Runcorn a corner on their left side, taken by Price (9 mins).

This was cleared and, indeed, it was Alty who had the best shot of the opening stages when Thornley seized on a mistake by Gamble and, from the right of goal, shot firmly from 15 yards. McMillan made a good save (10 mins), Gamble made immediate amends with a fine ball for Lunt, who had got behind Rowland, but the Linnets' man shot weakly at Coburn (11 mins). Runcorn now began to pass the ball around more effectively than Altrincham who were over reliant on the long ball- and their coach Graham Heathcote told them so, exhorting them to "keep it shorter".

McNeil was then penalised twice for using his arms in challenges but it was his side which was now getting slightly on top. However, Swanick and Hulme combined to give Craney a pot at goal. Ian's left foot shot was the not the most powerful that he has ever struck but it bounced awkwardly and McMillan did well to hold on to it (25 mins). After McNeil had advanced to the left of goal, Ryan made what appeared to be a good tackle but he was penalised with a free-kick. Hulme headed the free-kick out for a corner on the Runcorn right, from which Ryan made a good block on a 20 yard shot from Carragher. However, the ball came back through the centre from Gamble, near half way and en route it seemed to get a slight touch from Price. This took it just past Sertori as he and Cowley ran towards the Alty goal inside the penalty area.

Cowley steered the ball past Coburn to open the scoring from about six yards, slightly left of centre of goal (27 mins). An extremely ambitious shot by McNeil soon afterwards was screwed very wide of the target (29 mins) before Runcorn won a right-side corner off Maddox. Sertori nearly turned this into his own net but Ryan did well and cleared off the line to concede a second flag-kick on the right. As this took place Hulme was off the pitch beside his own goal being treated by physio Gary Thompson. After the corner had been cleared Hulme walked gingerly back to the centre-line and came back onto the pitch. No sooner had he done so than his side went two down. An up-and-under from the Runcorn left, about 25 yards out landed just beyond the Alty back post virtually on the by-line. Cowley did very well to meet it first time and steer the ball goalwards as Coburn was stranded, having come across goal in an attempt to cover the danger.

Maddox attempted to clear the ball off the line but succeeded only in steering it into the net for an own goal (35 mins).

Almost immediately, the ailing Hulme gave way to Lee Poland (37 mins). This was the second time in three games that Hulme had been unable to complete a first half and he has clearly been carrying an injury for some time. The dangerous Cowley menaced again when he got free on the left but his shot was into the side netting (39 mins) as Runcorn were now firmly in control. Although the Alty passing was not all it might have been, Rowland was showing some nice touches at right-back and from his pass Poland turned well and fired in a left-foot shot which went narrowly past the Runcorn post (41 mins). The interval saw Runcorn holding onto their deserved lead and with Hulme out of action and Coburn limping noticeably, it did not bode well for the second half.

As the Alty keeper hobbled out with his colleagues for the second period, it became clear that Keith Mairs had come on as a substitute, replacing Dave Swanick. This meant that Ryan moved to left-back and Mairs slotted into midfield. Runcorn also made a swap, bringing on Ness and withdrawing Baines. The first action of note was a 20 yard shot from Gamble which narrowly cleared the bar as Altrincham continued to play falteringly. Maddox was now taking Coburn's dead ball kicks but both sides were making unforced errors. The home side were enjoying more of the possession as Runcorn sat on their lead. Alty continued to make overuse of the long ball aimed at Thornley but the Runcorn backline proved solid.

The first thing in the second half that the home crowd had to cheer about was a corner won by Thornley on the right (65 mins). Poland struck this too short but the ball came back to him and his second ball into the box found Sertori who relayed it to Thornley. There was then a strong appeal for handball in the box by a Runcorn defender but Mr Pashley ignored this. Alty's injury jinx then continued as substitute Keith Mairs limped off just 25 minutes after joining the fray, to be replaced by a third striker, the on-loan Marc Whiteman (70 mins).

Altrincham were enjoying most of the possession and Rowland was showing his paces both in finding Thornley with a forward ball and then outpacing Cowley and winning the ball well at the back. However, an over enthusiastic tackle from behind on Cowley, just inside the Runcorn half, earned the young full-back a yellow card (74 mins). Runcorn were still passing the ball well but a move of a dozen passes or more foundered when McNeil attempted to show off on the touchline but only succeeded in knocking the ball out of play. At this point Cowley gave way to ex-Southport man, Kevin Leadbetter (76 mins). Gamble then fed Carragher for a rasping shot from 22 yards which went very wide.

Nevertheless, the visitors were showing the home side the way to goal as Alty laboured to create any openings. As the game entered its final ten minutes Runcorn defended in depth but Alty were causing them little worry despite plenty of effort. The nearest the Robins came was when a Hawes cross came off the top of Poland's head to Ryan beyond the back post but he could not turn it back in (83 mins). Leadbetter then got the better of Rowland but his shot went narrowly wide, across the face of goal, from the left. Alty continued to enjoy possession but Runcorn rode out the final minutes, with Ryder replacing Morley a minute from the end.

It has been a proverbial season of two halves for Altrincham, now with only one win in their last twelve league games after a fine start to the campaign and a good FA Cup run. The injury list also continues to grow (Adams, Taylor, Gallagher, Murphy, Coburn, Mairs, Hulme) and the engagement of several loan players over the last month or two has done nothing to arrest the decline in form. Alty now travel to Hyde with the Robins' end of season form reminiscent of the Tigers' own poor run-in last season. Hopefully, before the end of this season Alty will be able to lift themselves with some improved results and then regroup over the summer.

One of the few bright lights tonight was the performance of Vernum Rowland, who deservedly won the Man of the Match Award, a bottle of champagne which he is legally too young to drink! Hopefully Vernum and other home-grown talent from the Youth and Reserve ranks will play an increasingly important role in helping the Club forward in these times of financial difficulty. A bucket collection was held at half time with the Directors pledging to match the donations made by the fans. For details of how all fans can help the Club, please click here.