Match Report

Though Hyde were in a relegation spot, Altrincham arrived with the worse current form- just one win in their last thirteen games. The past week had also just seen the announcement that Alty coach Graham Heathcote was to leave the club, amidst further cost-cutting steps. This was unlikely to be a good preparation for Altrincham as they sought to restore some dignity to their season which had gone off the rails in the last six weeks.

Alty were without keeper Stuart Coburn and Kevin Hulme as they went down to their eighth defeat in 14 league and cup games- a run which has included just one win. Hyde took an early lead through Foster's lob over Kurt Edginton (6 mins) before a fine shot from Gareth Strange brought a deserved equaliser (33 mins). Alty went ahead after 50 minutes through Danny Murphy, who had only come on at half time.

Two minutes later Hyde got a far from clear penalty, which Foster converted, before a strongly deflected shot from Crookes won the game (63 mins). Alty created very little in the second half and Hyde deserved the points.

In addition to the long-term injured (Taylor, Scott, Adams, Gallagher), Alty were today without League-ever-present keeper Stuart Coburn, Keith Mairs and Kevin Hulme. So, four changes were made from the squad for the last game against Runcorn to accommodate ex-Hyde keeper Kurt Edginton for his Alty league debut, to bring back Danny Murphy, who had missed the last ten league games following a hernia operation and for Youth team players Lee Thompson and Mario Daniel to come in for Mairs and Marc Whiteman. Another Youth player, Vernum Rowland, started once again, this time in right midfield, with Ryan at left-back and Dave Swanick at right-back. Lee Poland also got a start, with Rod Thornley, up front. Hyde were without the suspended ex-Alty Reserves' duo of Chris Young and Lee Evans, both suspended, and Simon Yeo was only fit to start on the bench. They played with three at the back, Ashwell, Hawtin and Crookes, whilst Alty used their customary 4-4-2.

After the crowd in the stand had been entertained by a choreographed warm up by the match officials, led by referee Mr Canadine of Rotherham, Alty kicked off but within thirty seconds play stopped for treatment to Madin. This was the first of an alarming number of stoppages for treatment to Hyde players during this game. Poland, too, needed treatment for Altrincham after three minutes as the contest got off to a slow start. Alty then got up the left through Ryan and Poland, before Craney's cross found Thornley's firm header, which went wide (4 mins). Then, a Swanick clearance hit a Hyde man and the Alty player played the rebound cleanly back to Edginton.

Alty's former Hyde keeper, who was curiously wearing a Hyde goalkeeping jersey, delayed his kick and only just got the ball clear of an incoming attacker. However, the ball almost immediately came back from the Hyde half and reached Foster on the right, outer fringes of the penalty area, to the right of goal. Edginton was well off his line and Foster was not marked as he lifted the ball over the keeper and into the left-corner net to give the Tigers an early lead (6 mins). Foster continued to find space on the right and a Hyde corner soon followed, which was scrambled clear (9 mins). Foster then went past Ryan and put in a firm shot which Edginton held above his head (11 mins).

Hyde maintained the pressure with a free-kick earned for a holding offence by Sertori just outside the Alty box. Edginton did well to palm Joyce's free-kick over the bar for another Hyde corner (15 mins). This came to player-manager Nolan and then to Band, whose effort was blocked by Maddox for yet another corner, on the left, taken by Joyce, who is on loan at Hyde from Manchester City. Sertori missed this ball as it came across the box but it bounced off Obong's legs for a goal kick (16 mins). The Hyde pressure continued when Madin fed Foster whose shot was saved by Edginton.

At last Altrincham got in their first shot of note, a fine left-footer from Rowland from 20 yards which Acton saved well (18 mins). Altrincham now began to get into the game and Craney won a free-kick 25 yards out which was wasted by Hawes, the ball running to Acton. Then a mix-up in the Alty defence allowed Band a chance which he lifted over the bar (23 mins). However, Poland and then Craney, with a neat turn, soon won Alty a corner (23 mins). The Hyde defence was now looking less than assured but the home side were still creating chances at the other end, with Obong badly slicing a shot onto the roof of the terrace behind the goal.

Poland and Thornley were both now looking lively and Poland won a corner, which he took, the ball having gone out of play off Hawtin. Sertori won the ball from the corner and laid it off to Thornley whose firm shot was well held by Acton (28 mins). After another stoppage for treatment to both Madin and Maddox, the next threat to goal came from Poland, who got up the left and his low cross rolled across the goalmouth without anyone being able to turn it in as Acton stayed on his line (31 mins). However, Alty maintained the pressure following a throw-in by Ryan which went via Maddox, Strange, Poland, Thornley and Swanick back to Strange. He floated home an excellent goal from 20 yards, although there was a deflection early in the ball's route to goal (33 mins). Strange was already having his most effective game to date in an Alty shirt and the goal rewarded his efforts.

Sertori picked up a caution for a foul in centre-field on Madin who, for the third time in the game, needed treatment (34 mins). Maddox and Poland then set Thornley in on goal inside the left of the Hyde penalty area but Rod's touch let him down and the ball ran to Acton to resolve a dangerous threat to the Hyde goal. Then, a fine pass from Swanick set Craney up for a firm shot which Acton saved well from 20 yards (36 mins).

Alty had been looking the better side at this stage but then Foster once again got free on the Hyde right and his well-hit shot produced an excellent save from Edginton, who dived to his left to tip the ball round the post for a corner, from which Nolan headed just wide (38 mins). Hyde now came back into the game but Alty had two more chances. Firstly Craney was tackled just as he was about to shoot and then, after Hawes had won the ball and Thornley had got past Ashwell, Strange's measured shot was well saved by Acton (43 mins). The half ended with sides deservedly level, Alty having improved after a slow start. Indeed, it could have been 3-3 rather than one apiece at this point.

At half-time Alty brought on Danny Murphy for his first league action since 5th March, following his hernia operation, the player withdrawn being Rowland, whose place in right midfield Danny took over. Since his operation Danny had only had a 20 minute run-out before this game, for the Reserves last Wednesday. Alty won an early corner (47 mins) from which Sertori headed Poland's kick over the bar. Then Madin got behind Sertori but shot well wide at the other end. Following a Ryan throw some 35 yards from goal on the Alty left, the ball came to Poland on the left flank and his excellent cross found Murphy in front of goal, who knocked the ball home from close range, possibly via a defender, to give Alty the lead (50 mins). Altrincham had little time to dwell on their lead before the referee gave a penalty for an offence in the Alty box that was far from clear. (Later, it emerged that the award was for an alleged foul by Swanick on Nolan).

Foster strode up and put the ball into the right of the goal after Edginton had moved to his own right side (52 mins). This was the turning point of the game as the goal lifted Hyde. Craney soon earned a lecture for a foul on Foster (58 mins) and after several earlier petty fouls, the Alty midfielder was lucky to escape a booking. The impressive Matty Taylor then got forward and, via Nolan, the ball came to Foster whose shot Edginton saved very well, tipping the ball round the post for a corner on the Hyde right (58 mins). From Joyce's corner, Crookes's shot deflected off Ryan over the terrace roof for a second corner. This came to nothing as Hawtin was penalised.

Hyde were now on top though Murphy showed he had lost none of his spring when he consistently won aerial balls on the right flank. However, Alty were now mainly clearing their lines with long balls rather than constructive movements. After a long throw from Ashwell had been punched out for a corner by Edginton, Ryan cleared Joyce's flag-kick. However, the ball ran to Crookes, some 22 yards out and his shot deflected quite markedly off a player in the crowded outer fringes of the box and diverted past a helpless Edginton for Hyde's third goal (63 mins). If the latter two of Hyde's goal had owed something to good fortune, their dominance of play at this stage had earned them their lead.

The Hyde back three were keeping Poland and Thornley quiet as they dealt with a fairly unimaginative stream of balls forward from Alty. At last, however, Alty won a corner, through Hawes's persistence on the right. From Poland's kick Murphy headed downwards and Acton gathered the ball comfortably. Hawes was then booked for scything down Foster (69 mins), with the victim needing the physio's treatment. A Thornley cross-shot won another Alty corner, which Poland overhit (71 mins). Ashwell was the next Hyde man needing treatment, after colliding with the perimeter advertising hoardings, before Craney curled a shot well wide (72 mins).

There was yet another stoppage for a Hyde injury before Obong hobbled off to be replaced by Yeo (73 mins). Matty Taylor then progressed up the left and got in a rising shot which Edginton tipped over for a Hyde corner. Taylor then had at least the sixth visit of the game from the busy Hyde physio (76 mins) before Hyde won two corners in quick succession. Altrincham were unable to hold possession for any length of time and the ball kept coming back into their half. The linesman then failed to raise his flag as three Hyde men looked clearly offside but a mis-control by one of them ended the danger for Altrincham. Alty now made a change, replacing Poland up front with Mario Daniel (81 mins)

Following a Swanick pass, Thornley was felled by Crookes. From Hawes's free-kick from 25 yards Sertori's header went wide (83 mins). A dreadful tackle by Foster on Swanick forced the Alty defender to leap up to avoid a leg injury and on coming back to earth, Swanick unavoidably caught the prostrate Foster, who writhed on the ground. Mr Caradine gave Alty the free-kick but unbelievably booked Swanick before adding Foster to his book, too (86 mins). After Craney had lost the ball, Foster went up the left with Yeo who crossed the ball, to the right to Madin, who beat a defender but then totally mis-hit his shot from a goal-scoring position (87 mins).

Alty pressed again but fouls on Hawes and Swanick saw off any danger to Hyde's goal. In the final seconds Brookes replaced Joyce for the Tigers before the game ended with Alty once more point-less. Altrincham continue to limp towards the end of the season and have now dropped to ninth.