Match Report

This fixture had been rearranged twice, from 8th December and 26th February but it was now Altrincham's last home Saturday match of the season and the first of their run-in of three games against the teams lying second and third in the table.

Alty clinched their first home win in nine attempts with a 21st minute strike direct from a free-kick by Barry Shuttleworth, followed by a first League goal for Mario Daniel (76 mins) who had come on as a substitute just three minutes earlier. In between, Worksop enjoyed a lot of possession but looked lightweight up front after losing Gavin Smith early on following a foul by Shuttleworth.

Altrincham made three personnel changes from their last game. Dave Swanick returned at right-back after suspension, whilst at left-back Barry Shuttleworth made a surprising return to continue his loan spell from Macclesfield Town after an absence of eight games. So, Vernum Rowland was displaced from the defence to the right of midfield, with Gary Scott continuing alongside Mark Sertori.

Neil Ryan played in an unaccustomed central midfield role, alongside Ian Craney. Kevin Hulme partnered Thornley up front. Long-term absentee, Paul Taylor, returned to the bench, having not got onto the field since the home draw with Bishop Auckland in February- the match which precipitated our recent poor run of games. The players displaced today were the injured Mark Maddox, and both Gareth Strange and Lee Thompson. Also missing was the suspended Steve Hawes and long-term invalid, Jason Gallagher. Worksop were without Chris Waddle, who is thought by some Worksop fans to be lined up to take over as manager of the side next season. Also missing from the Tigers' starting line up was Gary Townsend, who was on the bench, and the ex-Droylsden midfielder Carl Holmes.

Altrincham kicked off towards Golf Road on a sunny but breezy afternoon. Inside the first minute Gary Scott beat two opponents and fed Rod Thornley but keeper Holmshaw got to the ball just before the Alty striker. For Worksop, Gray soon shot narrowly over the bar but Coburn had the effort covered (4 mins). The Alty keeper took the resulting goal-kick, having been unable to do so through injury in recent games. With light drizzle now falling Barry Shuttleworth slid in late on Gavin Smith in centre-field, just inside the Worksop half (7 mins). The on-loan left back was lucky to escape with a talking-to but the victim was less fortunate.

After receiving lengthy treatment he limped off the pitch for further attention. At the third attempt, Mr Swarbrick allowed the resulting free-kick to be taken and this led to another free-kick to the visitors, in the right corner. Taken by Andy Smith, this came off Sertori for a corner on the Worksop left. This was cleared as the game went through an uninspiring few minutes. Gavin Smith limped back on after 12 minutes but was clearly not mobile. Rowland then beat Davis in a tackle and it took a fine tackle by Kotylo to save the day for Worksop. From a subsequent cross by Swanick, Hulme won Alty's first corner of the game, off Davis, on the Alty right. Ryan's kick found Murphy, then Sertori, but finally Shuttleworth played the ball back into the box from the Alty left and a stretching Thornley only just failed to make the necessary contact to score.

Gavin Smith now gave up the unequal struggle and gave way to Gary Townsend (16 mins). The game was fairly even at this stage as Swanick's excellent cross was moved on by Hulme for Murphy to win a corner (18 mins). Alty now began to enjoy a bit more possession and when Craney surged down the centre and was tripped on the edge of the box, Alty were awarded a free-kick within the "D" outside the penalty area. Barry Shuttleworth strode up and struck a curling ball left-footed into the right hand corner of the net (21 mins). This was the first goal for Altrincham for the on-loan full-back from Macclesfield Town.

Worksop were playing some neat passing football and one such move ended with Townsend curling a shot wide (23 mins). Ryan responded by slicing a shot narrowly off target at the other end (24 mins). Scott continued to have an excellent game at centre-back and he prompted a move via Shuttleworth and Thornley that set up Craney for a shot, after the midfielder had expertly beaten Kotylo (26 mins). Shuttleworth, too, was playing well on the left and, via Ryan and Craney, the ball came from him to Ryan, in the clear on the outer fringes of the box. Ryan's first shot was beaten out well by Holmshaw; his second attempt from the rebound hit a defender and his third was screwed wide of the keeper's left post (29 mins).

Alty were now looking good value for their lead. However, Worksop then won two corners in quick succession but these were cleared before the referee had words with Murphy and Bradshaw, the latter having felt that the Alty man had fouled him earlier. Ryan then set Thornley running at goal but the ball ran over the by line off the striker (34 mins). Thornley next made a fine run into the right of the box from a pass by Hulme. Rod's shot was saved by Holmshaw as Worksop looked a pale imitation of the side which had recently risen to third in the Division (36 mins). Alty soon threatened again when Craney did well to feed Thornley but his cross came off Bradshaw's head for a throw-in. Scott now fed Rowland, who mis-hit his shot to Holmshaw (38 mins). Once again, Altrincham were creating chances but not converting them, a habit which has cost them dear in recent weeks. However, after Murphy had lost possession and fouled Gray, Worksop won the first of two free-kicks in quick succession, From the second, Townsend put a left foot shot over the bar (39 mins). Murphy soon prompted Thornley to win a corner for Alty.

From this, taken on the left by Shuttleworth, Murphy headed home off the crossbar but he was rightly penalised for "climbing" and the goal did not stand (41 mins). Kotylo and Davis then combined for the latter to get in a low shot which Coburn held (43 mins). Worksop ended the half with a flowing passing move which finally foundered on a misplaced pass by Davis. Altrincham deserved their half-time lead but they had failed to maximize their advantage by scoring only once.

After an entertaining half-time match between St Hugh's and The Willows Primary Schools, refereed by Alty's Phil Taylor, the game resumed. Although Rowland won an early corner (47 mins), Worksop started the second half the better side. After Ryan's tackle had broken up an attack, Whitehead found himself free in the Alty box but Coburn beat out his effort and Swanick tidied up to clear the ball for a corner on the Tigers' right side (51 mins). Davis then got in a low shot at Coburn (53 mins) as Alty were now penned back in their own half. At last they got into the opposition box when Rowland sent Thornley running at Holmshaw but the Alty Coach, Graham Heathcote, told his side that they were being "sloppy" as, next, Carl Smith got in a cross which Coburn held. Then Swanick, Sertori, Craney and Ryan combined well to feed Rowland, who mis-kicked his shot badly wide (58 mins).

Worksop responded with a good move which ended when Ludlam fed Carl Smith and his volley produced a magnificent save from Coburn, to tip the ball over the bar (60 mins). Worksop continued to dominate possession until a punt from Coburn found Hulme on half-way and he flicked the ball on for Murphy who pulled what looked like a shot, from right to left across goal, where the incoming Hulme only just failed to get on the end of it, six yards or so from the net (63 mins). Altrincham belatedly began to apply some pressure and their next effort came when Thornley latched onto a fine ball from Shuttleworth before beating Davis but he then shot wide from 17 yards (67 mins).

Soon Worksop won a corner through Carl Smith's effort from Davis's feed. Altrincham went through several minutes of failing to clear their lines for any length of time but the visitors lacked the guile up front to create clear openings that might have punished the Robins. A good tackle by Rowland conceded a corner which Coburn caught from Andy Smith's flag kick before Alty took off Murphy, still coming back to fitness after his hernia operation. His replacement was Youth team striker Mario Daniel who slotted into an unaccustomed role on the left side of midfield. Nevertheless, within three minutes Mario had scored his first League goal for Altrincham, seizing on hesitancy in the Worksop defence when a long free-kick from deep in the Alty half on their right was allowed through to him to poke home from six yards (76 mins).

At this point Paul Taylor came on instead of Vernum Rowland. This meant that Scott moved to midfield as Taylor joined Sertori in central defence. It was Taylor's first appearance since the home draw with Bishop Auckland in February, since when his colleagues had won only two games out of fifteen. Hulme next got in a 20 yarder at Holmshaw before Worksop brought on March for the earlier substitute, Townsend (79 mins). Scott had to concede a corner by heading over his own bar after a move up Worksop's right but this was cleared. Then Lee Poland came on, yet again. as a substitute for Alty, replacing Barry Shuttleworth (82 mins). The next action saw Coburn make a good save from Kotylo, after a pass from Whitehead (83 mins). As Worksop continued to press Daniel was forced into some good defensive action on his own by-line but as the "2 minutes to go" board was displayed Worksop's passes were not producing goalscoring chances. As the game entered the last minute Craney, Thornley and Poland combined well but as Craney was about to enter the box he was pushed over without winning a free-kick. From this loss of possession, Gray fed Whitehead, who found himself unmarked with only Coburn to beat. The Worksop captain shot comfortably wide of the Keeper's right post to underline his side's bad day (90 mins).

This was Alty's first home win since 16th February in their ninth game at Moss Lane since then. Gary Scott was quite rightly named Man of the Match in a match witnessed by Alty's best home crowd since the Bishop Auckland game which triggered our recent loss of form. Worksop were disappointing for a side lying third in the table and they became one of the few sides beaten twice in the League by the Robins this season (Colwyn Bay, Gateshead, Blyth being the only others). Altrincham deserved the three points and had they taken their first half chances could have won more clearly. The defence kept its first home clean sheet in ten attempts and hopefully now the season can be ended on an upbeat note, though having to play their last two fixtures of the season against second-placed Vauxhall will not be easy!