Match Report

BACKGROUND

After last week's encouraging win over Droylsden, Altrincham fans were anxious to see the effect on the team of Mark Ward's replacement by Bernard Taylor and Graham Heathcote. Accrington for their part had not won in their last four league games.

Altrincham played some good football, particularly in the first half, buoyed up by a goal after only 47 seconds and a second after 13 minutes. A third came just before the interval as Accrington posed little threat to Coburn's end. However, a double substitution at half-time, followed by the player-manager's appearance on the pitch saw Accrington enjoy a little more of the game, without looking too dangerous until Edwards was adjudged to have conceded a penalty after 68 minutes. This was converted and then Coleman pulled another one back nine minutes from the end.

However, Altrincham scored two goals in the last minute to restore a more accurate margin to the scoreline. With "Free Kids" vouchers and also free entry for adults accompanying children, it was to be hoped that an entertaining match would be served up to encourage repeated visits by newcomers to Moss Lane. Seven goals, including two penalties, should help towards this end.

This was Bernard Taylor and Graham Heathcote's first first-team selection since the sacking of Mark Ward, though they did signal continuity with their use of most of Mark Ward's first eleven in Wednesday last's Reserves' match. In fact, apart from the enforced absence of the suspended Maddox, only Stuart Scheuber was omitted from the last team selected by Mark Ward, Keith Mairs being preferred as the midfield substitute. This was the first league or cup match in which Scheuber did not play; he had made 45 consecutive appearances this season.

The unexpected face in the squad was Dickie Landon, although he had been sighted at Moss Lane before last Wednesday's reserves' match, having left Vauxhall Motors after just two games there. Despite newspaper reports to the contrary, Rod Thornley was fit to play. As for Accrington, Steve Hollis was also fit to play after injury whilst Paul Mullin was free of work commitments and able to play, too. However, Jay Flannery was suspended, so the captain's mantle passed to Hollis. Assistant manager Jimmy Bell started the game, but manager John Coleman named himself only as a substitute.

Altrincham kicked off towards the Golf Road end and it took them just 47 seconds to open the scoring thanks to a misplaced pass which went to Thornley outside the Stanley penalty area, slightly to the right of goal. He finished well and celebrated with an exuberant cartwheel, just seconds before his brother, Ben, the former Manchester United player entered through the Hale End turnstiles. The first half was to be punctuated by regular free-kicks and, from one of the earliest, Accrington had a promising opportunity, just outside the Altrincham area in a central position but Hollis drove the ball into the defensive wall (3 mins). Gallagher was then tripped as he careered across the half-way line to give the hosts a free-kick. Only a throw resulted before Murphy fouled Burns prompting the award of another free-kick.

Altrincham should have doubled their lead when a 75 yard punt from Coburn was well controlled by Thornley, who fed Hawes, whose excellent cross found an unmarked Finney bang in front of goal. The striker lifted his shot over the goal to waste a great opportunity (6 mins). Carden's hooked shot over Coburn was the nearest that Stanley came to a meaningful shot in the early stages but Stanley were causing some discomfort to the unfamiliar partnership of Bowker and Farley at the centre of the Altrincham defence with balls pumped into the box in the air (7 mins). A Hawes free-kick for an offence against Murphy found Edwards but his feed for Finney ended with the ex-Chester man again lifting the ball over the bar, this time from 15 yards (11 mins).

A Stanley corner from the left by Carragher, who had a good game for the visitors, was cleared. Murphy next launched an attack, moving forward from his own half. He got the ball to Thornley whose fine cross, from the right, reached Finney. This time, under pressure from a defender, Finney finished neatly from close range at the back post to double the Altrincham lead (13 mins). Just as in the game at the Crown ground back in August, the goals were arriving early. Altrincham were now well on top and a nice, curling ball into the area from Porter reached Thornley, via Murphy, but Rod's header went narrowly wide (16 mins). After a stoppage for a head injury to Coburn caused by an illegal challenge in the air, the irrepressible Thornley went close once more.

This time, his left-foot dipper went narrowly over the bar, from a feed by Edwards (19 mins). After a foul on Murphy gave Altrincham another free-kick, Craney was next to try his luck, his long-range effort going over the bar (22 mins). Murphy then needed treatment as the game's flow was interrupted repeatedly by stoppages for fouls and injuries though these breaks could not disguise Alty's dominance. Sustained home pressure next culminated in a header at Speare from Finney but the forward had pushed a defender and was penalised rightly. Next Thornley started and finished a move, the last element of which was a diving, low header which went narrowly wide on the half-hour mark.

Ian Craney then launched a curving shot at Speare which the keeper saved comfortably before a foul by Porter on Bell gave Stanley some respite. Burns's free-kick from the left found a Stanley head but Coburn saved well at the expense of a throw. A Thornley foul on Williams in the centre circle gave the visitors another free-kick but this came off Smith to Coburn (35 mins). Soon, Hawes was feeding Murphy at the other end but although Murphy got past a defender his chipped shot was too high (37 mins). After a free-kick for a foul on Craney came to nothing, Accrington caused undue confusion in the Altrincham defence from a throw-in. The ball went off Gallagher for a corner. Coburn was obstructed as Carragher's flag-kick came in and yet another free-kick was awarded.

Stanley did then put together a good passing movement before Murphy gained control of the ball. The half-cleared ball came back in from Stanley and first Craney, then Bowker, tried to stop the advance of Carden, the latter's challenge earning Stanley a free-kick. The kick came off the Altrincham wall for a corner, which in turn led to a throw off Bowker. Stanley were now having their best period so far and a Ceraolo header was the result of their next move, but Coburn fielded it with ease. Paul Edwards was not seeing much of the ball but from Coburn's 40 yard throw-out, he nipped past a defender on the half-way line on the left flank. A second defender got in a tackle on Edwards as he advanced, to give Altrincham a throw, some 20 yards from goal. Finney's prompt throw was well worked between Thornley, Hawes and Craney before it came back to Thornley to finish neatly inside the box (42 mins). Before the interval, there was time for Accrington to win a corner off Porter's head but this only led to a goal-kick for Coburn. The half ended with Altrincham enjoying the rare luxury of a three-goal lead against a disappointing Stanley side who seemed to have lost the bite up front which they had shown in our previous encounter this season.

Accrington made a double swap at half-time, Burns and Bell departing in favour of Robertson and Baxter. With the cushion of a comfortable lead, Altrincham took some time to wake up in the second half and produced some sloppy play in the opening minutes of the half. Ian Craney. however, was much in evidence in midfield. Altrincham's first meaningful shot was a neat volley from Thornley from a Hawes cross (50 mins). Ceraolo then threatened Coburn's goal but the keeper's parried save was cleared only for Baxter to shoot well from 25 yards, but straight at the keeper (50 mins). Porter was then fouled from behind but Mr Coffey showed great leniency throughout, though to be fair this was never a dirty game.

From the free-kick Hawes got in a good low shot which Speare did well to palm round the post for a corner on the left. Murphy met the corner but his header hit Finney who was standing nearly on the line with a defender behind him (52 mins). Altrincham were by now looking lively again and Gallagher was the next to threaten, racing up the right, only to be blocked by Baxter as he shaped to cross. A good tackle by Edwards on Carragher halted an Accrington move. Edwards was seeing a little more of the ball in this half but when Thornley tried to set him free, he was obstructed by Williams, the till-now lenient referee booked Hollis, presumably for dissent. Craney's free-kick was well met by Murphy but he directed his firm header wide of goal (56 mins).

The best that Stanley could offer was Mullin's trundled shot at Coburn from a Carden pass before Gary Scott came on to replace Murphy who seemed to be troubled by a knock (59 mins). Scott was immediately into the action, taking the throw-in for which play had been stopped, from which he won a corner (60 mins). The impressive Carragher had Accrington's best shot of the game, so far, getting round Farley but Coburn saved well with his body (62 mins). Baxter, Carden and Carragher then combined for the latter to shoot well over with his left foot. Manager John Coleman then made his last throw of the dice, bringing himself on to replace Ceraolo up front (65 mins).

Almost immediately his team's luck changed. A ball into the Alty box found Mullin who was well to the left of goal and pursued by Edwards. The Altrincham man lunged in at the Stanley striker and, though he got the ball, his challenge was sufficiently clumsy to convince the referee to award a penalty, the 13th conceded by Altrincham in all competitions since October. Carden stepped up and knocked the ball into the centre of the net after Coburn had committed himself with a dive (68 mins). Stanley's next threat came when Farley unnecessarily conceded a corner with a header (73 mins) but Carragher's kick was easily held by Coburn. Altrincham seemed to be cruising to a comfortable win once more when Edwards's fine cross skidded off Thornley's head (76 mins) in front of goal. Cheers went up as Dickie Landon came on to replace Finney (78 mins). This is Dickie's third spell at the club this season, after a loan period at Droylsden and his recent release to Vauxhall Motors.

John Coleman was beginning to show some of his old skills and it was he who was tripped on the edge of the Alty box after a pass from Robertson; Hawes was the offender. Coburn lined up his wall as Coleman clearly shaped to aim for the far corner, to the keeper's left. However, Coburn remained rooted to the spot as Coleman put the ball in precisely that spot to set up a potentially nerve-racking closing period (81 mins). 3-2 was not a fair reflection of the game, which Altrincham should have had wrapped up by this time. Ian Craney was announced as Man of the Match with still some seven minutes to go. Thornley was next hacked down from behind from a ball played to him by Scott from Landon; no booking ensued for a crude offence (84 mins).

Another foul, on Edwards, soon followed but Landon could not get at the free-kick aimed towards him. An 80 yard punt by Speare was met by Coleman on the volley and his low shot went too close to Coburn's goal for complete comfort. Craney, in particular continued to prompt Altrincham forward but Accrington threatened again when a throw-in was again allowed to bounce across the front of the Altrincham goal. In the melee to clear the ball, Scott was injured and a free-kick given to the hosts (87 mins). After a good move involving Gallagher, Hawes and Landon, Craney's 20-yarder was well tipped over the bar by Speare (88 mins). The resulting corner was scrambled clear but Farley picked up the loose ball some 25 yards from goal in a position just left of centre. He set off forward, leaving defenders in his wake but then mis-hit his shot from 12 yards but nevertheless succeeded in finding the right-hand corner of Speare's net for his first ever goal for the Club.

He was promptly submerged in a heap of his colleagues (89 mins). But, the match was not yet over. Thornley attempted to dribble into the box but was clearly brought down by Williams. Dickie Landon placed the ball on the spot but then very sportingly gave way to Thornley, to allow him a chance of a hat-trick. Thornley struck the ball just past Speare's hand as the keeper dived to his right, to restore Altrincham's three-goal advantage. With four goals in two starts, Thornley is proving a magnificent acquisition; mobile, hard-working and a good finisher.

This was as good a start to their resumed partnership as Bernard Taylor and Graham Heathcote could have wished. Thornley and Finney played well up front, whilst Murphy was also effective but Paul Edwards had a quiet game. Bowker and Farley had some uneasy moments early on but the defence as a whole was relatively sound. Craney and Hawes worked hard in midfield whilst Porter was increasingly involved in the taking of free-kicks and corners. Accrington were generally disappointing and would have been flattered by a scoreline shorn of the two last-minute goals for Altrincham.