Match Report

Altrincham warm up before the match: L to R- Daniel, Thomas, Landon, Talbot, Porter, Farley, Murphy, Scheuber, Scott, Hay, Craney, Glendenning, Hawes.

SUMMARY

A terrible opening ten minutes saw Altrincham fall two goals behind and they never really recovered from this double setback. A goal scored only some forty seconds after the start of the match, by Lee Ellington, was followed by an own goal from Gary Talbot after nine minutes. Both efforts resulted from lost possession in midfield. Although Altrincham improved to some extent in the second half, they were still rather out of sorts.

When Gary Scott's well-taken headed goal five minutes from the end was ruled out, it was clear that this was not to be Altrincham's afternoon. With three youngsters on the bench, all of whom had to be used, and with more injuries collected today, Mark Ward has plenty to think about for his team selection for next Saturday's League match at Bishop Auckland, 3-0 winners today at Droylsden.

Jason Gallagher was unavailable through injury and Kevin Ellison remains sidelined with ligament trouble. Carl Furlong is presumably still injured, whilst Mark Ward, Mark Maddox and Eddie Turkington still lack match practice following their injuries. Barry Crowe remains the forgotten man of Moss Lane while Phil Power also sat out this match. Stu Scheuber came in for Gallagher, whilst James Glendenning was restored to the bench following his suspension. He was joined by 17 year-old Otis Thomas and 16 year-old Mario Daniel, both of whom had yet to make a League appearance. Otis and Mario had earned their chances through strong performances at Youth level. Phil Power and transfer-listed Leroy Chambers joined Turkington and Crowe in the stand. It was no surprise for Alty fans that Shaun Goodwin was missing from Gainsborough's team. However, ex-Alty players Ally Pickering and Lee Ellington did play.

The quickest goal at Moss Lane this season saw Gainsborough take the lead well inside the first minute, even though it had been Altrincham who had kicked off, towards Golf Road. From the kick-off the ball had come to Porter, who played it inside to Ian Craney. The midfielder mis-directed an attempted pass allowing Holmes to gain possession just inside the Altrincham half. Holmes got the ball to Lee Ellington, who raced in from the left side of goal and beat the defenceless Stuart Coburn skilfully, from about 12 yards, to give Gainsborough the lead (1 min). To their credit the stunned Altrincham side did respond and Craney made some amends by playing Porter's ball forward where it eventually reached Hawes, who got it to Hay on the left. His low cross gained a sadly unproductive corner (5 mins). Danny Murphy was next to try his luck, stepping inside his man on the left wing and shooting firmly at Curry who saved at full stretch (6 mins). Gainsborough's reply was a long ball for Ellington, which Coburn reached first and booted over the main stand. Good work by Farley in winning possession from Ellington allowed him to feed Hay, on the right wing. Hay's cross found Scheuber whose shot was blocked at source and the ball went narrowly wide of goal for a corner on the right (7 mins). However, Mr Margetson blew his whistle before Porter's corner-kick reached the ground and awarded a free-kick to the visitors. John Reed then committed a bad tackle on Murphy, from behind and was rightly booked (8 mins).

Although Curry dropped Porter's resulting cross the ball was eventually got away. However, Altrincham regained possession only for Craney to lose it in midfield. Newton and Ellington broke away and when Newton crossed low, from the right, Gary Talbot, running back, turned it firmly into his own net as he attempted to clear (9 mins). Silence momentarily descended on the Altrincham fans as they remembered the equally disastrous start at Accrington earlier this season. This was the Altrincham captain's second own-goal in the last four league games.

Almost immediately it was Porter's turn to lose the ball but Holmes's cross from Newton's pass was cleared (11 mins). However, Hawes engineered a shot for Scott but it was easy meat for Curry. As Altrincham tried to go forward, Gainsborough were still threatening, with first Farley and then Coburn having to tidy up danger (13 mins). Following a foul on Hawes in Altrincham's half, the ball came to Murphy, on the left, via Farley and Scheuber, but the ex-Mossley man was repulsed. However, Hawes and Scott soon contrived a cross into the Gainsborough penalty area but again the danger was seen off. The lively Ellington and Newton next combined with Holmes but their move ended with a poor cross (16 mins).

For Alty, even Steve Hawes was below par and his loss of possession needed timely intervention at the back from Talbot to see off Drayton. As Altrincham's forward movements continued to stutter, it was Farley who was the next defender required to stem Trinity (20 mins). Coburn then had to race out to head clear before a move between Pickering and Drayton won a corner for the visitors (21 mins). This came to nothing but Pickering and the prominent Reed soon got together with Holmes before Craney regained home possession. Eventually Altrincham put together a worthwhile move when Hay turned and shot after receiving a ball from Porter (23 mins). The keeper made a good save. However, Porter was soon in action at the other end, cutting off Ellington, but conceding a corner. Coburn caught Reed's kick but Alty yet again lost possession, allowing Drayton to get in a header, wide of the target after Holmes had dispossessed Scott and moved the ball on to Ellington. (24 mins).

Danny Murphy, who had looked in discomfort since early in the game, made way for young Mario Daniel after 25 mins. Mario, only 16 years old, is a Manchester lad who has impressed in George Heslop's Altrincham Youth side and he now slotted into midfield. However, the pattern of play continued as Drayton got ahead of Porter in the air and once more Stuart Coburn had to race from goal to kick clear. However, Trinity were soon back at Stuart's door again and a fine shot by Ellington from the edge of the area rippled the side netting as the keeper remained motionless, having either judged the shot well or been taken by surprise by it (26 mins).

Alex Hay and Mario Daniel tried to combine at the Golf Road end but the ball came to Curry before Hay won a throw on the right. After a stoppage to allow Gore to leave the field for treatment to a head wound (28 mins). Scott, Scheuber and Craney united to get the ball into a position from which Scott could cross but the ball was just too high for the attackers. Once more, though, Gainsborough put Altrincham's pedestrian approach work in the shade with a break up the left wing which ended with a shot from 25 yards, which Coburn did well to tip over the bar (29 mins) for a corner on the Gainsborough left. For Alty, Landon flicked a ball forward for Hay, who gained possession well albeit with the help of an undetected push, but he then screwed his shot just wide of the keeper's left post from a difficult angle (30 mins).

Farley followed Gainsborough's example with a surging run forward and his pass to Scott was relayed to Hawes. Hawes's cross, not for the last time in this game, was hit too low, to Reed. Nevertheless, Altrincham were now showing some signs of life. Whilst Porter and Scott were probing the wings, there was a tendency to cross the ball too early without any attempt to get behind the defence or to the by-line. The resulting crosses were generally easily dealt with by the Gainsborough defence and goalkeeper.

Above: Mario Daniel comes on to the pitch.

The hearts of home fans missed a beat in the 34th minute when Coburn came out of his area, yet again of necessity, but this time completely missed his kick. Newton was left in possession close to goal but a fine saving tackle by Porter conceded a corner when a goal had seemed a distinct possibility. After a six-minute absence from the pitch, the aptly named Gore returned with his cut head now bandaged. Coburn caught Reed's corner but again Altrincham's forward momentum was ponderous, the move eventually ending, via a throw-in, with a cross from Farley held by Curry.

The visitors replied with a more incisive move, Ellington's overhit cross for Holmes resulting in a corner (38 mins). The subdued home crowd saw this cleared but soon another Gainsborough move was mounted on the Alty goal. This time off-side saved the day. Shortly after this, Hawes and Scott linked to feed Daniel, who got to the by-line, but his cross found no colleague present in the danger area. Drayton replied with a strong run at Altrincham which ended, however, with a weak shot (40 mins). The best that Altrincham could offer in the minutes before half-time was a Scott cross, which Curry took as Hay jumped for the ball (43 mins). Few Altrincham players emerged with much credit from a very disappointing first half performance which saw them trailing 0-2 to a team without an away win in the League so far this season.

Until a lengthy stoppage occurred (52 mins) for treatment to a Trinity player, Altrincham strung together several passing moves but these were as much lateral in direction as forward and ended in lost possession before any danger to the visitors' goal threatened. It was now also raining which made the already damp pitched that bit more difficult for the players. Scott, Hawes and Daniel combined in a more thrusting move which ended with the youngster's good cross from the right which span off a defender for a throw (53 mins). A Scott ball pumped into the box found Landon's head but the contact was too weak to trouble Curry from 15 yards. Daniel was also involved in a move which encompassed Scott and Farley before a foul on Hawes brought it to an end. Before the free-kick could be taken Watts replaced Newton for Gainsborough (55 mins). Once more, Hawes's kick was far too low in trajectory. However, he soon played a better ball to Scott, who once more sought Landon's head and once again Dickie's header was routine catching practice for

The substitute, Watts, was soon involved, seizing on lost Altrincham possession to set up a shot for Ellington which came off a defender for a corner on the right (58 mins). Although the corner was too long, Landon soon lost possession and this time Circuit fed Ellington who, on this occasion, only produced a weak shot from 25 yards. After yet another Altrincham move had died through loss of possession, this time by Farley, Allen got the ball to Watts who ran purposefully at goal but shot wide of the target (59 mins).

A stoppage then ensued for treatment to Ellington who was on the ground near Glendenning, though nothing untoward seemed to have happened between them. Watts was soon again making a mark, in combination with Ellington and Reed, the move ending with a fine save from Coburn in response to Drayton's shot (62 mins). Ellington, Circuit and Holmes then won a corner off Scott as the rain eased. By now, Altrincham were playing a 4-3-3 formation with Daniel pushed forward to assist Hay and Landon. Daniel soon delivered a hanging cross from the right from a ball by Scott. However, Landon headed over the bar. There was then yet another injury stoppage as both Steve Porter and his counterpart, Allen needed the physios. Allen had to leave the pitch, as play resumed with one of Altrincham's better moves. This ended with a Landon flick which Daniel chased but the youngster was eased off the ball inside the box, in slightly dubious fashion.

The limping Porter was soon replaced by Otis Thomas who, like Daniel, was making his League debut for the first team. He slotted into midfield as the team format became 3-4-3. Alty's woes continued as Hay lost the ball and Coburn made a meal of Holmes's deflected cross to concede a corner on the Trinity left (68 mins). Although this was cleared, Glendenning then made a bad mistake allowing Ellington to run through the middle at an unguarded Coburn. His shot may have been touched by Coburn but it still hit the inside of his left post before rebounding back across goal. The striker really should have made it 3-0 (71 mins). In response, the best that Altrincham could muster were two throw-ins before Glendenning had a poor shot from 25 yards which was weak and wide of the goal (72 mins). Another substantial injury stoppage for a Trinity player was required before Bassinder replaced Drayton (75 mins).

Coburn was soon in action again, rushing to catch a ball from Reed on the left edge of his area. However, as he slid out of the box, the keeper had to release the ball and after a heart-stopping movement there was relief as the Robins gained a goal-kick. Coburn was soon acting as sweeper again, this time dribbling the ball round a Gainsborough man outside his area. Eventually Altrincham moved forward but after Scott, Landon and Hay had worked the ball forward, Allen fouled Hay. Circuit's protests brought him a booking for dissent (78 mins).

Landon again took the free-kick, some 25 yards or more from goal. Unlike his 46th-minute effort this one caused Curry no trouble as it rose firmly but inexorably over his cross-bar (79 mins). Bassinder then dispossessed Thomas but after the ball had reached Holmes, the Trinity man was soon checked. A Trinity move up the right, soon afterwards, let in Ellington for a good shot from 15 yards which was narrowly wide of Coburn's right post. Altrincham's desperation was clear when, following a very wide shot from Bassinder, Alty won a throw. Coburn raced to the touchline, some fifteen yards from his goal line and took the throw himself. At last, however, Alty won a corner through Daniel (81 mins).

Hawes's kick was very poor; yet again, far too low and flat. Torrential rain was now lashing the pitch as Hay and Landon engaged in some head-tennis before Gary Scott got involved. A cross into the box saw Landon challenge Curry and the ball come, in the air, to Scott, some fifteen yards from goal. The full-back sent a well flighted header into the unguarded net but the referee disallowed the effort for a foul on Curry (84 mins). This underlined that it was not to be Altrincham's day. Scott and Hay were conspicuous in further efforts to mount attacks in the closing minutes but Curry caught a Hawes cross (88 mins) to stifle any danger of a late come-back. However, it was Bassinder who got in the best shot of the closing stages with a firm effort at Coburn, following good work by Watts. Altrincham's last effort was the result of Hay beating his man but sending a rising left-foot shot over the bar (90 mins).

Whether by accident or design, no Man of the Match award was announced; it would have been a difficult decision to make as few players did themselves justice. Perhaps Adam Farley or Gary Scott would have been names to consider, alongside that of Stuart Coburn, who had to rush out to make interceptions more times than he would have wished to do. Youngsters Daniel and Thomas would have hoped for a happier context for their League debuts but neither let the side down. The injuries to Murphy and Porter compounded Altrincham's woe as Gainsborough deservedly made off with their first three-point haul from an away match this season and lengthened their winning streak to five games under caretaker boss, Phil Tingay.

The attendance was also disappointingly low and will have done little to ease the Club's financial plight, which was outlined to fans at a pre-match Supporters' Association meeting. (There will be a report of this meeting on this site tomorrow). However, there are still 78 League points to play for and if Mark Ward can find an effective blend of his promising young talent and a few wise, older heads, this result may be viewed as an unfortunate blip by the end of the season. Mark has stated that the Unibond Cup match against Ashton on Tuesday will be used to give a run out to returning injured players such as Maddox, Turkington and Ward himself but it is still to be hoped that Porter's and Murphy's knocks are not too serious.

At the time of writing, it is unclear whether Talbot was removed at half-time because he was injured or not. Altrincham remain second but Stalybridge are now just one point behind, with four games in hand.