Match Report

Above: Mark Ward turns after scoring the last-minute penalty.

Altrincham put their supporters through the mill before securing a 3-2 win in the final minute against a formidable Gateshead side. The home-side had started well and won a succession of corners in the opening minutes before taking the lead through Kevin Ellison (12 mins). However, they allowed the visitors back into the match with an equaliser before half-time and then went behind after 58 minutes. The Robins went through a mediocre patch after this as Gateshead threatened on the break. However, the impressive debutant, Mark Quayle scored a fine equaliser twelve minutes from time before a goal-line handball prevented a certain Altrincham winner in the last minute as Altrincham dominated the final stages. Mark Ward coolly scored from the spot following the dismissal of Scaife for the penalty offence and before the restart Paul Dalton was also dismissed, having allegedly cuffed Stuart Quinn. Altrincham go fourth in the table behind Emley and Whitby who each won 3-1 away at Barrow and Droylsden respectively. They are also behind Accrington Stanley, whom Altrincham visit next Tuesday, who won 2-0 at Leek Town.

Altrincham came into this match off a run of four consecutive defeats in friendlies against higher-grade opposition and the starting line-up had an unfamiliar look following the omission of Danny Adams, Carl Furlong and Phil Power, as well as the expected absences, through injury of Leroy Chambers and through suspension of Steve Hawes and Mark Maddox. New signing Mark Quayle started alongside Dickie Landon up-front. Adam Farley came in for Danny Adams at left-back. Danny is currently the subject of a bid from Macclesfield Town; however their initial offer of a staged payment of £20,000 has been turned down, as Mark Ward is demanding £25,000. Gateshead were without the injured Thompson but played their close-season signing, Wayne Edgecumbe, from Blyth Spartans.

Altrincham, in their new home strip, defended the Golf Road end as Gateshead kicked off in bright sunshine. Stuart Coburn saw plenty of the ball as three times in the opening ninety seconds long balls from Gateshead found his hands. A free-kick, given for a foul on Landon, led to Stuart Quinn getting in a strong cross shot which keeper Swan fumbled out for a corner (3 mins). then, following a good interception by Ellison, new boy Mark Quayle played in Dickie Landon whose shot on the volley from 15 yards was screwed wide. At the other end, the tall Scaife's speculative long shot reached Coburn but never threatened to beat him. Quayle showed more good touches as he held off two challenges before getting in a fine shot which Swan tipped out for a corner.

Landon firmly met Quinn's well-directed corner but the keeper again kept the ball out at the cost of a corner. This time Talbot tried to get on the end of the corner but yet another corner resulted off Swan (7 mins). Talbot showed further attacking prowess when he turned well in the Gateshead box to get onto a ball from Farley but the Altrincham captain could only hook the ball over the crossbar (9 mins). Gateshead responded with two successive crosses in the Altrincham box, the second of which Coburn held at the second attempt.

Quinn was back on corner-taking duty again in the tenth minute but Landon's shot was blocked, the ball falling to Mark Ward who shot well wide (11 mins). Then a Coburn clearance found Quayle whose first-time control of the ball was impressive. He fed Landon who, in turn, played the ball back into the path of Kevin Ellison whose firm, low shot from 20 yards found the left-hand corner of Swan's net to put the home-side into a deserved lead (12 mins).

Unfortunately, rather than spurring Altrincham to double their lead, the home team went off the boil after this goal. However, when Quayle chased a 50-50 ball and caught keeper Swan, the Gateshead man was lucky to stay on the pitch after pushing Quayle to the ground. The referee diplomatically booked both men (16 mins). Shortly afterwards, the strikingly blond Bowey, who was the pick of the Gateshead side, tried a lob from 25 yards but his effort cleared the bar. Eddie Turkington then earned his wages with a fine tackle after Ellison had lost possession and Bowey, Proudlock and Edgecumbe had combined to threaten the home goal (20 mins).

Coburn then held Dalton's corner after Bowey had forced a corner off Gary Talbot. Play was fairly scrappy through the mid-part of the first half, with even Mark Ward losing possession on more than one occasion. Things got worst for the player-manager when he crudely tackled Nicky Scaife and then feigned not to see the referee beckoning him over for a talking-to. Predictably, Ward was booked either for the foul, for his non-cooperation, or both (28 mins). Scaife's short free-kick to Dalton led to a blocked shot and a corner to Gateshead, which was swiftly followed by another corner given away by Landon which Coburn half-cleared with a punch under pressure. A third corner followed as Altrincham were forced on to the back-foot. Up-front, Ellison was not receiving his customary service from the back and Landon was unable to impose himself. Following fouls in quick succession on Ward and Ellison, Altrincham won a free-kick but all that ensued was a throw-in on the right (32 mins). In what was to be a forerunner of Gateshead's equaliser, Jason Gallagher slipped but, this time, recovered to block a Gateshead attack.

However, following a foul on Landon, Mark Quayle made a superb run down the right and crossed for Richard Landon but Swan saved the day for Gateshead. Scheuber then made a surging run past two defenders but had to check back and his pass to Quayle resulted in a shot across goal (36 mins). Just as Altrincham appeared to be increasing the pressure, a break down the left-centre saw Jason Gallagher barged over as he ran back to cover and the ball fell invitingly to Dalton whose low shot beat Coburn from fifteen yards (36 mins). Referee Swarbrick judged the challenge on the right-back to have been fair and allowed the goal to stand. Scheuber and Quinn then, simultaneously, needed treatment before Quinn got up to foul Bowey. The Altrincham wing-man joined his captain in the referee's book (39 mins). Although the resulting free-kick was cleared, Kevin Ellison then gave away possession. Watson, Dalton and Edgecumbe combined but the last-named's shot, which beat Coburn, fortunately came back off the inside of the Altrincham keeper's left-hand post and was eventually cleared for a corner (40 mins).

Quayle soon had a chance on the left but he shot weakly at Swan. This preceded a number of errors as Altrincham had trouble producing any flowing movements. However, Gateshead themselves were limited to a high, long-range effort from Dalton (43 mins). Centre-back Tony Hall was then quite rightly booked after crudely fouling Ellison as the Altrincham player went by him. The Gateshead man used the traditional tactic of the guilty defender by feigning injury but the referee waited until his recovery before adding his name to his book (44 mins). Altrincham went off to their half-time break knowing that they had allowed their initial impetus to be wasted and that but for the width of a post, they would have been in deeper trouble.

Minutes later, Gateshead advanced down the left and, as the Altrincham defence parted, Bowey played in Edgecumbe who smashed the ball high past Coburn to give Gateshead the lead (58 mins). Altrincham responded immediately with Scheuber feeding Quayle, who beat the keeper to the ball, but had to turn sharply to get his shot in. Unfortunately he put it over the bar (59 mins). Moments later Scheuber again strode through the middle and passed to Quayle but this time the front-man's shot was tentative, although it gained a corner off Swan (60 mins). The impressive debutant also got on the end of Quinn's corner-kick but could only knock the ball over the bar.

Altrincham then replaced Landon with Shaun Goodwin (61 mins), and Kevin Ellison moved up to partner Quayle, as the sub slotted into the left-centre of midfield. Scheuber continued to impress before a free-kick by Ellison, awarded thirty yards out on the right, curled narrowly wide of the Gateshead goal. Adam Farley now began to press forward on the left as Altrincham improved their game. Scheuber shot past the post before he was given a second opportunity when Quayle adeptly changed feet in the box and set him up for a shot which went weakly wide. This move precipitated a set-to amongst the Gateshead players with Proudlock, Bowey and Hall all involved. The referee then spoke to Preen for an elbow on Talbot (69 mins).

Ellison played in Quayle, then Quinn, but the number seven's cross just evaded Ellison. A break by Dalton, down the middle, ended in a sliced shot high over the bar (72 mins) as Altrincham's revival stuttered. Scaife then went through the middle of the Altrincham defence but shot weakly wide. A move by Farley and Goodwin ended with Ellison to hit a strong rising shot from the edge of the box, which cleared the bar. However, the home team then had a slice of luck when a ball down the right from Gallagher was missed by Ellison but also evaded the Gateshead defence and fell to Quayle in the inside-right channel. Although he might have been off-side, Quayle advanced into the box and from the right-side of the goal shot firmly and coolly past Swan from six yards for the equaliser (78 mins).

Altrincham now pressed strongly, with Jason Gallagher asserting himself down the right. On the other wing, Farley and Goodwin combined to set up a cross which skimmed off Quinn's head and wide of goal (84 mins). As Scheuber, then Ward lost possession, Gary Talbot swept up effectively at the back, though Dalton did get in a good looping header which narrowly cleared the bar with Coburn watchfully beneath it. A fine ball from Bowey split the defence and Coburn rushed out to head clear.

However his header was not good and Gateshead knocked the ball back past him only for Turkington to clear, with some ease, as the ball headed towards goal (87 mins). Scheuber's fine ball set up Quayle on the left and his curling shot from 15 yards was well held by Swan as Altrincham strove for the winner. Ward then produced the pass of the game, a 45-yarder through to Quayle who controlled it well but shot over the bar (89 mins) as Altrincham's last chance seemed to have gone begging. Ward then passed to Quinn whose fine run down the right won a last-minute corner.

From the well-taken corner by Quinn, there was a melee which seemed to involve Talbot and Scheuber and with the ball heading into the net, Scaife appeared to handle the ball to prevent a goal. As Scheuber received treatment, the referee showed Proudlock the red card, presumably for protesting and awarded a penalty for the handball. Mark Ward stepped forward and beat Swan comprehensively (90 mins). Before the match could restart, the referee went over to Paul Dalton and sent him off too, for what was allegedly a punch at Quinn. Almost immediately after the restart the referee blew for full-time as Kevin Ellison was announced as Man of the Match. Another candidate for this award was Mark Quayle who looked dangerous up-front throughout the game; a combination of Quayle with Carl Furlong would be very promising.

Whilst Altrincham left it very late to gain this victory, their play in the opening and closing twenty minutes justified their victory. The many changes to the team occasioned by suspension, injury and other factors meant that for periods the team did not function well as a unit. The performance of Quayle, in particular, was a bonus, whilst at the back Farley and Gallagher finally began to get forward in the closing stages to prompt Altrincham's recovery. After a number of goalless games, the three goals came as a welcome relief.