REFEREE: Mr A.N. Budenberg

After a reasonably entertaining first half, the game improved in the second half with Mark Ward bringing himself into the action. City's Cooke played well throughout and took his goal well, whilst Altrincham's Furlong had another bustling game and his second-half striking partner, Leroy Chambers again signalled a return to form with several well-timed runs. Kevin Ellison had one or two good runs but a couple of poor shots from good positions may not have enhanced his chances of being signed by City.

Altrincham played Power and Furlong up-front but the combination did not really gel. Rumours that George Weah would play for City proved to be unfounded, although a small crowd gathered outside the Robins' Retreat chip-shop before the match, believing that they had sighted the former World Player of the Year on the premises! City's side did include Terry Cooke, as well as Jim Whitley, Gary Mason and Leon Mike.

Chris Shuker, who played alongside Kevin Ellison in his trial match for City against Port Vale Reserves last season was also in the team. Coincidentally, Port Vale manager Brian Horton was in the stands as was Joe Royle, who moved down to the bench alongside Asa Hartford and Alex Stepney during the first half.

After Altrincham had kicked off towards the Golf Road end, it was City who had the best early chance when, in the second minute, Leon Mike contrived to put Etuhu's cross over the bar from five yards, after the full-back had beaten Kevin Ellison. A minute later, Stuart Coburn had to make an important save at the second attempt after Dunfield and Mike had combined well. At the other end, Carl Furlong was showing some early aggression as he turned well under pressure and then Kevin Ellison was upended by Etuhu outside the box, but Quinn's free-kick was too high for everyone (5 mins).

City won a number of early corners, one arising from a curled free-kick by Cooke which Turkington headed out of play. Altrincham's best early chance came after ten minutes when a fine run down the right by Quinn resulted in a cross which Furlong nodded on to Ellison in the left-centre of the box. Although he steadied himself, Kevin hit his shot well over the bar. Cooke was kept busy with two corners and a free-kick to take inside two minutes but Altrincham defended these without undue alarm. Shaun Goodwin showed a few good touches in midfield, as the rain started, but he was also guilty of giving the ball away once or twice.

After one such lapse, a stream of invective issued from a frustrated Kevin Ellison. However, the tall wing-man was himself at fault moments later when after a fine, surging run from Carl Furlong had set him up, Ellison elected to side-foot his shot straight at McKinney rather than hit it more forcefully (21 mins). Cooke was similarly wasteful of a Dunfield pass at the other end, striking the ball well over the crossbar before a close-range shot by Mason was saved by Coburn. For Altrincham, Phil Power had a quiet game and with Danny Adams limping and treatment being needed for Furlong, the home side went through a quiet patch as the half-hour approached.

Mike wasted a good chance for the visitors when after a flowing City move he headed over from close range. As the rain intensified, the game tailed off in quality. This was epitomised when, after Furlong had won a free-kick, Ellison curled the ball comfortably wide of the net from the set-piece (37 mins). Cooke did even worse a minute later after Mike had played him in to a fine position ten yards out; the City man sliced well wide of Coburn's goal.

After Coburn had raced out of his goal to beat Shuker to a through ball, Altrincham won a corner which led to an uncharacteristically delicate left-foot dab from Gary Talbot, near the edge of the box, which went narrowly over the bar. As the half drew to a close, the lively Furlong was rightly penalised for a late tackle.