Match Report

BACKGROUND

Since these sides met earlier this season, Runcorn have seen some improved results under Liam Watson's managership, whilst Altrincham have drifted off the pace at the top of the table.

Altrincham deservedly won an entertaining game but still slipped a place after Barrow overtook them on goal difference. Rod Thornley scored his 6th goal in 6 league starts following a lovely interchange with Craney (20 mins). Somewhat against the run of play McAllister equalised well when he and McNally carved a hole through the Altrincham defence (31 mins). The winner came from a poor corner by Craney which fortuitously came to Maddox, who prodded it on to Bowker and the young defender scored his first goal for Altrincham (79 mins). Paul Edwards was chosen again as Man of the Match. After two recent different but nevertheless physical encounters at Colwyn Bay and Emley, it was a relief to witness a game with barely a signifcant foul from beginning to end.

Steve Porter had recovered from injury to return at left-back, whilst Gary Scott and Adam Farley were relegated to the bench. Dickie Landon replaced Steve Finney up front and Danny Murphy started his first game in three after injury.

The game was preceded by an impeccably-observed minute's silence for 22 year-old Altrincham supporter, Gareth Newhall, who died recently from cancer. The teams changed ends, with the gusty wind blowing behind Altrincham as they defended the Golf Road end. Robinson, who went on to have a fine game for the visitors, supplied McAllister with the first chance of the game but the striker's shot rose over the bar after only a minute of play. Otherwise the opening minutes were shared between the two sides as they tested out each other's defences without making any dangerous inroads. Then, following a free-kick by Ness, Coburn dropped the ball before recovering.

Bowker paid the price for this affront to Coburn's dignity as the goalkeeper remonstrated with his own central defender and quite uncharacteristically pushed him forcibly away (5 mins). Runcorn continued to have the better of the opening stages as a McAllister cross was fielded by Coburn at the second attempt but the keeper somewhat dubiously won a free-kick from the referee for the challenge on him (8 mins). Altrincham belatedly began to come to life and Edwards pitted his skills against two defenders on the left. After a free-kick had been awarded to Edwards, Price was called across and booked (11 mins). Price was then called back, with Maddox, before the free-kick was taken and both players were lectured, presumably for jockeying for position preparatory to the free-kick being taken. Winstanley held Craney's free-kick well as Landon closed in. Altrincham now began to put together some useful passes as Runcorn's captain McNally began to hobble noticeably. As McNally received treatment, Edwards won possession well and via Gallagher, the ball came to Hawes. He played in a good ball from the right towards the penalty spot where Thornley got in a back-header which went narrowly over the bar (14 mins).

Thornley and Edwards continued to snap at the Runcorn defence whilst Robinson was at the heart of many of Runcorn's movements. Thornley won the ball in the corner but his cross could not locate Landon. However, a loose ball fell for Craney who shot over the bar from 25 yards (19 mins). Then, a minute later, Thornley won the ball well, turned neatly and fed Craney. The midfielder's return ball was superb and Thornley strode on to shoot, seemingly through keeper Winstanley, into the net to maintain his impressive goal-per-game strike-rate for Altrincham (20 mins).

Soon after the restart, Landon fed Murphy, who was hustled off the ball as Thornley ended up on the ground, as he tried to support his team-mate. Steve Hawes, who had his best game for a while, next fed Craney who won a free-kick 22 yards out from goal. Porter's free-kick was an overhit inswinger. Shortly after this, Runcorn won a corner on the right, following a throw-in, but Coburn punched clear to Edwards. Edwards and Thornley continued to give the Runcorn defence a busy time. Thornley turned well and Winstanley saved his left-foot shot well, low down (28 mins). But just as Altrincham seemed to be getting on top, Runcorn equalised. A ball from the back set McNally and McAllister running up the left channel. The two deftly interchanged passes before the unmarked McAllister finished well from just inside the box (31 mins). The Altrincham central defence had alarmingly gone missing as Runcorn turned defence into attack.

Following the goal, an Altrincham free-kick by Hawes was headed on by Gallagher and Maddox's instinctive reaction-header went wide. Thornley was now hobbling and holding his thigh but it did not take him long to run off his injury. Bowker next conceded a free-kick to McAllister but Altrincham soon won a corner which Porter took and Winstanley cleared at the second attempt. However, Runcorn were not lying down and Benson cut in from the right and fired a shot across goal (37 mins). Following a stoppage for treatment to Ward in the centre-circle, Coburn and Bowker again exchanged pleasantries about their defensive responsibilities, with much waving of arms. When the referee ordered a re-take of the throw-in from Runcorn towards Coburn, Ward must have said something for the referee called him over and showed him a yellow card (38 mins).

From Coburn's clearance a corner by Porter ensued for Altrincham, on the right. Winstanley's flap fell to Edwards but his attempted chip missed the target (39 mins). Benson and Robinson then threatened at the other end but the latter's ball ran into touch for a goalkick. Altrincham continued to press. A long punt by Coburn came to Murphy and then Landon laid it off to Craney. His fine pass for Thornley on the left led to a good cross which Gallagher headed over the bar when he should at least have hit the target. Jason now needed treatment from physio, Gary Thompson, thankfully restored to duties after dislocating his shoulder in a recent friendly match (44 mins). Mr Hay blew for half-time with the game still evenly poised.

Gary Scott replaced Steve Porter at half-time, presumably due to injury but Runcorn's McNally resumed despite limping heavily. Rain was now falling steadily and sweeping up the pitch from the Golf Road end into Altrincham's faces. As in the first period, the Robins were slow to start in the second half and Runcorn posed an early threat with Cowley and Ness combining for the latter to shoot low to Coburn's left. The keeper tipped the ball round the post for a corner (46 mins). Then, a 25 yard shot went past Coburn's upright, though the keeper did have it covered (47 mins). Bowker next fouled McAllister 30 yards from goal and from the free-kick McNally's knock-back from the back post came to McAllister but the ball ran to Coburn.

Scott and Edwards combined well but the latter's ball for Thornley was just too long. A Runcorn corner was next cleared but as Altrincham were making promising inroads up the right side, the referee stopped play for treatment to Ness who had been lying at the his feet for some time (51 mins). With the rain lashing down, the next two Altrincham moves ended in Runcorn goal-kicks. A better move was initiated by Hawes whose ball to Maddox was moved on to Scott, on the overlap. He and Edwards exchanged passes before Landon's skimmed header from Scott's cross went wide of goal, the ball eventually falling to Winstanley (55 mins).

Landon was involved again soon afterwards when he flicked on the ball to Thornley. Faced only by Winstanley, Thornley got a good hold on his shot but it cannoned off the keeper's body for a corner; it was a fine save. Craney's corner from the left was met by Maddox but he headed wide (56 mins). Altrincham continued to press with Hawes prominent in midfield. Edwards then turned on the style, cutting in past Salt to get in a cross before his mazy run past Salt, McNally and Robinson ended with a cross, but the ball had just run over the by-line to the left of goal. For Runcorn, Ness ventured up the left but his cross was held comfortably by Coburn. However, the majority of the pressure was coming from the home side at this stage despite the impressive Ness's attempts to move up the left side. However, Altrincham could not get a clear sight of goal and Thornley's wild shot, which bisected the space between goal and corner-flag was as near as they got to a goal.

Although Richard Landon was showing some nice touches, Danny Murphy appeared less then fully fit and his touch uncharacteristically let him down on several occasions. Runcorn looked more dangerous when McAllister and Benson broke through and with Bowker appearing to pull his shirt, Benson shot at goal to produce a good save from Coburn (72 mins) at the cost of a corner on the Runcorn right. Coburn's punch out from the corner led to a chipped return shot over his bar. Then, after Alty had won a corner on the right, Robinson just sat down and the referee stopped play for treatment.

Robinson soon bounded back to his penalty area after some brief treatment (74 mins). Edwards, whose keen tackling and chasing back was a feature of his play, was penalised for a late challenge in the Runcorn half. Bowker was also soon adjudged to have committed a foul on Salt just outside the home box. Robinson's free-kick led to a close-range header from McNally which Coburn did magnificently to save (78 mins). This was the game's turning point for within a minute Altrincham had scored the winning goal. Murphy won a corner on the right. Craney's flag-kick was poor; it was struck short and low. However, Maddox managed to poke it on to Bowker whose seeming mis-kick nevertheless resulted in the ball entering the bottom corner of the net to the keeper's right, from a position slightly to the right of the centre of the goal, some 15 yards out (79 mins). As with Adam Farley's first goal for the Club recently against Accrington, Bowker's debut goal for the Robins brought extravagant congratulations from his team-mates.

Bowker immediately had to be in action at the other end, shepherding the ball out for a goal-kick. Another Landon flick set Edwards racing up the left but his cross was blocked. With Graham Heathcote, who had an even more vocal match than usual, shouting to his side to keep it "Tight!", Murphy put the next chance well over the bar. With eight minutes left three substitutes arrived; O'Grady and Tomlinson for Runcorn (instead of Cowley and Benson) and Adam Farley replaced Landon for the hosts. Tomlinson was soon involved and following a throw on the right, McAllister hooked the ball narrowly over the bar (87 mins). Hawes won a corner on the left.

Craney's short kick to Edwards saw the wingman get round his man and shoot firmly at the keeper who got his fingers to the ball for a defender to complete the clearance. Runcorn now upped the pace as they strove for an equaliser. A ball into the box from Salt was half-caught by Coburn but as he was bundled off the ball, McAllister put it into the net, only for it to be disallowed quite rightly (88 mins). Altrincham, now with a five-man backline, held on to the three points as Paul Edwards was announced as Man of the Match. Altrincham deserved to win but Runcorn were a good test for them. If Stuart Coburn had not made a couple of important saves, things might have been different. The pace of Thornley and Edwards caused Runcorn problems throughout whilst Robinson and McAllister posed threats for the visitors, prompted by Robinson. Despite their win, Altrincham dropped to seventh thanks to Barrow's five goal win over Spennymoor.