Match Report

Burscough went into this match with only one win in their last thirteen games whilst Altrincham's recent form had been mixed; defeats by Gainsborough and Emley had been interspersed between wins over Colwyn Bay and Runcorn.

SUMMARY

Altrincham could have scored twice in the opening four minutes but it was Burscough who were to take the lead, after 26 minutes. An excellent through ball from central midfield found Wilde unmarked but still with a lot to do to score. He shot firmly and accurately into the bottom left-corner of the net, the ball evading Coburn's dive to his right. However, Altrincham almost scored straight after the start of the second half, Thornley hitting the post after staying on his feet when clearly fouled inside the box. Altrincham had the better of the second period and deservedly equalised ten minutes from the end when Thornley deftly shot home from a right-wing cross by Gallagher.

Left-back Steve Porter remained sidelined by injury and top-scorer Steve Finney was also still on the bench, though whether he is injured or not is unclear. Gary Scott was promoted from the bench and Keith Mairs occupied his vacated seat on the touchline. Stuart Scheuber, ever-present in midfield for so long this season, remained the unfortunate player omitted from the squad. Burscough made a number of changes. 36 year-old keeper, Paul Blasbery, replaced Matt Taylor whilst John Lawless, Ray Birch and Lee McEvilly were missing from Burscough's previous starting line-up, though Lawless and Birch were named as substitutes.

On a sunny but chilly afternoon, Altrincham could have been two up inside four minutes. Although the first attack of the game by Altrincham was cleared by Burscough as Murphy received a ball on the right from Landon, moments later Hawes and Craney combined to feed Edwards. The left-winger's cross was met firmly by Landon's volley from 12 yards but his shot was just too high (2 mins). However, Burscough then won a corner on the left off Gallagher, which was cleared.

Next, Hawes's throw-in on the right, some 30 yards from the Burscough goal, found Thornley whose pass hit the referee but nevertheless came to Craney and then Scott. The left-back's cross was met at the back post by Murphy but his firm header went narrowly wide of Blasbery's right post (4 mins). Both an Alty corner by Craney and a Burscough free-kick, conceded by Maddox as he tracked back, were unproductive before Craney was fouled 22 yards from the home goal. From a central position, Landon typically hit the ball firmly, but he only found the foot of the defensive wall though from the rebound he looped the ball in for Murphy, who headed wide as Altrincham dominated the early stages (8 mins).

However, Burscough responded well and won a corner off Maddox on the left. Coburn got a touch on the corner, to concede another flag-kick, on the right hand side of the pitch, taken by Molloy to Leahey, but Murphy was fouled to end the danger. Murphy appeared to be coming back to form after his recent injury and throughout the game he impressed with his ability to jump well and with good timing to win headers. Soon, a foul by Thornley on Hanson gave Burscough a free-kick some 25 yards out but from the free-kick the ball came off Bowker for a corner as the home side now applied some pressure. Altrincham themselves soon won a free-kick 25 yards from the Burscough goal when Craney was felled.

In a clearly rehearsed move, Craney tried to find Murphy running behind the defence from the left but the ball did not reach him (16 mins). At the other end a sideways pass, right, by Maddox was allowed to run by Bowker who then compounded his error by fouling Howard as he attempted to capitalise to the left of the penalty area (17 mins). The first real moment of Paul Edwards's magic came when he left a Burscough player for dead on the half-way line and found Thornley who uncharacteristically hesitated, though he won a corner on the Altrincham left (18 mins). Craney's corners are not yet the finished article and this one was too high for Thornley and went for a goal-kick. Bowker's ball was flicked on by Landon for Murphy, who should have been awarded a corner but the referee opted for a goal-kick instead. Just as Thornley had delayed moments earlier, Howard did the same for Burscough when played into a shooting position by Molyneux from the right.

Again a corner resulted. The short corner was wasted with Edwards winning the ball off Molyneux but the Alty man's resulting shot was well over the bar (22 mins). Landon fouled Knowles to concede a free-kick in mid-field. Nolan's free-kick was missed by Coburn but no danger resulted to his goal. Coburn soon made amends with a pinpoint clearance to Thornley, deep in the opposition half, but the forward lost possession. As Burscough broke forwards, a magnificent ball from the right-centre of the Burscough midfield found Wilde unmarked in a central position, some 20 yards from goal. Wilde shot firmly and accurately past Coburn's right-hand into the bottom corner of the Altrincham net (26 mins) for his second goal in consecutive matches.

Immediately after the re-start Murphy won a corner on the right for Altrincham. Craney's kick found Murphy's head but play was stopped for an offence. Gallagher then received a lecture for a late follow-through on Bowen. Both this free-kick and a subsequent one for Altrincham for a foul on Bowker led to nothing of note. After Gallagher was fouled by a combination of Howard and Wilde, Hawes found Landon's head and his flick-on set up a volley from Thornley, wide of the keeper's left upright (33 mins). Then, Gallagher got stranded upfield but a poor ball from Leahey ensured that Altrincham were not punished at the back as a result. Gallagher soon did much better, starting a passing move via Hawes, Maddox and Scott to Edwards. Edwards beat Molyneux and passed to Hawes whose ball to Thornley led to a cheeky back-heel from the striker to the overlapping Scott. Scott's pass set up a shot for Craney which was low and goal-bound but which struck a Burscough foot and was cleared (35 mins). Altrincham continued to press but Burscough came the nearer to scoring when, following a throw-in, the ball was volleyed to Knowles but Coburn saved from point-blank range at the near post (38 mins).

The end to end play continued when a punt from Coburn bounced over Landon and fell for Thornley. As he attempted to control the ball and wriggle past McMullen, the Burscough defender put his arm round Thornley's neck. He was lucky only to concede a free-kick as his offence was right on the edge of the penalty area in a central/left position. For some reason Knowles dissented from the most obvious of refereeing decisions and earned himself a silly booking (4a mins). Landon's blasted free-kick hit a Burscough player and went for a corner on the left. Craney's delivery was poor; the ball was far too low but it fortunately broke for Edwards. His cross was cleared to Landon, who mis-kicked (42 mins). Following a Burscough throw deep in the Altrincham half, Howard was allowed to turn and play in a cross but Coburn fielded it as Wilde approached. With no injury stoppages at all in the first half, Mr Kershaw blew his whistle promptly for half-time.

The second half started explosively with Thornley chasing a through ball into the box and being clearly fouled as he did so. The striker chose to stay on his feet and the referee played the advantage rule. Thornley got the ball past the keeper and it slowly rolled towards the empty net but unfortunately struck the keeper's left upright (46 mins). However, there was soon alarm at the other end when Bowker, who had perhaps his least assured game to date for the Robins, made a hash of a pass, giving the ball to Wilde, whom he then fouled in an attempt at recovering possession (48 mins). Edwards, tracking back, then broke up a Knowles/Molyneux combination.

Following an Alty throw in the left by Scott, Craney turned very well but his shot was way off beam, clearing the terrace roofing well to the right of goal (51 mins). When Hawes won a free-kick, Thornley got the ball off a defensive rebound and was himself fouled, 25 yards from goal. Craney's free-kick was again too low and soon Coburn was in action at the opposite end, coming just outside his box to head clear. A long clearance form Coburn was relayed by Landon to Thornley who chased it gamely to the by-line and although he kept the ball in play he fouled McMullen (54 mins). Maddox made a good saving tackle as Burscough sought to hit Altrincham on the break before Coburn hacked another through-ball over the stand roof to clear any danger.

Altrincham now amended their formation as Landon gave way to Farley. Farley dropped into the right-back slot freeing Gallagher for midfield duties (57 mins). The game went through a few error-strewn minutes as each side gave the ball away in midfield. However, after Thornley had been fouled on the right about 20 yards out, Hawes delivered a free-kick to which Murphy just got his head, but the ball went wide (65 mins). Altrincham were now enjoying most of the possession. After two throws in quick succession, Hawes played a good ball for Craney who, in turn, fed Murphy. Murphy got past the keeper but his cross evaded his colleagues and the keeper alike. Altrincham seemed to feel that there had been a hand-ball and Gallagher was taken aside and booked for his protestations (68 mins). Murphy and Craney next combined but Edwards could not keep in Thornley's deep cross (69 mins). A Hawes shot over the bar from 25 yards underlined Altrincham's pressure at this stage.

However, a long Burscough punt upfield found Maddox, under pressure from Wilde, misreading the flight some 30 yards from goal and the ball skimmed off the back of his head for the advancing Howard. The number nine shot across goal and wide of the left post (71 mins). Another weak shot, from Molloy, followed shortly afterwards before the battling Craney fired well wide of the Burscough left upright from 20 yards (73 mins). Steve Finney now came on for his first substitute appearance of the season after 20 starts and he replaced Terry Bowker, precipitating another reshaping of the team (74 mins). Gallagher reverted to right-back and Farley moved into midfield, leaving just three men at the back - Scott, Maddox and Gallagher.

A foul by Maddox, on the back of Wilde, some 35 yards from goal led to nothing. Then, Farley's ball was headed on by Hawes to Thornley who, in turn, headed it right to Craney, who with Thornley's assistance, contrived to win a corner. The short corner by Craney led to a long shot from Hawes which hit a defender amidst cries for handball. A foul by Gallagher relieved the pressure (79 mins). However, an error by Leahey gave possession to Murphy and after an interchange with Hawes he fed Gallagher on the right wing. Gallagher appeared to "nutmeg" a defender before crossing, short, to Thornley. Thornley swivelled and shot brilliantly across the keeper to find the far corner of the net and he celebrated this deserved equaliser with his customary cartwheel (80 mins). He has now hit the net seven times in seven starts for Altrincham. Next Edwards produced a fine cross from the left after a throw by Scott was relayed to him by Thornley. Murphy got on the end of it but the keeper palmed it away to his left for a corner as Altrincham scented victory (83 mins). Craney's corner skimmed off an Altrincham player for a Burscough throw. Craney, Hawes and Scott now fed Edwards and he hared off through the middle but his shot was sliced well wide, to the left of goal. Burscough replaced Leahey with Birch (84 mins) shortly before Knowles tried an acrobatic kick which went over the bar (85 mins).

Altrincham continued to press but Burscough stopped play for another switch of personnel; Howard giving way to John Lawless (88 mins). Murphy set Thornley free on the left but his cross could only find the keeper's midriff (89 mins). After Edwards had fouled Leahey, Hawes kicked the ball away and earned himself a yellow card (89 mins). There was just time for Edwards to cross to Thornley but possession was lost. Neither physio made a single appearance on the pitch so Mr Kershaw played no additional time and the game ended in a draw.

As at Emley, Altrincham had stepped up a gear in the second half but this time they at least gained a point and could have won all three. There was no formal Man of the Match award but Rod Thornley must have been a leading candidate and Paul Edwards again showed some instances of his searing pace and good control. The defence continue to strive for the elusive clean sheet which Graham Heathcote set them as a target when he took over the team, with Bernard Taylor, seven games ago. Those games have seen 3 Altrincham wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats.

A seventh or eight-place finish in the league looks likely, which is a disappointment given the high hopes at the start of the season, but very acceptable after our subsequent flirtation with bankruptcy and recent managerial upheaval. Alty supporters can also derive some pleasure from another entertaining game in a season which has witnessed 132 league goals in games involving Altrincham. Only Hyde (133), Lancaster (137), Worksop (147) and Colwyn Bay (155) can currently better that!