Match Report

After a run of three home games, this match was the first of three away trips for Altrincham this week. After an uninspiring opening to proceedings, the game improved with Altrincham more than matching the hosts. However, Watts was left unmarked to nip in and score from six yards after 41 minutes. Although Finney hit the bar before the interval, Altrincham went in to the second half still a goal down. They had much the better of the second period when Coburn was virtually a spectator.

However, the home defence dealt well with all that Altrincham could muster, with balls into the box invariably finding Gainsborough heads. Gallagher forced a fine save from Martin when he might have scored but that was the nearest the Robins came to salvaging the point which they would have more than deserved. Edwards was named Alty Man of the Match whilst Steve Circuit got the award for the home side. Gainsborough thus completed a double over Altrincham, having won 2-0 at Moss Lane in November, and they also extended their unbeaten run to ten games. Altrincham continue to seek their first away league win since October, having now had nine attempts to do so.

Altrincham's only change from last Tuesday night was the return to the bench of Mark Maddox, after suspension. He displaced Keith Mairs. Trinity were without John Reed (suspended) and Andy Linighan (injured at Whitby). Gainsborough gave debuts to Mark Donnelly, a 21 year-old ex-Bury and Whitby midfielder and another newcomer, Rob Debenham, was on the bench. Trinity keeper, Kevin Martin, curiously wore a number 13 jersey throughout the game.

The Northolme ground is a credit to Gainsborough, being freshly painted and well-maintained, with a main stand which has been upgraded this season. However, the game got off to an indifferent start as both sides tried to come terms with a gusty wind which gradually subsided as the afternoon progressed. Indicative of the problems was Craney's over-hit free-kick, awarded for a foul on Thornley, which was carried too far by the trailing wind (3 mins). Gainsborough won three successive throws on the right but in the first ten minutes there was no goal-mouth incident of note and both keepers were severely underemployed. Played stopped for treatment to a leg injury to Gallagher (9 mins) before Trinity won a free-kick when Hawes was the offender, 15 yards from the Robins' goal.

Allison won a header from the set-piece but the ball went comfortably wide of Coburn's left stick (10 mins). Craney again overhit a free-kick after 14 minutes when the referee did well to spot a foul by Circuit on Edwards just inside the Gainsborough half. After a Gallagher throw on the right, Hawes got in a cross past Limber, but the ball only came out to Porter. The Alty left-back's chip found Hawes again, who got round the keeper, Martin, but could not do more from an acute angle than win a corner on the right (16 mins). Allison did well to head out firmly Porter's inswinging corner, as Altrincham began to apply some pressure.

Bowker was mysteriously penalised near the half-way line but from the free-kick the ball gently ran to Coburn off debutant Donnelly's head. Another free-kick soon followed when Ian Craney handled in midfield deep in the Gainsborough half. Graham Heathcote had not been pleased by a couple of decisions and Mr Pashley was sufficiently upset to remonstrate with the Alty coach. Edwards and Thornley tried to get the better of the Trinity defence. However, a club which had produced Altrincham's 1999 championship-winning centre-back partnership of Chris Timons and Paul Ellender clearly has a production line of effective central defenders. Allison and Allen mopped up virtually everything that was thrown at them, well assisted by backs Brown and Limber.

Steve Porter then went down injured and although he spurned the referee's offer of a stoppage for treatment, he hobbled on in clear distress. Meanwhile, Thornley and Murphy combined up the right but Edwards could not quite get on the end of the cross at the back post, though he did win a corner on the Alty left. After a belated stoppage to treat Porter's injury, Craney again delivered a poor dead-ball kick from the corner, this time the ball curling over the bar. Although Circuit then got the better of Farley and set up ex-Alty man Lee Ellington for a cross, the ball was cleared by Murphy (25 mins).

Edwards won the ball well from Brown and got the ball to Murphy but his pass for Thornley ran on to the keeper. Murphy then beat Limber but the combined attentions of Bassinder and Donnelly meant that the outcome was no more than an Altrincham throw. Up front, Gainsborough were posing little threat, with some poor final ball passing. However, things improved for them when Bassinder, Donnelly and Ellington combined to get Ellington in for a header which Coburn, diving to his left, parried out. In the ensuing melee there appeared to be an unpunished push by an Altrincham defender before the ball was cleared (30 mins).

This was the nearest to a goal yet in a match which was still only moderate in entertainment value. The two sides now traded forward movements, none of which created openings for shots. Altrincham' s Craney prompted a move by Finney up the left but his cross was half-cleared to Hawes. He laid it off to Craney who, off balance, shot well-wide and high (33 mins). Bowker then telegraphed a pass across the back line which Bassinder almost intercepted forcing Gallagher to back-pass to Coburn for safety as Gainsborough enjoyed a few minutes of pressure. Just after a Finney shot had landed much nearer the corner flag than the goal, the under-par Murphy was substituted by Gary Scott (35 mins). Murphy has clearly being carrying a leg strain for the last few games. Gallagher now moved into right midfield as Scott joined the back-four. Gallagher was instantly involved going forward and his ball to Thornley led to the striker and Steve Hawes combining to win a corner on the right flank. Gainsborough had several attempts to clear Porter's corner but eventually a nice turn by Craney let in Thornley who was blocked off by the defence at the cost of another corner to Altrincham.

For the third time, Craney's delivery from the flag-kick was poor and although Bowker put the ball back into the box, Martin collected it in the air (37 mins). Altrincham soon won an unproductive free-kick as they continued to enjoy the better of the possession. Gallagher was shortly cantering up the right again but the move ended, via Finney, with Edwards's over-hit cross behind the goal (40 mins). As so often, the game then turned on a refereeing decision. Allison fouled Gallagher in centre-field to win possession but the referee saw nothing illegal and allowed play to continue down the right, where Trinity's Brown moved forward. A fine tackle by Porter produced a throw for Gainsborough, followed quickly by a second one. From this throw, Bassinder fed Donnelly who slipped the ball neatly forward to Watts, arriving in the box from the right having slipped the shackles of both Porter and Farley.

The two defenders seemed to leave any potential challenge to each other. Watts took advantage to shoot from six yards across Coburn, the ball entering the net just inside the keeper's right upright (41 mins). Altrincham responded with a good flowing move involving Craney, who beat Brown, before the ball reached Thornley, Finney and Edwards. Finally, Finney's overhit cross ended any danger for the hosts. A foul by Ellington on Hawes produced a fruitless free-kick for Altrincham before Craney's skilful turn fed Finney. He let go from 25 yards, his fine left-foot shot, from right of goal, bouncing off the top of the cross bar with Martin beaten (44 mins). There was still time for a Porter knock-on to Gallagher, but Jason's cross was too high and Altrincham went into the interval undeservedly trailing.

The resumption saw Mark Maddox appear in place of Porter who was evidently still suffering from his first-half knock. Farley moved to right-back and Scott switched to left-back, as Maddox joined Bowker in the centre-back role. Altrincham started brightly. A Craney cross for Gallagher was cleared then Edwards and Finney tried to combine but the ball ran to Martin. Thornley then showed nice control but his toe-poke from the left went well over the target (47 mins). At the other end Maddox cleared a threat from Watts and Bassinder but soon Altrincham had a free-kick and Thornley ended up having a shot blocked which ran to Edwards who conceded a goal-kick. Maddox was soon again in action to clear Ellington's cross. Next Craney, Hawes and Finney set up Craney who played a fine ball to Thornley. Thornley cut inside and his shot was only parried by Martin but a defender finished the clearance (52 mins).

From a Gallagher throw on the right Finney's cross found Edwards and his downward header at the back post was scrambled round the upright by Martin as Altrincham dominated proceedings at this stage (53 mins). Then, Scott got the ball to Thornley, the referee allowing play-on as Finney was crudely fouled. Thornley passed to Hawes and his cross nearly found Edwards but he could not turn the ball in at the far post (54 mins). Play stopped for Finney to be treated and soon after he resumed, he was fouled again. Gainsborough came to life belatedly when Craney lost out to Donnelley and a cross from Bassinder was taken by Coburn (57 mins). Craney soon did better, feeding Thornley, via Scott. Thornley ran past two defenders but as he was forced across goal he managed to get the ball to Gallagher, to his right. Gallagher advanced one-on-one towards the keeper but tried to place, rather than blast, his shot and Martin made a good half-stop to his right (59 mins).

Altrincham continued to press with Gallagher winning next a corner on the right. Gainsborough got it clear at the third attempt when Gore's clearance fell to Maddox who shot from 22 yards, well over the bar. Gainsborough now began to gain some respite from the Altrincham post-interval pressure. A free-kick from the right, 25 yards out was curled well by Bassinder but Coburn was equal to it. Steve Finney now gave way to Dickie Landon (66 mins) for Alty and Bassinder was replaced by Newton for Trinity (66 mins). Donnelly latched onto a headed clearance and volleyed it straight back at goal, the ball going narrowly wide from 25 yards. There was brief stoppage for a mouth injury to Allen before Newton won a corner on the Trinity right (70 mins), which was headed over the bar.

Altrincham's crosses still left much to be desired and Gainsborough were able to deal easily with them despite the absence of Linighan from their defence. Indeed, Gainsborough now exerted some pressure of their own, Circuit feeding Watts who put the ball in the net but only after fouling Coburn. The "goal" was ruled out (73 mins). After a foul on Edwards on the left, Craney telegraphed his free-kick too clearly and Maddox's move around the back of the defence to receive the ball was easily stopped. However, Thornley soon won a another free-kick when Brown felled him but yet again Craney's free-kick was delivered too long. A shot by Watts nearly emulated Finney's first-half effort by putting the corner flag in more danger than the net.

Edwards yet again caused trouble up the left and appeared to be tripped, catching the ball as he fell. To his surprise, the free-kick went the other way. Next, Hawes and Gallagher got Thornley to the by-line on the right but his cross was poor and behind the goal. Drayton now came on for the disappointing Ellington (78 mins) before the lively Edwards was fouled again. Scott's free-kick was headed clear before Trinity were caught offside. After beating two men, Edwards was fouled yet again for another free-kick as Trinity held on to their narrow lead and rarely looked like adding to it.

Landon flicked on Scott's free-kick but Allen cleared. Then, Maddox went forward and headed on to Landon whose lunge at the ball only propelled it to Martin (81 mins). With the sun now shining and the wind dropping, the game was more controlled. Edwards was announced as Altrincham's Man of the Match and Steve Circuit took the Trinity award though the central defenders were arguably more deserving candidates. Trinity now had their best chance of the half as Watts headed wide from an unmarked position (85 mins). Altrincham were soon camped back at the other end but their next move ended with a hopeful lob by Hawes which dropped into Martin's arms from outside the box. Gallagher soon got the ball to Thornley in the right corner where two defenders closed him down. However, he did well to get in a cross which Martin plucked out of the air. Martin then had to punch out a Farley cross and the referee blew his final whistle just after Edwards had won a corner on the left off Allison, which there was no time to take.

Although this was a disappointing result and continued Alty's poor record away from Moss Lane, it was a generally good performance and the Robins deserved at least a draw. Nevertheless, it was easy to see why Gainsborough have both scored and conceded relatively few goals this season and Phil Tingay has done a good organisational job as manager since the sacking of Greg Fee earlier this season. Altrincham were unable to unlock a well-marshalled defence; their crosses and dead-balls were consistently disappointing and they won little in the air at the front end of the team. The loss of Murphy through injury did not help in these regards but Edwards battled well especially in the second half. Hopefully Colwyn Bay on Tuesday will prove less resolute opposition!