Match Report

Altrincham found themselves up against a revitalised Gateshead side who had laboured for some weeks under the outgoing managerial regime of Mattie Pearson. Paul Proudlock is the temporary player-manager but an unidentified leather-jacked man was directing affairs from the touchline. He elicited bizarre chants of "Leather Jacket, give us a wave" from the equally bemused home fans who, like the visiting Alty choir, were in good voice. Alty started the game undefeated in their last six league matches but with just one away win since September.

The International Stadium is an excellent venue but also an odd one for all of the spectators are penned into one half of one side of the main stand; the players therefore face total silence from five-sixths of the ground and even the spectators in the stand are separated from the pitch by a running track, a path and a long-jump pit. Considering the pitch is also used by Gateshead's rugby league team, it is in good condition though the rugby markings are clearly evident on the pitch as well as the soccer ones. The ground has an excellent social club and the locals are friendly!

Gateshead gained revenge for Altrincham's fortunate last-minute win at Moss Lane in August with their own late winner today. Altrincham started slowly, with misplaced passes and a lack of spark in the opening minutes but they improved as the half wore on. Finney struck the bar mid-way through the half but Gateshead had the ball in the net twice though each was rightly disallowed; one for a foul on Coburn, the other for double offside. Alty also started the second period in a low gear and paid for an unnecessary tug by Glendenning on the touchline.

From the resulting free-kick Coburn half came for the ball but Ross was incisive and slotted the ball past him (48 mins). However, after determined work by Mairs, Ellison got through the middle and scored, though Swan got a hand to the ball (68 mins). Altrincham then looked good value for at least a draw and had some chances to do even better. However, hesitation between Coburn and Talbot allowed an innocuous ball to find Tracey, who finished neatly with just two minutes left.

There was no sign of midweek debutant Adam Lillis for Altrincham, who played Finney alone in the centre of the attack, with Murphy and Ellison on the flanks. The defence was yet again shuffled with Glendenning partnering Talbot at the back and Maddox on the bench, whilst Porter and Scott were at full-back, with Gallagher as substitute. Keith Mairs made his first league start, in the midfield, where Mark Ward omitted himself. Recently departed Gateshead striker Paul Thompson returned to the Club on the departure of sacked manager, Mattie Pearson and played today. Their skipper, Sam Kitchen, had recovered from injury to play but Steve Preen did not and only started on the bench. Ex-Macclesfield Town player, Dick Tracey made his home debut up front.

As seems to have been the case on several occasions this season, Altrincham started slowly. Whether this has something to do with the frequent changes of team members, especially at the back, is not certain. Certainly the players were confused for the main incident of note in the first couple of minutes was the need for Mairs and Hawes to strip to the waist to swap their shirts, a feat incredibly repeated by Gallagher and Craney at the start of the second half. Gateshead, however, were also less than inspired in the opening stages so Altrincham's misplaced passes went unpunished. The visitors' first threat came after a trip on Scheuber, 25 yards from goal.

Ellison hit the kick, from a central position, into the wall from which it ran off for a corner on the right (7 mins). Hawes's corner came out to Mairs whose volley from 20 yards was ballooned high and wide. Scheuber was soon felled again as he made a good early impression in midfield and though nothing came of the free-kick immediately, Steve Hawes soon won a corner on the right. He took it himself, but sent it straight to Swan (8 mins). For Gateshead, Tracey was caught offside but had better luck moments later when Porter gave him the ball. His shot from right of goal was well hit but comfortably wide (9 mins).

Altrincham then put together a good move started by a fine interception in midfield by Murphy who got up the right side and played in Finney, but the striker's shot was blocked (11 mins). Murphy was alert again to break up Ross, Tracey and Cramman's move moments later before Finney was caught offside, and Altrincham began to play some better football. Coburn was called into action, rushing out of his box to kick clear after Dalton and Proudlock had got the ball over the defence for Tracey to chase (17 mins). A weak Ross header to Coburn preceded a more menacing move when Tracey went up the left and Dalton won a corner off Hawes. Coburn caught the corner from Dalton cleanly before being jostled off possession, from which situation Thompson got the ball to Tracey who put the ball in the net. It was rightly disallowed (18 mins).

Glendenning then initiated a move via Murphy and Hawes to Finney, which ended up with keeper Swan. Following a punt from Swan, Talbot allowed Thompson to get a touch but he could only knock it to Coburn. Glendenning and Mairs fed Porter, whose pass to Ellison led to Kevin's winning a corner from his right-foot cross. This came to nothing but soon after Altrincham created a multi-man move following a throw-in on their left. Porter, Finney, Talbot, Mairs and Scheuber were all involved before the move broke down. Immediately, however, Talbot and Scheuber got the ball to Glendenning who played a great ball to Murphy which resulted in a corner off Pepper. From Hawes's kick, the ball came out to Ellison who hit a fierce cross cum shot which appeared to be instinctively diverted by Finney. Unfortunately the ball crashed back off the underside of the bar and via Proudlock to safety for Gateshead (23 mins). The home side immediately replaced the limping Cramman with McAlindon.

Altrincham were now the better side and playing some good football. Young Mairs and Scheuber were snapping at the Gateshead midfield and Glendenning and Talbot were repelling all threats at the back. Finney, Hawes and Porter then combined but their efforts ended in a home-side goal-kick and the next move ended with Finney once more being off-side. Glendenning , Mairs and Porter then supplied Finney again and the ball got to Ellison, via Scheuber. Kevin left Watson for dead on the touchline and got in a low cross which went for a corner, which Swan held from Hawes's flag-kick (29 mins). Gateshead's movements were breaking down in midfield whereas Altrincham's were showing more punch. Next, Murphy beat two men on the right but his cross came off Finney to Swan (31 mins). Following a hold on Ellison by the touchline, 25 yards out, Hawes's free-kick was headed clear.

Proudlock attempted to instil fire into his side with a fierce tackle on Porter which earned him a lecture from Mr Cook and a shout of "curly headed scum" aimed at the official from a Gateshead fan! Although Finney won the free-kick in the air, he was penalised for a foul (33 mins). The lively Ross lifted Gateshead when he beat Talbot but not for the only time, Glendenning swept up any danger, at the cost of a throw. Some good work by McAlindon also soon threatened the Altrincham end but this time it was Scheuber who intercepted well. Dalton then got up the left wing but Glendenning cleared his cross (38 mins) as Gateshead came back into the game. Build-up work by Pepper and Ross led to a cross from the left by the skilful Dalton which came to Tracey and Thompson at the back post; the latter headed the ball into the unguarded net but was rightly ruled offside and the goal disallowed (38 mins).

Ellison was consistently marked by two men on the left and after he had been blocked off, Gateshead moved forward through Thompson, Dalton and McAlindon before the ball ran off Thompson to Coburn. Ross then unleashed a well hit shot from 25 yards but it was aimed far too high to trouble Coburn (39 mins) as the home-side enjoyed a spell of dominance. However, Altrincham put an end to this when Murphy won the ball well 40 yards out and via Ellison the ball came to Scheuber who beat his man well deep inside the box but from a tight angle could only fire in a low ball across the box which evaded everyone (40 mins). Then, Finney executed a fine flick on the edge of the box which found Ellison's head ten yards from goal. Kevin's deft header was superbly directed and Swan had to make a fine save, pushing the ball round his left post for a corner.

Scheuber's header from Hawes's corner was only narrowly over the bar (42 mins). At the other end Coburn caught a Gateshead free-kick in the air before Finney was again caught offside (44 mins) as play moved from end to end. The last threat of the half came from Tracey who got round Glendenning but Coburn was alert and smothered the ball at the Gateshead striker's feet. Mr Cook then blew the whistle on an entertaining half which Altrincham had arguably shaded.

The goal lifted Gateshead as Altrincham struggled to regain their first-half rhythm. A stoppage occurred for treatment to Finney before Scheuber was fed by Ellison and got in a shot from 20 yards which went over the bar to represent Altrincham's best effort of the half to date (52 mins). At the other end, the ball came off Gallagher to Dalton whose superb long shot was only narrowly wide of the target. In an attempt to shake things up, the under-par Steve Hawes was removed and replaced by Ian Craney (55 mins). The immediate effect was not dramatic for a statuesque Alty defence allowed another shot on goal that was too close for comfort. However, Craney soon made an impact when he won the ball well and passed to Murphy whose cross from the right was cleared. This prompted an improvement in the visitors' play as Murphy, Mairs, Finney and Gallagher contrived to get Scheuber in for a cross which flew across the box with no one on the end of it (56 mins).

McAlindon, Tracey and Ross then threatened at Coburn's end before Scheuber hustled Ross off the ball, only for Mairs to concede possession straightaway. Dalton and Proudlock fed Watson. The full-back's long cross from the right found Coburn uncharacteristically in no-man's land but, fortunately, Ross could not quite get on the end of it (59 mins). Gateshead now enjoyed some pressure before play halted for treatment to Proudlock inside his own box after he had blocked a dangerous counter-attack by Scheuber (64 mins). Altrincham now improved and Glendenning set Gallagher off up the right side; he fed Murphy, whose cross was caught by Swan. Glendenning twice repelled Gateshead forward movements before Swan, at the other end, made a poor kicked clearance.

The ball ping-ponged around three Gateshead player's heads and feet in central midfield as they attempted to impart extra distance on the clearance. However, the ball fell to Altrincham from a melee involving Keith Mairs. It came forward to Ellison who advanced past a defender and fired in a typically well-hit left-foot shot from just inside the box. Although Swan got a hand to it, the ball went across him and into the back of the net to his left for Altrincham's equaliser (68 mins).

From the restart, Bowman and Glendenning had a brief but frank exchange of views before McAlindon got to the by-line but ran the ball out for a goal-kick to the visitors (70 mins). Murphy then did the same at the other end of the pitch. Finney was once more found offside before Coburn flapped at a high ball but recovered to take possession of it (72 mins). After a battling Craney had won a throw in the Alty half, Scheuber and Talbot got Scott and Ellison up the left touchline. The full-back got to the by-line where his cross was met by Murphy at the far post. Normally a fine header of the ball, Murphy could only send the ball gently looping to Swan (73 mins).

For the uncommitted the entertainment level was high as Ross beat Scott but was unnecessarily pulled back by the referee for a Gateshead free-kick, 25 yards out from the Alty goal. Another free-kick, 40 yards out, soon followed for a foul on McAlindon but the end to end play continued when Scheuber played an excellent ball to Finney. The Altrincham man turned and shot but his aim was wide (75 mins). With Altrincham now attacking, Gateshead made a substitution, Thompson giving way to Preen, who had not been fit enough to start the game (78 mins). Preen joined Tracey up front. Altrincham continued to press with Glendenning and Scott combining on the left. Then Craney produced a slide-rule pass for Murphy whose shot was beaten out well by the advancing Swan (79 mins). Next, Pepper fed Preen, who turned well despite Talbot's close attendance but the sub poked the ball well over the bar from six yards (79 mins). Murphy and Craney further probed the home defences before Preen flashed a volley just wide of the target.

Gateshead's final substitution came when Bates came on for Proudlock (85 mins). Altrincham pressed again before Finney was found offside yet once more (81 mins). Then Gallagher was pulled up for a foul on the corner of his own penalty area, to the left of goal. McAlindon touched the kick to Dalton, whose good shot was well held by Coburn (82 mins). Free-kicks were exchanged as Finney was first penalised for a foul on half-way before Mairs was held half-way inside his own half.

Tracey did well to fashion a shot for himself against two defenders but his finish was a poor scoop rather than a clean strike (85 mins). With a draw looking a fair result, Scott did well to resist pressure on the Gateshead right. Then Glendenning, who always plays with a certain swagger, heart-stoppingly but successfully dribbled the ball out of defence. In reply, Tracey had his second woeful shot in as many minutes as he tried to cut into the centre (87 mins) but he was to have the last laugh moments later. A seemingly routine knock on from Preen's head caused confusion between Talbot and Coburn and the ex-Macclesfield man took advantage to score the winner (88 mins). There was still time for a couple of Altrincham attacks involving Gallagher but the points were destined to be Gateshead's.

This was a very entertaining game in which Altrincham played well for substantial periods and from which they can consider themselves unlucky to come away with nothing. There were no bookings and Mr Cook handled the game well. Whilst the constant changing of our defensive personnel this season has undoubtedly caused us some problems, it was the two firm rocks of our defence, Coburn and Talbot, who were involved in the goals which were conceded today.

Up-front, Finney laboured to get the better of the Gateshead central defence but he was caught off-side too often. Murphy and particularly Ellison had their moments and in midfield Mairs and Scheuber worked hard, though Steve Hawes was uncharacteristically quiet and may have been carrying a knock or an ailment before he was withdrawn. As Altrincham still trail Emley by 13 points and have played an extra game, (as well as having played four more than Stalybridge), the hopes of promotion this season have all but disappeared. Nevertheless, today's was an entertaining match and we can take a little consolation from our one advantage over both Emley and Stalybridge- we have seen 84 league goals for or against Alty this season, whilst Emley fans have seen only 71 and Celtic's have witnessed 72. We take on Ossett Town on Tuesday, a team which won 6-5 at Radcliffe today, so more goals are on the cards this week. It is then back to the North-East for a difficult match against an improving Blyth Spartans on Saturday.