Match Report

BACKGROUND AND TEAM NEWS

This was a Nationwide Conference league match played before the home side's second largest home gate of the season, 3,054. Altrincham started in tenth place and went into the match on a run of three wins and a draw and a record of only two defeats in the preceding 19 Conference matches. Kidderminster led the League, following a last-gasp victory in midweek at Doncaster. The referee, a late change from the official listed in the programme, was Mr Britton from Doncaster. He had a reasonably good game though Altrincham supporters (naturally) thought he favoured the home side. Altrincham were able to choose from their strongest squad for many weeks, with Hawes, Chambers and Power returning from suspension and injured goalkeeper, Dean Greygoose, was also restored to the list of those available. However, they still lacked the long-term injured, (Burke, Crowe, Price, Coburn and Maddox). Richard Landon was relegated to his habitual place on the bench, where he was joined by Greygoose, Hawes, Power and Lovelock.

TEAMS

KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS (Red and white shirts and shorts): 1.Clarke; 2. Clarkson, 3. Brownrigg, 4. Webb, 5. Hinton, 6. Smith, 7. Bennett, 8. Skovbjerg, 9. Hadley, 10. Foster, 11. Marsh (capt).

Subs: 12. Burgess, 13. Brock, 13. King, 14 Druce, 15 Pope.

ALTRINCHAM (Yellow and black shirts and shorts): 1. Key; 2. Hodson, 3. Adams, 4. Timons (capt), 5. Talbot; 6. Goodwin, 7. Gallagher, 8. Russell, 9. Chambers, 10. Morrell, 11. Ellison

Subs: 12. Power, 13. Greygoose, 14. Landon, 15. Hawes, 16. Lovelock

SUMMARY

Only the fact that Altrincham dropped a place, to eleventh, marred an otherwise excellent and deserved draw away to the League leaders and the team with by far the best home record in the division. Altrincham became only the fourth of the Harriers' seventeen league visitors to come away with a point or more.

THE MATCH

Altrincham adopted their normal 4-4-2 formation with Chambers and Morrell upfront, Gallagher, Goodwin, Russell and Ellison in midfield. Hodson, Timons, Talbot and Adams comprised the back four, with Lance Key retaining his position in goal despite the return to fitness of Dean Greygoose, with whom he likewise contested the keeper's jersey whilst both played for Northwich last season. Kidderminster also adopted a 4-4-2 formation, with Webb, Smith, Hinton and Clarkson at the back, in front of keeper Clarke. Their midfield comprised Bennett, Marsh, Brownrigg and Skovbjerg, with Hadley and Foster the front-runners.

After the toss, the teams changed ends and Altrincham faced the bright sun but enjoyed some benefit from a stiffish breeze as they attacked towards the Altrincham fans, penned into just a half of the South End. Some early probing, mostly down the left, by Altrincham was matched by equally unthreatening moves forward by the hosts. Timons cleared well by heading a good cross from Foster for a throw-in (3 mins). Moments later Danny Adams was adjudged to have fouled Bennett, who was looking lively on the right-wing. Gallagher headed the resultant Marsh free-kick over the stand roof to safety. The resultant corner, and one which followed moments later were both cleared by Altrincham without undue concern. Although Key missed the second corner, the ball was headed well over by Skovbjerg (8 mins).

Right: Jason Gallagher takes a throw during today's match.

A lunge by Adams resulted in an early booking for the left-back (9 mins). Although Kidderminster had the better of these early exchanges, not least because Altrincham kept giving away possession, the match was generally scrappy. In the 14th minute, however, Morrell chased what seemed to be a harmless ball and just beat the keeper to it but his shot was saved by Clarke at the second attempt (14th minute). His forward partner, Leroy Chambers, continued to play in enigmatic vein: at times he would not appear to be interested in 50/50 balls whilst on other occasions he did apply himself. More relatively desultory end-to-end play ensued until the referee stopped play on 21 minutes.

This was because, over on the Kidderminster right-wing near the half-way line, Skovbjerg, who had just been tackled innocently by Adams, subsequently went down after the ball had moved infield with a bad injury. After a three-minute stoppage, the Dane was sadly carried off on a stretcher to resounding applause. He was substituted by Mark Druce.

During this lengthy stoppage, the entertaining match-day announcer bizarrely informed the spectators that the hot water-bottle which had been found, had been reunited with its owner!

Following the restart, a 20 yarder from Kevin Ellison went narrowly wide of Clarke's left-hand post. The winger is still not fully fit but had a good game before his second-half substitution. Keith Russell, who has been playing well since his recent return from an operation, had a very quiet match in the centre of midfield. He seems to enjoy the left-wing better. Jason Gallagher, on the right of midfield was applying himself well, but Shaun Goodwin was less effective than he had been last week against Sutton.

On 26 minutes, Adams intercepted the dangerous Bennett but moments later a shot by Mike Marsh was deflected by Simeon Hodson, prompting a fine save from Key. Kidderminster, despite their lofty position, were not averse to the occasional hoof upfield or into the crowd and were generally less than inspiring. Although the home side were having the better of the match they rarely looked threatening and, indeed, Clarke was as busy as Key, though neither keeper had many concerns during the first half.

After a shot by Marsh had been blocked, Ellison's counter-charge up the left was stopped by a foul but the free-kick was poorly executed (31 mins). A long, sweeping move involving Hadley and Marsh followed a mistake by Hodson but Key held Marsh's cross-ball. On 36 minutes Timons's timely clearance struck the corner flag and a minute later a towering, 30-yard header by the Altrincham captain once again cleared the lines. His centre-back partner, Gary Talbot was also doing his bit with a timely tackle (38 mins). However, further up the field the visitors were still giving the ball away too easily, though Morrell impressed with his willingness to run at the home defence and to pressurise defenders. Timons was once more to the rescue (42 mins) when he halted a dangerous move involving Druce and Hadley, at the cost of a throw. Just after the display of the '3 minutes to play' board, a good move by Altrincham involving Chambers and Ellison ended with a cross by Adams, which was cleared as Russell challenged in the air. The half ended with a sliced clearance by Timons being ballooned over the bar by the Harriers.

Goodwin was replaced by Hawes at half-time and the pattern of end-to-end, but innocuous, attacks resumed. A Marsh freekick was floated over the Altrincham bar but Altrincham also threatened, with Chambers being impeded and winning a free-kick on the edge of the Harriers' box. Although the kick itself did not threaten, the subsequent 20 yard shot by Gallagher was well-struck, but went comfortably wide of the post (53 mins). As another half-hearted Kidderminster attack broke down, Keith Russell completely missed his attempted clearing header on the edge of the visitors' box. Adams was obliged to step in and clear, but at the cost of a free-kick. Marsh took the kick, from the attackers' right hand edge of the box and chipped the ball into the net off the crossbar, to Key's right. The keeper inexcusably remained rooted to the ground as the ball floated over and across him (55 mins).

Hawes was soon booked for a foul (58 mins) but the resulting kick went well over the bar. Then Keith Russell, breaking in the inside-left position atoned for his earlier error with an excellently flighted header from 15 yards which beat the keeper but bounced out off his left-hand post, only for Mike Morrell to run in and score an equaliser (59 mins).

Other reports of this match suggest that Gary Talbot rather than Keith Russell headed the ball against the post; I remain of the opinion that it was Russell!

The end-to-end pattern continued until on 64 minutes, Lance Key was adjudged to be time-wasting with a goal-kick and was booked. Moments later a fine cross from the Kidderminster left evaded Key but Adams chested the ball safely out for a corner (65 mins). Kidderminster stepped up their pressure and a minute later Key was forced to race to the left-hand edge of his area to punch the ball clear of the advancing Foster. A free-kick following a harsh award against Hawes for 'foot-up', came to naught, as Altrincham brought on Phil Power for Keith Russell (69 mins). Power had not been on the pitch for 60 seconds, following a three-match ban for punching, when he was involved in a needless fracas with a Kidderminster player. On 70 mins, the referee missed a hold on Timons and the resulting shot by Bennett narrowly cleared the bar. The home side were now on top but Timons and Talbot marshalled the defence excellently, aided by some gross miskicks and poor crosses by Kidderminster. On 77 mins, manager Jan Molby brought on King and Burgess, with Webb and Hadley leaving the field. A minute later, Altrincham's Lovelock replaced Ellison, thus condemning Altrincham's super-sub, Richard Landon to a sedentary afternoon.

Almost immediately, Lovelock was flattened as he marauded down the left wing, followed shortly after by Morrell's being brought down; the latter event did produce a free- kick which Hawes put into the wall. As the final ten minutes passed, Altrincham began to counter attack with Lovelock providing pace down the left-hand side. Nevertheless, a good save was required of Key on 86 minutes as the home fans began to leave early. After 2 minutes of added-on time, the referee blew his whistle, with gaps already having appeared in the Kidderminster terracing.

After the final whistle the Altrincham team responded to the chorus from their supporters as they saluted a well-earned and deserved point. Unofficial Altrincham Man of the Match was Chris Timons. He will be greatly missed on Saturday at Hayes, a game he will miss due to suspension.