Match Report

Above: Marine keeper, Chris Clarke, sits dejectedly as the Alty fans celebrate.

Altrincham notched up their first away win of the season in impressive style at Rossett Park, roared on by impressively vocal support from the travelling Moss Lane faithful. Since Altrincham's last visit, the Marine ground has acquired, behind the College Road goal, an impressive 400-seater stand of Conference quality, which has a small terrace in front of it. However the two sides of the pitch and, to a lesser degree, the other end of the ground remain hemmed in by housing which make this a testing, though welcoming, fixture for visiting teams and spectators alike. On their previous two Unibond visits, Altrincham had lost here.

However, the visitors started well and for the fifth game running scored within a quarter of an hour or so of the kick-off, through Gary Talbot. Although Marine had a good spell later in the first half, Altrincham deserved their half-time lead. However, it was in the second period that the Robins stepped up their play and once Steve Hawes's magnificent goal had given them a 2-0 cushion, they played some impressive football to run out comfortably as 4-0 victors, with the further goals coming from Kevin Ellison and, just before the end, Phil Power. Marine, yet to win this season, did not give up and commendably threw men forward up to the final whistle but the nearest they came to a goal was a last-minute shot from distance which hit the post.

Altrincham had no game last Saturday- despite the phantom Whitby v. Altrincham result given out on TV and in the press. In the interim, Altrincham had lost the services of their accomplished left-back and Player of the Year, Danny Adams, sold to Macclesfield for a fee which may reach £25,000. Mark Ward gave Steve Porter a debut in Danny's place and chose Adam Farley to occupy the troublesome right-back berth, so far already occupied by Gallagher, Crowe and Farley this season. Maddox and Talbot remained as centre-backs and Stuart Coburn continued in goal, despite the potentially unsettling effect of his previous week's three-day abortive trial at Crystal Palace. Mark Ward and Steve Hawes manned the central midfield with Kevin Ellison on the left and Jason Gallagher, back in his best position on the right of midfield, albeit at the expense of Stuart Quinn who has played well this season. Barry Crowe was unlucky to be consigned to the bench, where Stu Scheuber was another occupant. The third sub was Ian Craney, a young Reserve, who had impressed most recently in the Reserves' defeat by Leigh RMI. Altrincham's injury problems up-front, (Chambers, Furlong and Quayle are all injured) left the "mature" duo of Dickie Landon and Phil Power as the strike-force. Marine have blooded a number of youngsters this season, but the veteran, Jon Gautrey, still plays an important role.

Kevin Ellison disturbed the side-netting in the first minute as Altrincham started well and the first corner for the visitors also soon arrived (2 mins) but Hawes's well-struck cross was headed clear. Debutant Steve Porter made an impressive start at right-back, which he built on throughout the game. For Marine, Bainbridge flicked the ball on with his head after Farley had lost possession but Kevin Ellison tidied things up with a clearing header (6 mins). Marine for their part were apt to string together a few passes before misplaced balls led to the breakdown of their forward impetus. Jason Gallagher won another corner for Altrincham after a headed pass from Landon, before Phil Power's attempt on goal was blocked at the expense of yet another corner to Altrincham (10 mins). The ball came out, after the corner, to Ward but for once the player-manager played a poor ball. Mark compounded his lapse moments later when he dwelt too long on the ball and lost possession but it was the player-manager himself who eventually tidied up Marine's resulting move (11 mins). Soon after this a Steve Porter free-kick from the left, following the upending of Ellison on the wing, was overhit to goalkeeper Clarke. Play was end to end but rather scrappy at this stage, with Marine's Morgan, who had a good match, crowded out in the Altrincham box before Mark Maddox received a deserved lecture from referee Bramley for a foul on Randles (14 mins). The consequential free-kick was sent straight to Stuart Coburn. As so often, Coburn's distribution set up play at the other end and Landon won a corner on the Altrincham right. Hawes was kept busy as his corner only produced another corner for him to take, this time on the left. This attempt by Hawes, struck firmly in the air towards the back of the six-yard area, met the incoming head of captain, Gary Talbot, and the centre-back's header put the ball firmly into the Marine net (16 mins). Altrincham were unable to build immediately on their lead, with a long but tame, looping shot by Hawes the next threat created by the visitors.

Above: Alty keeper, Stuart Coburn, fields a Marine free-kick.

Marine responded when Thompson, then Randles swept the ball out to the Marine right, a move which ended with Bainbridge's looped shot from the edge of the box which went narrowly wide. However Coburn was on hand should the ball have diverted inside his right-hand post (21 mins). Farley cleared two successive Marine balls played into the Altrincham defence before Richard Landon played a fine ball in to Kevin Ellison. Ellison's good cross just evaded the combined efforts of Gallagher and Power as they closed in on the Marine goal and the ball was diverted wide of the post for a goalkick. Throughout the game, Marine's final balls into the Altrincham penalty area were disappointing or, as in the 27th minute, their moves culminated in a hopeful but ill-directed punt, on this occasion by Hughes. However, Marine were now pushing for an equaliser and Maddox had to break up an attack by Morgan. Moments later the same Marine player, only some eight yards from goal but towards the edge of the penalty area, got in a shot at Coburn from close range but the Altrincham keeper smothered it well (27 mins). Marine threatened again when Formby prompted a move which ended with Randles's good cross to Bainbridge who produced a header which Coburn held at head height near the post (28 mins).

Altrincham replied with Power breaking free to win a corner under close pressure whilst inside the Marine box (29 mins) but before Hawes could take it, play halted for a referee's lecture to Mark Ward who presumably was making a case for a foul on Power. When it came, Hawes's corner was too low and the next goal threat came at the opposite end after Power had lost the ball to Morgan. Morgan's long ball to Thompson came back to Bainbridge who was in space only five yards from goal but he was unable to react quickly enough to get a foot on it and the ball was cleared (31 mins). Afterwards, Formby came forward for a snap shot at goal which went over the bar, and Marine attacks followed each other in the next few minutes without ever seriously threatening a goal. Some respite was gained for Altrincham when Farley was felled on the right touchline. Mark Ward's freekick was flicked on to Power whose first shot appeared to hit Kevin Ellison before a follow-up by the same player ended up with goalkeeper Clarke. It was then Ellison's turn to go for goal but he wildly overhit his cross and ended up for a moment intertwined on the ground with a Marine player (35 mins).

Once again a Marine through ball went straight into touch for a goalkick as Baines's intentions were not read by his colleagues further forward. Marine's Kevin Formby was booked in the 37th minute for upending Ellison some 40 yards from goal but Ward's freekick, though it found Talbot, came to nothing. Following a quick throw on the Marine left Talbot ushered the ball out for a corner as Bainbridge tried vainly to get to it at the by-line. After the first corner from the left had led to a second, Morgan put this effort woefully low and behind the near post for a goalkick (39 mins). Marine were on the attack again when a good through ball set Thompson in pursuit and Talbot was forced into a hurried and slightly overhit back-pass to Coburn, close behind him. Fortunately, the keeper reacted quickly to boot the ball out for a throw-in.

It was not long before Talbot was involved again, colliding with Maddox as the centre-backs both attempted to clear, with the outcome being a corner off Maddox's head (41 mins) from which Bainbridge headed over the cross bar. A curling 25-yarder from Baines went wide of Coburn's left post as half-time loomed. However, there was time for Ward yet again to initiate a forward movement which sadly ended, for once, in a sub-standard cross from Porter on the left, before Farley played in Ellison for a shot that was blocked by a defender. The last significant action of the half saw Maddox booked after a foul committed some 40 yards from the Altrincham goal; as the booking was not instantaneous it may well have been for dissent. Altrincham had started the game well but allowed Marine to launch numerous attacks as the half wore on and in the latter part of the opening half the visitors had shown little spark at the attacking end of the field. Against more purposeful opposition, the score might have been level at the interval.

The second half kicked off with Altrincham's Golf Road choir in full voice; indeed, they admirably maintained their chants and songs throughout the second half. On the pitch, as in the first half, it took only two minutes for Altrincham to win their first corner, but Clarke comfortably rose to catch Hawes's kick (47 mins). Nevertheless, the first real threat came from Marine. Talbot was penalised for a foul near the half-way line. Gautrey took the kick, Morgan brought it down well and shot firmly but just wide of Coburn's right-hand post (48 mins). Moments later, Hughes's looping cross was played back to Bainbridge whose shot was directed at Coburn, who gathered it safely.

For Altrincham, Power was caught offside as he ran through the defence but Hawes went closer (52 mins) when he shot firmly from 25 yards but lifted the ball over the bar. Power tried to get free again but was wrestled over on the edge of the box and Landon forced a good save from Clarke as he directed the ball low and hard to the keeper's left. Clarke tipped it behind for a corner (53 mins). After his first effort was cleared, Hawes took a second corner which Nulty cleared well off Talbot's head for a throw-in. From this, Power and Talbot tried to engineer a chance in the box but to no avail. Altrincham now kept up the pressure with Ward, Hawes, Gallagher, Farley and Porter all driving forward. However, a lapse by Gallagher led to a Bainbridge shot from the edge of the area but, once more, Marine's shooting was wayward, though this effort was only narrowly wide of the target (56 mins).

Following an off-side decision as Landon entered the Marine penalty area, full-back Porter composed himself admirably before sending a curling shot just wide of Clarke's right post (58 mins). Marine's Gamble entered the referee's book for a foul on Ellison (59 mins) and although Ellison recovered from that incident to get on the end of Landon's resultant lay-off, he shot wide. Although it was Mark Ward who was orchestrating Altrincham's midfield, Gary Talbot showed his own abilities when he won the ball and fed Steve Porter for a cross into the Marine box. Gallagher then got in on the act in a move which also involved Porter, Hawes and Power but a throw was all that Altrincham gained from it.

However, Porter's throw came to Steve Hawes, just outside the box to the left of goal and the midfielder produced a fine shot into Clarke's net as the keeper dived to his left unavailingly. The second goal had arrived after 63 minutes and within two minutes, a third goal had materialised. This came about after Ellison had done well to win a header on the left before moving off into the box, where the ball was returned to him. As the Marine defence appeared to freeze, Ellison took on the keeper from close range and after Clarke had committed himself, Kevin knocked the ball into the empty net from a couple of yards (65 mins).

With Altrincham now cruising, Marine immediately replaced Formby by Neil Black but again it was the visitors who now threatened as Ellison chested the ball down in the box, but Landon was adjudged offside. A subsequent ball that appeared to be going into touch was expertly back-headed by Gallagher on the Altrincham right wing and this set up Landon for a curling shot from 18 yards which went narrowly wide of the Marine right-hand post (68 mins). Marine did not give up and Coburn had to rush out at the other end to smother a shot as Bainbridge bore down on him.

Phil Power then indulged in some "showboating" but the Altrincham man was more productive later when he relayed Mark Ward's pass onto Jason Gallagher who charged into the box from the right but placed his shot just wide of the upright. Marine brough on Karl Robinson for Hughes (73 mins) and this galvanised the impressively speedy Neil Black to race down the right and win a corner. Coburn not only caught the corner-kick but expertly bowled it out some forty yards to Porter who, in turn, played a fine cross-field pass to Power which led to a firm shot from Landon but this was saved by Clarke. Landon then showed skill in flicking the ball on to Gallagher whose cross from the by-line was cleared for a corner.

With Black proving Marine's most potent threat, on the right, the substitute raced down the wing only for Maddox to intercept with a superb covering tackle some 30 yards from goal. Morgan and Black successively got to the by-line but in both instances their crosses were cleared and Gautrey's long-range punt was easily saved by Coburn as Marine sought to give the scoreline some respectability.

Landon was then twice caught offside after good work, in the first instance, between Hawes and Ellison and in the second by Hawes and Gallagher (81 mins). However, Marine's spirit was epitomised by their winning three successive corners, the last of which Coburn caught easily to end the threat to his goal. Once more Ward initiated an Altrincham move but Landon's cross from the right was wasted when Power trod on the ball (83 mins). In reply, Thompson and Black moved forward on Coburn's goal but the threat was seen off. Altrincham finally made a substitution (84 mins) when the hard-working Hawes gave way to Stuart Scheuber.

After play resumed, Ward prompted yet another attack and the ball came, via Gallagher, to Phil Power who with the luxury of a three-goal lead, was able to indulge his innate urge to toy with defenders. On this occasion his deft ball control beat the hapless Baines three times in a confined space, the Marine man ending up on the floor at one stage but Ellison rounded the move of with a poor, high shot (87 mins). Barry Crowe came off the bench in place of Ward for the last two minutes. Immediately, Marine's Black again raced up the wing but from the resulting Altrincham break, the newly arrived Crowe fed and received back the ball from Scheuber in the centre of the pitch, before laying it on to Power.

Power took his time to control the ball before picking his spot and beating Clarke from six yards with a shot across the keeper (88 mins) to record Altrincham's first four-goal tally in a League match for well over a year. This was not, however, the final action, for the hardworking John Morgan cracked a thirty yarder at Coburn which came back off the keeper's right post, although Coburn may have just got a hand to it as well (89 mins). In the final minute, Karl Robinson shot weakly wide as Marine went down to their heaviest defeat of the season to date.

It is probably no coincidence that Altrincham's only defeat this season was in the match which Mark Ward missed, at Accrington, who are the new leaders of the division. With this win, Altrincham regained the sixth place they had occupied before sitting out last Saturday's fixtures and on this form they will be looking to challenge Stanley very shortly for the leadership. Perhaps the greatest bonus from this match was the fine display by the debutant, Steve Porter, at left-back but the performances of Mark Ward and Steve Hawes in midfield were the main motive power for this victory.

Despite the injuries to our forwards (Chambers, Quayle, Furlong), the goals are being scored freely- thirteen in five games whilst at the other end, this was Altrincham's first clean sheet of the season. The goals are coming from a wide variety of players, unlike last year when Ellison and Landon bore the duty of goalscoring almost alone. Coburn had a relatively quiet night but his distribution was generally excellent. Farley, Talbot and Maddox were also steady at the back and Jason Gallagher looks far happier going forward in midfield than tracking back at right-back.

Kevin Ellison was industrious, particularly in the second half and Richard Landon also made some telling lay-offs and had a couple of good shots. Also up-front, Phil Power seems to have recovered his appetite for the game after his two unfortunate dismissals in the latter half of last season. With the able Barry Crowe, Stuart Quinn and Stu Scheuber all fighting for first-team places and the injured Chambers, Quayle, Furlong and Turkington on the sidelines, things are looking up for Altrincham. As for Marine, if they continue to show the spirit they exhibited when trailing in this match, they should soon climb up the table but they look in need of a clinical finisher to take their goalmouth chances.