Match Report

Without an away league win since October and with only one win in the last eight league games, Altrincham went into this match very much the underdogs. Stalybridge were unbeaten at home and had lost only once all season in the league. The Bower Fold has also not been a happy place for Altrincham in recent seasons.

Altrincham put in a good performance and were unlucky not to come away with a point. A slightly fortunate but nonetheless impressive goal won the match for the Celtic. Altrincham continued to lack the vital spark at the offensive end of the pitch which might have converted their possession into a goal.

Ian Craney was reduced to the subs' bench, whilst Richard Landon started for the first time since returning from his spell on loan at Droylsden. Mark Ward, who yesterday revealed that he needs another cartilage operation, named himself as a substitute with James Glendenning being recalled to make up the numbers on the bench. Stuart Scheuber replaced the manager in midfield, whilst Jason Gallagher also started there as opposed to being right-back. For Stalybridge, Martin Filson returned from suspension whilst Parr was out, injured. For Alty fans it was another chance to see Matt NcNeil who had been allowed to leave Moss Lane.

Within three seconds of Altrincham kicking off, Stuart Scheuber was fouled by Matt McNeil, without the ball having left the centre-circle. Moments later Mark Maddox exacted retribution with a foul on his former team-mate, McNeil. Altrincham were soon subjected to the first of many prodigious throw-ins by Filson in the second minute, an impressive art equally well displayed by Locke. This early attempt by Filson led to a blocked shot from Ward. A fine block tackle by Scheuber on Evans, inside the Alty penalty area stifled the next attack (3 mins) before Coburn punched out a cross to clear further potential danger. Stalybridge started strongly and Steve Porter was very fortunate not to concede a penalty when he appeared to bring down Bauress inside the box (6 mins). Alty's best effort at this stage was an easy 20 yarder for keeper Ingham from Steve Hawes. However, Gallagher soon got up the right, only for Andy Scott to shove him over the touchline into the home side's dugout.

Matt McNeil made an impressive opening to the game, holding the ball and laying it off well as he was challenged by Bowker (pictured left). However, Altrincham gained an advantage when a clear handball in centre-field by Landon, was missed by the officials and the ball was played up to Murphy. His shot was deflected for a corner which was cleared (10 mins). Alty then won a free-kick after McNeil took a nip at Gallagher's heels. A foul on Scheuber soon gave Altrincham another free-kick but this only led to two throw-ins to the visitors. The home crowd were becoming irate at the number of free-kicks being awarded to Altrincham though, in truth, the referee got most of the calls correct. The visitors were acquitting themselves well now, their next threat being a move instigated by Hawes which ended when Finney's shot was blocked.

After Sullivan had fed Evans, Bowker made a great tackle to see off any danger at the other end (19 mins). However, Bowker was finding the tall McNeil a handful and conceded a foul to him outside the Alty box. Bauress's free-kick found Andy Scott but soon Alty's Murphy was interchanging passes with Scheuber but the Alty number eleven played a poor ball to lose possession. A long punt from Ingham found Jones who relayed the ball via Evans to Sullivan but the ball ran to Coburn who promptly threw it into touch rather than to a colleague. From the throw-in, the ball came to McNeil and Coburn was forced to make a fine save from a McNeil bicycle kick to knock the ball over the bar (21 mins).

After Bowker had fouled McNeil, in the Celtic half, it was Gallagher who cleared the ball. Then, Jones and Scott set up a McNeil header which fell for Coburn (24 mins). Scheuber next started and finished a move, his last touch being a strong shot which was deflected. The ball ran to Gallagher who advanced into the box and went down under a challenge but no penalty was awarded (26 mins). Scheuber then picked up a poor header from Jones and played the ball to Hawes, who won a throw, on the left. However, A Maddox push on McNeil gave Celtic possession and although Filson clearly pushed an Alty man, the kick by Bauress ended up as a goal-kick to Altrincham. Filson, who wins few friends amongst opposition fans, next fouled Hawes, who responded by clipping the big man's ankles. Filson replied by grabbing Hawes bodily and feigning innocence. Little (Steve Hawes) and Large (Filson) were summoned over by Mr Taylor for a lecture amd Filson was very lucky not see a yellow card. However, the free-kick which resumed play was given for the original foul rather than the retaliation. Bauress's kick rebounded off the Robins' wall. The sides continued to trade attacks with the duel between the impressive McNeil and the resilient youngster, Terry Bowker particularly enthralling. The Stalybridge man soon fouled Scott and was rightly booked (36 mins) and within a minute McNeil had his arm round Bowker's neck to concede a free-kick but no further action from the referee. However, Bowker and McNeil then clashed again in the air and the Altrincham man was now cautioned (38 mins).

McNeil was fouled again after Maddox's poor control had led him to lunge at the Stalybridge front-man to retrieve the ball thirty yards from goal. The free-kick only led to an Altrincham goal-kick. The offences in what was a hard-fought rather than dirty game, continued as Hawes was upended but the ensuing free-kick was taken well by Ingham as Murphy closed in (43 mins). A fine move involving Scheuber, Scott, Hawes, Finney. Gallagher and Murphy ended when the last-named was upended but no free-kick was given (44 mins), The half ended with a long shot over the bar from Ward. Altrincham had held their own, so far, against a physically bigger team, well above them in the league rankings.

After a cross from Murphy had been cleared, Stalybridge broke and Bowker had to block a shot from Evans. Sullivan was fortunate to win a free-kick against Porter but then Altrincham nearly scored when Hawes's ball to Murphy saw the Alty man turn his defender and get into the box only for the referee to stop play for an alleged infringement by Murphy (50 mins). Scheuber was working hard in midfield alongside Hawes and they soon won a corner off Locke. Bowker met Hawes's corner, from the right, with a powerful header which went just wide of the left post as he kept the ball down well (52 mins). Landon was also showing some signs of life and he and Scheuber almost got Gallagher in on goal. A shortish back-pass from Bowker led Coburn to punt the ball into touch as McNeil closed in. At this point Green replaced Evans for the Celtic (56 mins).

Any danger from Locke's long throw was undone by a foul by Filson. Next, Finney got round Locke before the Stalybridge man fouled him. As Filson refused to give up the ball for the free-kick, the referee had to claim it off him but then Filson stood over it to prevent the kick being taken. Filson certainly knows how to win friends; Mr Taylor was not amused and stepped in to lecture him. However, it was soon Maddox who was the butt of the home crowd when his aerial challenge on McNeil ended with the forward being caught by the defender's arm (59 mins). Green's woeful free-kick went over the bar.

Two long throws from Locke were repulsed before McNeil fouled Scott. From Hawes's free-kick, Gallagher was fouled, 30 yards from goal. Play was now end to end but no clear chances resulted to either side. Dickie Landon then gave way to Ian Craney (65 mins)and Sullivan came increasingly into the game on the Stalybridge right wing. The home side looked the more incisive going forward and Coburn had to make another fine save when Jones and Sullivan set up a header for McNeil (68 mins). After a long throw by Filson, Jones flicked the ball on to McNeil but it came back to the centre-line. Near there, Hawes put in a fine tackle on Filson but the ball broke inside to Crookes. He smashed the ball from 30 yards towards Coburn's top right-hand corner. The keeper seemed rooted to the spot, leading Alty fans to assume that the shot was going wide. However, the ball sped into the top corner of the net past the motionless goalkeeper. Had Coburn saved the shot it would have been a magnificent effort but it was disappointing that he either misjudged it or gave up on it because he knew it was going to beat him (72 mins).

Shortly afterwards, Jones headed towards the box, under a challenge from a couple of defenders and as he entered the penalty area he went down under what seemed to be an innocuous challenge, possibly from Murphy. Amazingly, Mr Taylor, who had ignored two equally plausible claims by Altrincham in the first half, pointed to the spot. Unlike the referee in this week's Arsenal v Roma encounter, he did not change his mind despite the visitors' protestations. Justice was done, however, when Coburn made a magnificent save from Bauress's spot-kick, diving to his left. He also saved the follow up superbly (75 mins). Almost at once Murphy took advantage of a great turn by Craney, who got to the by-line on the left and crossed. Murphy's shot seemed to hit a Stalybridge arm, it fell to the keeper and the danger was over for the hosts (78 mins). Craney repeated his act, getting to the by-line, on the right this time, but again the danger was cleared. Gallagher now left the pitch to be replaced by Glendenning in midfield (79 mins).

Play resumed with an Altrincham corner which the keeper claimed well. Porter was then fouled before Craney was penalised (80 mins). Glendenning and Craney then did well for Murphy to get into a shooting position, to the left of goal. However, he shot across the target. Altrincham finished strongly as Filson fouled Glendenning before Sullivan had a run up the other end which ended with his running the ball out for a goal-kick to Coburn. A poor pass by McNeil led Ian Craney to move forward and then Glendenning robbed Green but no clear openings resulted for Altrincham. Coburn caught a cross off McNeil's head at the other end (83 mins) before the tannoy announced Steve Hawes and Matt McNeil as the sponsors' Men of the Match. As the final two minutes ticked away Murphy needed treatment in his own area after tracking back to clear well when Sullivan beat Porter on the flank.

This result meant that Altrincham's wretched away record continued but this was a spirited performance and Stalybridge can consider themselves somewhat fortunate to have taken all three points. It is true that Coburn was the busier keeper but Altrincham enjoyed more than their fair share of possession and with a sharper strike force might have taken something from this game. The Altrincham defence looked solid again with Bowker and Maddox at its heart. Only Landon had a quiet game for the Robins but, as we know, he can often strike a decisive goal out of the blue. Steve Hawes was again approaching the kind of form which made him a regular Man of the Match early in the season but Danny Murphy was again not quite as impressive as he has been, though he made a number of important contributions. If Mark Ward's side play anywhere near as well as this next Tuesday, they should come back from Colwyn Bay with three points. Whatever Altrincham fans may feel about the Unibond League, it has provided more exciting games this season, like this one, than we witnessed last year in the Conference - even if the end-result has not been our achievement of promotion.