TEAM NEWS

This may partly have been due to the fact that the Youth team had played only 48 hours earlier and the Reserves were playing 24 hours later so their players could not be used on a large scale. Altrincham adopted a three-at-the-back formation with less disastrous results than when such an experiment was abandoned after 45 minutes against Bishop Auckland. Apart from the keepers, only Kevin Ellison adopted the modern custom of wearing gloves in wintry weather. "Our main problem from the beginning of the season has been the vast number of players we have had to use to try and sort out a balanced defence. We have never had a settled back four playing together for more than two or three games, hence there has been no stability in the defence". This quote from Ossett's first-team coach could equally well have been penned by Mark Ward.

The hosts have been ravaged by injury this season and amongst the absentees were centre-back Boardman and striker Jackson, as well as recent signing Evangelatos. However, Alty fans did have a chance to see what they had missed in Michael Midwood, who had been rumoured to be joining us earlier this season.

MATCH REPORT

Although Smithard got in a low shot at Coburn a minute later, Altrincham soon reasserted themselves. A Finney flick to Craney ended with the latter's shot being deflected for another corner on the left, which this time was cleared. Alty were not having it wholly their own way, as Ossett themselves won a corner on their left after 8 minutes before Lambert found his way into the ref's notebook for a bad foul on Finney (10 mins). However Lambert was instrumental in winning a home corner on their right soon after his indiscretion as Ossett sought to recover from their early concession of a goal.

Altrincham nearly got into a dangerous position again when Murphy received the ball from Ward but he and Finney misread each other's intentions and Murphy's flick ended up with an Ossett defender deep inside the penalty area (16 mins). A more direct approach, a long punt by Coburn, set Finney racing into the box but the striker shot wide of the right post (18 mins).

After Glendenning had cleared an Ossett thrust, Murphy lost possession to the impressive Sykes and Midwood advanced up the left from his pass. Midwood's cross found Smithard in acres of space slightly to the right of goal. His first touch was poor and his second even worse, his shot bobbling well wide when he really should have scored (21 mins). Midwood and Sykes formed a good partnership on the Ossett left throughout the game and proved to be the hosts' most potent threat. Soon, Midwood cut in from the left again and got in a decent low shot at Coburn.

But Altrincham doubled their lead moments later when Craney fed Scheuber, whose first attempt from 10 yards was well saved, but Scheuber finished off the rebound (23 mins). Craney himself almost made it three when Murphy cut the ball back shortly afterwards but the parried save found Finney and Scheuber getting in each other's way and the ball was screwed wide (24 mins). An Ellison, Hawes and Scheuber move ended with Ryan Gray's foul on Scheuber on the halfway line (25 mins). A foul by Craney gave Ossett a free-kick soon after from a similar range, but this came to nothing.

Altrincham replaced Maddox by Farley (29 mins) before Midwood played in Lambert for a header at Coburn and then Finney was caught offside at the other end (30 mins). A sustained move by Ossett went across the pitch twice and forward progress was made. This led to a home-side corner on the right as Hawes deflected Smithard's cross (32 mins). After Kevin Ellison appeared to be sandwiched off the ball in centre-pitch, Midwood tried to lob Coburn from 25 yards and the keeper had to back-pedal smartly to tip the ball over his cross-bar.

Stuart did less well with the resulting corner, dropping it before recovering possession. After an Ossett move up the left had been seen off by Talbot, Ian Craney played a fine ball to Murphy in the right-side of the Ossett penalty area and he slid a ball across the face of goal to Finney who had advanced to within six feet of the by-line beyond the backpost. Without hesitation, Finney expertly slotted the ball past Bennett at his near post for an excellent third goal (35 mins). Smithard then became the second Ossett player to be booked, for a foul on Ellison.

Following the free-kick from midfield, the ball came to Murphy in roughly the same position from which he had set up the third goal. This time he crashed a shot against the underside of the bar from six yards and it bounced down and out of the goal but struck the retreating keeper Bennett's foot and went back into the Ossett net to seal the game for Altrincham (36 mins).

A bad patch for Ossett was crowned when their captain, Stabb was booked following a crude foot-up foul on Craney (40 mins). Mark Ward's free-kick went straight into the defensive wall. After a stoppage for treatment to Murphy, who had slipped after colliding with a defender, Ossett won a free-kick 35 yards out from Altrincham's goal. Fuller's free-kick came off Sykes and rather fortuitously reached Coburn. The sides then traded attacks till half time with the last attempt being Ryan Gray's shot well over the bar after the hapless Smithard had been victim of a bad bobble of the ball when a shooting chance had presented itself.

A routine ball into the box seemed to be being left by the Ossett defence for their keeper to field. However, Bennett came forward but seemed not to make it to the ball and Hawes trundled the ball in to an empty net (63 mins). Midwood tried to claw something back for his side with a good left-foot shot at Coburn. Then, Adam Farley shepherded the ball out for a goalkick as Midwood menaced again on the left (66 mins).

As the bizarre sight of a young Ossett fan in a Paris St Germain shirt hopping past the front of the stand on a micro-scooter threatened to divert the spectators' attention, Ossett's Lambert, Beech and Midwood unsuccessfully attempted to break down the Altrincham defence. For Altrincham's part Murphy was caught off-side twice inside sixty seconds (72 mins) and he earned a lecture from the referee for protesting. Next, Hawes was upended in the centre of the pitch and won a free-kick (74 mins).

This was overhit by Glendenning but another free-kick followed when Fuller caught Craney. This time Glendenning was on the end of the kick but his header ran harmlessly to Bennett.

Just before he was substituted by Sam Polli, Beech was let in by Midwood and fired in a firm shot which just cleared the crossbar but left Coburn unconcerned (75 mins). Following this a twelve-pass Altrincham move achieved no more than getting the ball to Coburn by a very circuitous route. Far more incisive was a fine long pass from Hawes which set Murphy cantering up the right but his shot from 20 yards was not cleanly hit and ran to Bennett.

Midwood continued to probe the right side of the visitors' defence but on this occasion the ball ran away from him and he fouled Glendenning to concede a free-kick (79 mins). The second-half was something of an anti-climax after the four goals of the first-half, as Altrincham now opted to allow Ossett a lot of possession and attempt to soak up the resulting pressure. The indefatigable Midwood tried twice more to break through in the succeeding minutes but the best he could achieve was a shot over the bar from a tight angle when a cross might have been a better option (82 mins).

An Ossett assault from the other side of the pitch finally paid dividends with substitute Polli, inside the box, passing across goal to Sykes who finished well from five yards in an unmarked position towards the back post (85 mins). Altrincham at present seem incapable of keeping a clean sheet.

As the minutes ticked away, a fine ball forward from Farley found Finney who delayed his shot long enough for it to be blocked (87 mins). Scott got up the left shortly after this but Bennett held his cross, albeit at the second attempt. Before the crowd could retreat to warmer surroundings there was a stoppage for treatment to Mairs's leg, after he had been caught by Polli.

In injury time, Murphy got up the right channel but put in a shot that was so misdirected from 20 yards that it did not even go out of play to the left of its target. After this result, Hyde now lead the Cup Group with seven points from Altrincham, who have five points. So, Altrincham can only progress if Ossett can either draw or win at Ewen Fields on 29 January and, in the event of a draw in that match, if Altrincham can not only beat Stocksbridge but also score sufficient goals in doing so to overtake Hyde's goal tally. Otherwise, it is the President's Cup for Altrincham and who knows to which grounds that may take us?