Match Report

Alty last visited Stainton Park for a league match in 1997/98, but the Robins' Youth team had won here earlier this season in an exciting FA Youth Cup match. This match itself clashed with Altrincham's FA Youth Cup match at Moss Lane against Hallam, so the visiting fans were lacking a few regular faces but nevertheless travelled in good numbers and were in good voice, as the game started with the "Moss Lane choir" filling the airwaves.

For those who have not visited Stainton Park, it is a confined ground with a marked slope from one end to the other. However, it has an excellent club house, the pitch was in good condition and the floodlights had been recently restored to full brightness

Both teams were in need of a win. Radcliffe had lost their last three league games whilst Altrincham had won just once in ten starts. Radcliffe had yet to keep a clean sheet this season whilst Alty had not done so either, since the first day of the season at Alfreton.

TEAM NEWS

Altrincham restored Chris Adams to left-back after two matches playing in left midfield to accommodate new signing Jason van Blerk. Van Blerk was on the bench as was Nick Welton and the less than fully match-fit Michael Reynolds. The previously ever-present Steve Aspinall was not in the squad tonight. Alty brought in left-sided midfielder Barry Shuttleworth, who has been plagued by injury and illness this season, back into their starting line-up.

In the Radcliffe line-up was Niell Hardy, whilst another ex-Robin, Dickie Landon, was on the bench. Former Alty keeper Ian Senior was also present, assisting Boro' keeper Danny Hurst in his warm-up routines. Chris Denham, linked with a move from Stalybridge to Alty in close season, was back in Boro's side after a hamstring problem.

RADCLIFFE BOROUGH (Blue shirts, shorts and socks): 1. Danny HURST, 2. Richard BATTERSBY, 3. Tony WHEALING, 4. Simon KELLY, 5. Davey LUKER, 6. Chris DENHAM, 7. Karl MARGESON, 8. Simon CARDEN, 9. Niell HARDY, 10. Jody BANIM, 11. James PRICE. Subs: 12. Steven SPENCER, 14. Gary SAMPSON, 15. Richard LANDON.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, white shorts, red socks): 1. Ben WILLIAMS, 2. Gary SCOTT, 3. Chris ADAMS, 4. Mark MADDOX, 5. Gary TALBOT, 6. Stephen ROSE, 7. Dave GARDNER, 8. Ian CRANEY, 9. Peter BAND, 10. Rod THORNLEY (capt.), 11. Barry SHUTTLEWORTH. Subs: 12. Michael REYNOLDS, 14. Jason van BLERK, 15. Nick WELTON.

REPORT

The game kicked off a couple of minutes late with Alty attacking the end where Radcliffe's main stand is situated. Radcliffe won a corner on their left after four minutes when a fast, low cross from the right was deflected out by a defender. As with all of their flag-kicks in this game, Battersby and Margeson went over to the flag to put into practice one of several pre-rehearsed routines. From this first one, Battersby played it short for Margeson to run onto and his shot needed an alert block from the Alty defence. With the Alty fans singing loudly behind the Radcliffe goal, more of the early action was at the opposite end of the ground. Denham, on the right, was proving a handful but the Altrincham defence saw him off again when he threatened, after eight minutes. Alty's first real shot was a 22 yarder from Shuttleworth which went wide (9 mins). With Shuttleworth prepared to get forward up the left, Altrincham were looking more fluent in that department than in recent games. Alty's next effort was also a long range one, from about 25 yards by Rose, but it went comfortably wide.

Scott, Maddox, Talbot and Adams were all being kept busy as Radcliffe attacked with pace and constantly switched play from left to right or vice versa, with Denham and Banim both looking lively. But the Alty back four were doing their job well and Williams was busy giving his new defensive colleagues vocal instructions. It was Denham, again, who soon fed Margeson for a shot well over the bar (14 mins). However, Alty threatened when Craney advanced but his final pass ran to Price. After a Talbot free-kick, the ball then came to the Alty left where Adams overlapped well with Shuttleworth to win a throw in the left corner, which in turn led to Altrincham's first corner-kick. Unfortunately Shuttleworth mishit this, short, into the side netting (16 mins).

A couple of successive Altrincham throws and a Band nod to Hurst signalled Altrincham's improvement after Radcliffe's early pressure. However, the visitors had a major scare a minute later when from Battersby's pass, Banim played an excellent 30 yard pass from the right to Hardy, who volleyed the ball into the net with aplomb. However, the flag had gone up and the whistle had sounded before the ball reached the former Alty striker so the effort was ruled out for offside (18 mins). Immediately, Thornley got into a good position in the box but the ball stuck under his feet. Good work by Banim saw Kelly win a corner on the right from which Maddox headed out another Battersby/Margeson corner routine for a further Radcliffe corner, on their left (21 mins).

Scott then prompted a move, via Shuttleworth, Gardner, Rose and Band, for Craney to win his side a corner. Gardner's corner was cleared before a fine block by Maddox from Hardy gave Radcliffe their fourth corner of the game. This led to a goalkick, following which Thornley, on the left, got the ball to Gardner in the left of the box but Dave's firm shot from a wide angle missed the target (25 mins). Next, a cross from Scott on the right was caught easily by Hurst. The sides now traded attacks as Radcliffe's early pace seemed to have flagged a little. From a freekick inside his own half by Adams, Shuttleworth's lob ran to Hurst (30 mins). Alty had another scare when Rose's misplaced pass to Kelly led to a low cross from Denham which Williams pushed out well for a throw-in. The next Alty attack saw Scott's cross nodded on to Hurst by Band. Soon afterwards Gardner and Rose combined well to feed Thornley whose good control saw him jink past a defender into the box where he drove a firm shot into the top corner of the net to the keeper's right, from about 12 yards (35 mins).

From the re-start Radcliffe won two corners in succession which were cleared. A Scott cross needed Battersby to head clear before Adams recovered well to take the ball from the advancing Banim on the Boro' right. Thornley's pass then allowed Band a shot which went wide before Radcliffe won another corner through Banim. Maddox headed the corner well clear but it fell to Whealing whose firm, curling shot went just wide (43 mins). Just before the break, Gardner did well on the right and fed Craney, who was inside the box. Ian got past a marker to the by-line where his cross/shot was not held by Hurst at the near post and Barry Shuttleworth came in to poke the ball home, the ball and Barry both ending up in the net (45 mins). Half-time arrived less than a minute later with Alty two goals ahead but Radcliffe leading 7-2 on corner kicks. With the memory of last Tuesday when Alty led 2-0 at the interval but ended up drawing at Southport and the knowledge that Boro had come from two down to beat Stalybridge earlier this season, the match was far from over at this stage. Nevertheless, Altrincham had played well with their defence holding out against a lively attack, the midfield getting forward whenever it could and Thornley once again looking lively up front.

An early Radcliffe attack up the right was halted by Shuttleworth but hopes of a Boro comeback were soon undone. Adams fed Thornley, in space, on the left and as he advanced Rod slid the ball inside to Dave Gardner who had made a good run into the box. The Alty number seven finished off the move to give Altrincham a three-goal lead (49 mins). A fourth goal almost followed when Thornley was inches away from connecting with the ball which Hurst just got to first. Radcliffe's nearest effort at this stage was a left-foot strike, well over the bar from Banim (53 mins). Hardy then miskicked a good chance when Denham got in a good pass to his left from inside the box. From Hardy's second attempt from 15 yards the ball was blocked. Banim was injured in setting up the chance but after lengthy treatment, to what appeared to be a chest injury, he resumed and immediately was racing forward again, only to be stopped inside the box by a fine tackle from Maddox (59 mins).

Stephen Rose then played a fine 60 yard pass to Thornley but, for once, Rod's initial control let him down and the ball ran to Hurst. Adams and Talbot then combined to see off Carden in the box, but conceded a corner in the process. Talbot dealt with the next attack as Radcliffe came at Altrincham once again. After a Maddox mis-kick Scott was injured but got up just in time to win a goalkick (66 mins). Altrincham were now looking reasonably comfortable despite Radcliffe's attacks but Hurst was little employed in the Boro' goal at this stage. Williams then covered a Hardy shot well (70 mins) before a weak lob from Margeson ran easily to the Alty keeper (72 mins). A Hardy header got a slight deflection to win another corner for his side, but Williams claimed this well (73 mins). Gardner threatened for Alty on the break but a good tackle in the box by Price ended his advance. A Radcliffe cross from the right then bounced through the Alty goalmouth but was eventually cleared. Alty were soaking up the pressure well as Williams now claimed a mis-hit shot from Banim (81 mins).

Altrincham now brought on Reynolds for Thornley, who left to a deserved ovation (82 mins). The sub immediately conceded a freekick, which Scott cleared. Williams then made a fine save after a Talbot clearance had gone to Carden which led to a shot from Whealing to which Williams got down well to his left as he saw the ball late through a ruck of players (85 mins). In the last minute of normal time, with Alty assistant manager Dalton Steele risking injury to himself by waving his crutches to urge the team on, the two minutes to go board was displayed. Almost immediately Banim did well in the right side of the Alty box and he drove a good shot diagonally past Williams from 12 yards to make it 1-3 (88 mins). It was too late to enable Boro' to retrieve anything from the game and they suffered their fourth successive league reverse.

For Alty it was only their second win of the season, both secured away from home. After four successive away league games, Alty return to Moss Lane on Saturday looking for their first home win and if they can reproduce this form they should achieve it. Whilst supporters- and especially the hard-working but cash-strapped Alty Board - will be sorry that this performance did not come last Saturday in the FA Cup, everyone was happy see Altrincham rise to 16th in the league and edge closer to the qualifying places for Conference North. Along with the Droylsden game this was Alty's best performance of the season.