Match Report

SUMMARY:

Lacking six first-team regulars (Adams, Scott, Aspinall, Thornley, Talbot and Hardy) and fielding 3 players (Baguley, Bailey and Hutchinson) who had only joined the club 24 hours earlier, Alty took a three goal lead before weathering a period of second-half pressure from Trinity. Jamie Baguley, loaned from Stockport County, drove home a superb opener from more than 20 yards (11 mins) before Marcus Hallows headed home Baguley's free-kick to double the lead (36 mins). Hallows netted again from Bailey's nod on (51 mins) before Trinity goals from Ellington (59 mins) and Allison (66 mins) set up a tense period for Altrincham. With Coburn making a couple of fine saves and the defence holding firm, Alty survived and rode out the closing stages. After recent results it was a performance to lift the spirits of manager Graham Heathcote and of Alty's vocal band of travelling supporters.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr A Page (Ilkeston)

The sides had drawn 2-2 in September at Moss Lane, when Gainsborough's goals had been a penalty and a Peter Band own goal. Recently both sides' form had been indifferent with Alty losing their last three league matches and Gainsborough winning only one of their last seven league outings.

TEAM NEWS

Above: Ryan Hutchinson & Jamie Baguley.

Altrincham had had a desperate fortnight in which Adams, Scott, and Hardy had all been ruled out by injury for the rest of the season; Thornley had been ordered to rest after his brief comeback from injury; Talbot was suspended, and Aspinall was unfit to play tonight. So, manager Graham Heathcote had drafted in three new young recruits on Monday. They were Jamie Baguley and Matthew Bailey, both loaned for a month from Stockport County, and Ryan Hutchinson signed from Stoke City. All started tonight in an Alty team in which only Band, Rose and Craney had started more than 18 league games this season.

Trinity showed just one change from the side which lost at Leek on Saturday, with former Frickley man, Chris Hurst, returning in place of Chris Dickman.

GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY (Blue shirts and socks, white shorts): 1. Tom LINDLEY, 2. Ben PURKISS, 3. Adam BURLEY, 4. Chris TIMONS, 5. Carl SMITH, 6. Neil ALLISON, 7. Bryan CRAIG, 8. Chris HURST, 9. Lee ELLINGTON, 10. Luke STATON, 11. Gareth GRANT. Subs: 12. Stuart REDDINGTON, 14. Martin DRURY, 15. Russ HANNAH.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. Stephen ROSE, 3.Barry SHUTTLEWORTH, 4. Mark MADDOX, 5. Peter BAND, 6. Ged KIELTY, 7. Ryan HUTCHINSON, 8. Ian CRANEY (capt.), 9. Marcus HALLOWS, 10. Matthew BAILEY, 11. Jamie BAGULEY. Subs: 12. Stuart WRIGHT, 14. Steve LUNT, 15. Kieran LUGSDEN.

REPORT

Alty started with Stephen Rose assigned to the right-back berth and Mark Maddox returning at centre-back for his second league start since mid-December. Despite Mark's return, Ian Craney retained the captaincy of a side containing three young debutants. On the right flank was Ryan Hutchinson, on the left was Jamie Baguley, and up front with Marcus Hallows was 6ft 4inch Matthew Bailey, forming Alty's tallest strike pairing for many a year.

Right: Matthew Bailey.

In front of a disappointing gate of 357 which, nevertheless, was twice the crowd at the top-seven clash between Alfreton and Harrogate tonight, Altrincham kicked off. A fine ball from Rose to Hallows saw the Alty striker's lob from 30 yards just stopped by the retreating home keeper, Lindley, who had played against us for Hucknall earlier this season (3 mins). Trinity's first chance came when Ellington's cross from the left was half-cleared to Staton but he shot very high over the bar from 22 yards (5 mins). Soon, Burley cut in from the left and shot across the Alty goal from 25 yards as Coburn carefully monitored the ball's progress past his left upright (6 mins). Bailey was beginning to make use of his height to win the ball for Alty, especially from throw-ins and he also showed a neat touch with the ball on the deck. After Baguley had done well on the left and had almost got clear, referee Page surprisingly stopped play for an Alty freekick rather than allowing the youngster the advantage. Rose's well struck curling free-kick, from the left touchline 35 yards out, was caught well by Lindley at the back post (8 mins). A good clearance from Shuttleworth then saw off the next Trinity probe but it was Altrincham who soon took the lead in spectacular fashion. From Rose's long cross from the right, Bailey nodded the ball left to Baguley whose superbly struck low, curling shot gave Lindley no chance, from some 20 yards out on the left-front of the penalty area. The shot whistled into the bottom corner of the net, to the left of the keeper (11 mins). Before the goal, Baguley had shown a willingness to take on his opponents and the goal proved that he also had a fine shot in his armoury.

Gainsborough immediately responded when, from Purkiss's free-kick, the ball involuntarily came off Maddox's legs and only narrowly went past the Alty upright for a corner on the Trinity left. Kielty hacked the corner clear. Then a foul on the lively Hallows gave Alty a free-kick but Lindley caught Shuttleworth's kick just as Bailey arrived behind the Gainsborough keeper (14 mins). Altrincham were playing well despite the influx of new players, unused to each other's play. However, Gainsborough won the game's second corner, which Coburn half-punched out before a defender completed the clearance. Kielty was doing well in midfield and twice won the ball in quick succession. However, Mr Page, who had a generally good game, for the second time in the game, now gave Alty a freekick when advantage would have been the better option. This time Bailey had done well and was getting into a good position when the whistle went. Craney's free-kick went to the keeper (21 mins).

At the back Band and Maddox were doing well despite not playing together in central defence for some time. Alty soon threatened the Gainsborough goal again when Bailey and Hallows combined and, from the latter's cross from the left, Hutchinson's good header at the back post was cleared (24 mins). Surprisingly, some of the Gainsborough fans in the stand were already beginning to criticise their team's performance as Altrincham continued to enjoy the upper hand. After the matchball had been changed by the referee, Gainsborough won their third corner but Craney cleared this (33 mins). A good move involving Shuttleworth and Craney saw Hutchinson advance and find Hallows, who was fouled. From the right, Baguley curled in a well struck free-kick which Hallows headed firmly into the top of the net to the keeper's left to make it 2-0 to the visitors (36 mins).

For Gainsborough, Ellington had looked their liveliest attacking player but he was being well contained by the Alty defence. Further forward, Altrincham were passing the ball well and had advanced on the right where Hallows and Timons clashed heads in the air. Timons, the former Alty captain, was up first but had to go off for a minute for a head cut to be dealt with. Hallows eventually resumed as well. Just before the two minutes of added time were announced, Shuttleworth prompted a move which almost gave Altrincham a third goal. From his pass, Bailey showed good control and fed Hallows who was advancing into the box. Hallows went left to get round the keeper and curled an excellent shot back across goal but it came back firmly off the inside of the far upright and was cleared. Half-time came with Altrincham having played their best football of the previous three weeks, a performance all the more creditable for the makeshift nature of the side caused by injuries.

Trinity's Chris Timons emerged for the second half with a dressing on his right temple, following his first-half injury. As Gainsborough started the half, the travelling Altrincham fans gave their side strong support from behind the Trinity goal. After a good long pass from Rose had found Craney, he was fouled just inside the opposition half. Rose's freekick was cleared but came out to Shuttleworth who hammered in a well-struck 35-yarder, which Lindley did very well to tip round the post for Alty's first corner, taken from the right by Baguley (50 mins). Bailey rose well to nod the ball goalwards where, in a ruck of bodies, Hallows managed to poke the ball over the line at the back post and ran to celebrate with the Alty fans behind the goal (51 mins). A defender cleared the ball but the linesman confirmed to the referee that the ball had crossed the line. Hallows has now netted 6 times in 13 (+1) league starts.

Gainsborough replied by winning a corner when Maddox headed out Grant's cross from the left. From the corner, Craig shot high over the bar from 22 yards. With the Alty fans singing and their side three-up, Gainsborough showed some good determination and began to enjoy their best spell of the game. Grant, valued at £20,000 by his club, had been fairly quiet in the first half but now began to cause problems on the left, whilst Ellington continued to be a danger, too, as did Craig on the right. But Altrincham continued to close them down well and from a breakaway it was Altrincham who won the game's next corner, when Bailey knocked the ball out off Allison. Baguley's corner was cleared.

Gainsborough resumed their pressure and Alty manager Graham Heathcote voiced concerns to his side that they were "getting slack". No sooner had he said this than Trinity scored. A flick-on found Ellington, who turned well and poked the ball into the bottom corner of the net, to Coburn's right from a central position, about 12 yards out (59 mins). Immediately Gainsborough replaced Burley by Drury at left back.

Gainsborough were now inspired by their goal but when Ellington won a freekick just outside the box he seemed to be fortunate to win the decision as he went down very easily. The freekick was cleared but soon Grant caused more problems and from his cross from the left, Craig's header back across goal was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Coburn for a corner on the Trinity left (63 mins).

Soon a long ball found Ellington but his scissor-kick shot flew over the bar; however, he was given offside. Nevertheless it was "backs to the wall" for Altrincham at this stage and Coburn had to make a good punch clear from a freekick from 35 yards out on the Gainsborough left (64 mins). The respite was short for a long curling ball forward by Staton found Allison who headed firmly past Coburn, into the top corner, from somewhere near the penalty spot (66 mins). Soon afterwards, Hallows gave the ball away cheaply and in attempting to recover possession gave Gainsborough a freekick by fouling Grant just outside the left front edge of the box. Coburn caught Drury's resulting free-kick well, however.

Alty now brought on Stuart Wright for Hutchinson, who had seen relatively little of the ball in the second half. The left-sided Wright nevertheless slotted into Hutchinson's right-flank position (67 mins). The pressure on Alty continued and when Drury and Grant induced an error from Maddox, Alty were pleased to see Ellington lash his shot over the bar (70 mins). Grant continued to torment the Alty defence but fortunately shot wide from 18 yards (72 mins). At last Alty relieved the pressure when Wright found Baguley and he in turn located Craney who flicked the ball up with his right foot and swivelled to drive a left-foot volley over the bar from just inside the box (73 mins). Next Alty brought on 17 year-old Kieran Lugsden up front in place of Bailey (74 mins). Alty now enjoyed a slight respite from the Trinity attack before the referee sent Timons off to have his head dressing replaced. At this point, Steve Lunt, another Alty teenager, came on in place of Baguley who seemed to have picked up a minor injury a little earlier (76 mins).

Band then had to concede a corner after Maddox had gone for the same ball as Coburn and caused some defensive confusion. After this, Allison prompted another fine save from Coburn as manager Graham Heathcote tried to fire up his side for the closing stages (79 mins). An Ellington turn and shot over the bar soon followed (81 mins) and two minutes later the tannoy announced the Gainsborough striker to be the home side's Man of the Match. Rose, Maddox and Shuttleworth then saw off Trinity moves but two Gainsborough corners followed in quick succession, the second almost going straight into the Alty net but just clearing the bar as three minutes of added time were displayed. Kieran Lugsden then managed an acrobatic shot at the other end which went wide before Hallows tried an ambitious volley at the back post from a Lunt cross, as Alty rode out the final minutes fairly comfortably.

Though Altrincham made their manager and supporters sweat by conceding twice in seven minutes, overall this was an excellent performance by a team unused to each other's play. Of the newcomers, Baguley looked a useful acquisition on the left, whilst Bailey enjoyed a good first half and his height gave Altrincham an extra option. Hutchinson saw relatively little of the ball but will hopefully bed in to the side. The more established players also did well. Coburn made several fine saves and players such as Rose and Shuttleworth did well in positions which are not their first-choice. Band, as ever, was impressive in defence and Mark Maddox did well given his lack of match practice in recent weeks. In midfield Ged Kielty had his best match since his "second coming" and Craney, too, had some impressive moments. Hallows deserved his goals and has now become second leading-scorer with 7 goals in 17+1 league and cup games. Whilst the win did not improve Alty's league placing last night it consolidated their position in the top 13 but a win over Bradford Park Avenue on Saturday remains vital.