Match Report

SUMMARY:

In a very entertaining FA Trophy tie Altrincham were very good value for their draw after dominating the second half. However, Gainsborough had started the better and taken the lead after 25 minutes when Staton's corner was nodded back across goal for Parker to score. Earlier, Bird had missed a couple of chances for Trinity. Alty upped their game in the second half and equalised with a fine header, which the tannoy credited to Hallows, from an Aspinall cross from the right. However, Owen appears to have been the actual scorer (53 mins). A lively second half saw Alty display more of the attacking ideas, running out the winners 10 to 4 on the corner count. Hussin, Adams and Owen were booked.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr Craig GRUNDY (South Yorkshire)

Altrincham had beaten Gainsborough by a rather flattering 4-1 margin at Moss Lane at the start of the season. But in the league Gainsborough were only two points behind The Robins, with a game in hand.

The pitch at The Northolme was in its normal excellent condition and the ground had its customary neat and tidy appearance. The match was played on a dry but dull afternoon, with a surface made slightly soft by November's rain.

TEAM NEWS

Altrincham retained the squad which had done so well against Alfreton last week with the only change being on the bench, where former Youth team and current Reserves' midfielder, Lewis Chalmers, replaced Steve Torpey.

Gainsborough again excluded Gareth Grant from the starting line-up and the talented front man seems to be destined for a move elsewhere if press stories are to be believed. So, Simon Bird remained as Lee Ellington's strike partner today.

GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY (Blue shirts and shorts, white shorts) 1. Jamie HOLMSHAW, 2. Wes PARKER, 3. Adam BURLEY, 4. Neil ALLISON, 5. Richard PELL, 6. Simon BIRD, 7. Danny WOOD, 8. Chris HURST, 9. Lee ELLINGTON, 10. Luke STATON, 11. Matty CAUDWELL. Subs: 12. Gareth GRANT. 13 Nicky SCAIFE (gk), 14. Carl SMITH, 15. Ben PURKISS, 16. Rob O'BRIEN.

ALTRINCHAM (Red and white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks.) 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. Stephen ASPINALL, 3. Chris ADAMS, 4. Peter BAND (capt.), 5. Gary TALBOT, 6. Val OWEN, 7. Colin POTTS, 8. Eddie HUSSIN, 9. Marcus HALLOWS, 10. Colin LITTLE, 11. Gary SCOTT. Subs: 12. Mark MADDOX, 14. Rod THORNLEY, 15. Kieran LUGSDEN, 16. Sean SMITH, 17. Lewis CHALMERS.

REPORT

After changing ends, Altrincham kicked off and, within 90 seconds, Eddie Hussin was being lectured by Mr Grundy. Trinity started the better and after three minutes Coburn had to make a good save from Caudwell's well-hit effort from 20 yards from an Adams headed clearance. Alty should have been made to pay when an error by Talbot allowed Bird to get goalside of the defender but his weak effort went well wide (6 mins). Gainsborough's good start continued when they won the match's first corner, thorugh Staton's efforts on the left (9 mins). Coburn dropped the freekick but had been fouled in doing so and a freekick was awarded. Bird then wasted another good chance when a good ball from Staton set him completely clear on goal but Coburn blocked his shot well (11 mins).

For Altrincham Owen and Hussin were impressing in central midfield, where they were flanked by Scott on the left and Potts on the right. Though Alty remained largely on the back foot, Band's excellent ball forward allowed Hallows to feed Little for a good shot, which Holmshaw saved (17 mins). Generally, Pell and Allison were eating up any aerial balls aimed at Hallows but slowly Altrincham began to get themselves organised. But Gainsborough then won their second corner of the game as Adams blocked Ellington's advance. The corner, from the right, was taken left footed by Staton whose curling kick found Allison, who rose well at the back post, as Coburn remained on his line, to nod the ball back across the goalmouth to Parker, who netted his first senior goal for Trinity (25 mins). Coburn then almost gifted Trinity a second goal when, following the resumption of play after the goal, he came over to the right touchline some twenty yards from his goal line. His attempted clearance went to Caudwell whose well aimed lob for goal from 30 yards was heading towards the net till Adams made a timely headed clearance (27 mins).

A Little shot gained a deflection to win Alty's first corner and signal an improvement in their play. Potts's corner yielded a second flag-kick but this one was struck too deeply for Hussin, beyond the back post, to get to properly (30 mins). Scott began to make some inroads on the left whilst Little always looked capable of creating something with his good ball control. But at the other end Wood wasted a good chance when he weakly headed to Coburn in situation where he had time to control the ball before shooting (33 mins). A Potts shot, at the end of a good attack with Little, yielded another Alty corner but this was cleared. Gainsborough then won two corners in succession. The first again saw Staton find Allison whose firm header produced a point blank save of some quality by Coburn (36 mins).

A fine cross from Potts then almost found Scott but was well intercepted by Allison, the Trinity assistant player-manager. Then Holmshaw was alert to clear as Hallows looked about to latch onto to an underhit Trinity back pass (38 mins). Alty then won two corners in succession as they now had marginally the upper hand. Adams then won his side their sixth corner of the half and from Potts's cross Holmshaw failed to hold the ball as he collided with a team-mate but Talbot could only hook the loose it well wide (44 mins). After a very entertaining half, Altrincham went off to regroup, trailing by the only goal of the game.

When Hussin was involved in a minor fracas a minute after the break, manager Graham Heathcote, who had come down to the dugout after spending the first half in the stand, reminded his players to keep their "minds on the job". In an early foray into the Alty box, Coburn smothered the ball to end any danger before Band and Hallows fed Potts, whose cross forced Parker into a dangerous clearance over his own bar for a corner. This was cleared but the Alty manager called for his side to "up the tempo" and they did just that. A ball from Aspinall found Hallows whose cross from the right was cut out. As the travelling supporters cheered their team forward their team was almost caught out on the counter attack when a good ball from Staton set up Bird whose well executed chip was brilliantly caught, one-handed, by the back-pedalling Coburn (52 mins). When Alty won a throw on the right, some 20 yards from goal, there was a delay as no Alty player seemed to be making any movement to receive the ball. But, out of this unpromising situation Alty equalised as Little fed Aspinall and his firm cross was met by a melee of players before arrowing into the net off Owen's head. The tannoy attributed the goal to Hallows, but Owen seemed to take the applause and it was he who was unnecessarily booked as play resumed, presumably for over enthusiastic celebration as the players ran towards their supporters (53 mins).

The sides exchanged attacks in an open and enjoyable game. Alty went close again when Aspinall fed Little who controlled the ball well and glided past a challenge as he came left along the front edge of the box. His shot was well saved by Holmshaw from 17 yards (61 mins). Scott and Hallows then won an Alty corner as the visitors now had the upper hand. Band was having a good game at the back and he saw off an attempted counter-attack as the game developed into an excellent, entertaining cup tie. A perceptive ball forward from Band almost found Hussin's head inside the box, but Holmshaw just got to the ball first (73 mins). For Trinity Caudwell continued to impress on the left and the former Worksop man set up a move which ended with Staton's shot over the stand. For Trinity, the normally dangerous Ellington was being well policed by the Alty defence.

At the other end, an Adams cross produced a creditable header from Hallows which Holmshaw saved comfortably (74 mins). Alty looked the more likely to break the deadlock but Gainsborough also had their moments. A fine 40 yard pass from Potts set up Hallows, but he missed his kick (83 mins). Soon after this Alty made a double swap, replacing both strikers (Little and Hallows) by Lugsden and Thornley, both of whom had scored in midweek for the Reserves (85 mins). A cross/shot from Wood did strike the top of the bar but Alty had been awarded a freekick in any case (87 mins). Alty won two late corners but from the second Holmshaw saved well from Hussin (90 mins). In added time Thornley got in a header at the Trinity keeper, but the score remained locked at 1-1 and a replay at Moss Lane next Tuesday beckoned.

This was another good performance from Altrincham, especially in the second half. Hallows was named as the "away" man of the match whilst Richard Pell won the "home" award. However, Owen also had an excellent game for Altrincham .