Match Report

SUMMARY:

Alty came wlthin four minutes of defeating "table-topping" Harrogate after giving an excellent performance at Wetherby Road, where they had never previously scored or taken a point. Alty took the lead after 10 minutes when Hussin set Potts off up the centre and he fired in an unstoppable shot from 25 yards, whch went in off the inside of the post.

Despite pressure from Town, it took two great saves in as many minutes by Pettinger to keep out Alty in the second half. Alty also had a strong penalty appeal ignored when Thornley was felled in the first half.

Owen, arguably Alty's man of the match, stepped over the ball as Alty attacked and this ironically allowed Harrogate to go to the other end, where Holland stepped past Talbot inside the box to score the equaliser (86 mins).

Before kick-off the tannoy announcer peppered almost every sentence with the phrases 'table-topping Harrogate' and 'league leaders, Harrogate' but Altrincham were to show the Yorkshiremen that, good as they may be, they are not in a different class from the other teams in the top half of the division.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr Jeff SMITH (Hull)

Alty had failed to score in their two previous visits to Wetherby Road, but the defeat last season had been marred by losing their goalkeeper (Acton) under a robust challenge from Smith, causing left-back Adams to have to keep goal for 50 minutes.

TEAM NEWS

Altrincham were without Marcus Hallows, injured on Tuesday. Also still missing were Rose, Wright and Torpey, but Val Owen had recovered to play in midfield.

Town were without the suspended Dominic Krief and the injured James Turley.

HARROGATE TOWN (Black and yellow stripes, black shorts and socks): 1. Paul PETTINGER (capt.), 2. Grant BLACK, 3. Mark BARNARD, 4. Simon STURDY, 5. Mark HARAN, 6. Lee PHILPOTT, 7. Richard DUNNING. 8. Paul SHEPHERD, 9. Marc SMITH. 10. Danny HOLLAND, 11. Colin HUNTER. Subs: 12. Ian BLACKSTONE, 14. Lee MORRIS, 15. Mark ATKINS, 17. Nick BUXTON.

ALTRINCHAM (Red and white striped shirts, white shorts, white socks.) 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. Steve ASPINALL, 3. Chris ADAMS. 4. Mark MADDOX, 5. Gary TALBOT, 6. Eddie HUSSIN (capt.), 7. Colin POTTS, 8. Val OWEN, 9. Colin LITTLE, 10. Rod THORNLEY, 11. Gary SCOTT. Subs: 12. Adam BRINDLE, 14. Kieran LUGSDEN, 15. Sean SMITH, 16. Paul TILLEY, 17. George MELLING.

REPORT

After changing ends, Alty attacked up the slope. Harrogate started the better and won a free kick from Owen's foul near half-way on the Town left. Barnard's free-kick found a team-mate in the crowded goalmouth who forced a great parry from Coburn, from close range, before Aspinall hacked the ball onto his own crossbar, from where Coburn pushed it over the bar for a corner (6 mins). Soon after this, following Talbot's clearance, Hunter lashed in a cross from 30 yards which just evaded the diving Smith inside the box. But against the early run of play Altrincham took the lead with a superb effort from Potts. Hussin won the ball near the centre-spot and fed the nearby Potts who took off up the middle as Harrogate stood off. From about 25 yards out Potts unleashed a fierce shot which flew into the net off the inside of Pettinger's right post (10 mins). It was Potts's 7th league goal of the season and took him level with Colin Little on that total.

Soon afterwards, Little fed Thornley, who was looking lively, and he won a corner. The corner was cleared but Adams lashed in a thirty-yarder which flashed wide of goal (12 mins). Hussin and Owen were now giving Alty strength in midfield but from the next attack Thornley was just offside (15 mins). Holland then hooked a shot just wide as Coburn scurried across his line. Harrogate boss John Reed was getting agitated as his side started to give the ball way too often for his liking. But for Alty, Colin Little also gave the ball away, twice in as many minutes. Thornley then needed treatment after going down under a challenge which yielded no freekick but he did win a kick moments later when Philpott brought him down. The Harrogate boss was then lectured by the referee after he became over-excited when Potts was penalised for a foul on Shepherd (27 mins).

Coburn had to make his second excellent save of the afternoon when a freekick from the left was nodded across the box and Dunning's overhead kick forced him to concede a corner (29 mins). From the corner, Coburn's punch came to Barnard, who shot well wide (30 mins). But, soon, Pettinger had to save well when a Harrogate player inadvertently passed backwards to Little whose shot from 8 yards, right of goal, was charged down by the advancing keeper (33 mins).

For Alty, Talbot was having a good game as was his partner Maddox, though the tall Smith was proving a handful in the air. Then after Hussin had brought down Smith, it was Shepherd of Harrogate who was booked for some reason (36 mins). Harrogate were now enjoying the upper hand and won another corner. Nothing came of this but Harrogate continued to press. Alty had a scare when Barnard's up and under cross hit the top of the bar but it had curled out of play first and a goalkick resulted (40 mins). Next, when Coburn came out to clear but was beaten to the ball by a fellow defender, he was left stranded when the clearance went to Hunter. But Harrogate's no.11 knocked his effort wide as Coburn rushed back towards his line.

Alty then put together a good move initiated by Owen but involving Little, Thornley, Hussin and Potts but the danger was cleared by the home defence (42 mins). With the game two minutes into the announced three of added time, Potts broke and played a fine ball for Thornley who was coming across the Harrogate box. As he went to gather Potts's pass, he was brought down for what the vocal, travelling Altrincham fans thought was a certain penalty. But Mr Smith had other ideas and waved play on. Alty did win a corner however but, with four minutes of added time on the clock, Harrogate had the last effort of the half when Smith's nod on gave Shepherd a volley which Coburn held well.

Harrogate had applied more of the first-half pressure and had forced two good saves from Coburn but Alty had more than held their own and after Potts's fine goal, Little could well have scored.

Harrogate started the second half with further pressure but Alty went the closer of the two sides after 50 minutes when Coburn's punt found Thornley and he fed Potts who lashed in a low shot from the right which hit the side netting. As Harrogate continued to press, Coburn was fouled by Smith after making a good aerial catch (55 mins). Owen continued to impress in the Alty midfield but Harrogate spurned a good chance when the flag stayed down and Holland found himself with only Coburn to beat. The Alty keeper stayed on his feet and Holland blasted the ball over the bar (58 mins). When Thornley went down unconvincingly in the Harrogate box, Town manager John Reed called on the referee to book him (60 mins). Harrogate soon won a corner before which they brought on Morris, the ex-Frickley striker, for Hunter. Alty then got down to the other end when Thornley advanced on the right. His cross was nodded down by Little, in the box, for Scott but he was just unable to make contact for a close range shot on goal (64 mins). Alty then went on to win two successive corners, which were seen off.

Next, Holland blasted over but was offside in any case and play resumed with a freekick. A volley from Potts was then cleared by Town before Little shot well from 20 yards from a Thornley feed from the right. Pettinger made a great save, pushing the ball round the post for a corner (72 mins). Just a minute later Aspinall's fine pass gave Little another chance but Pettinger enjoyed some luck when the goalbound shot struck his legs - Alty had had two clear chances in as many minutes (73 mins). Thornley had been a menace to Harrogate but he was withdrawn by manager Graham Heathcote after 76 minutes and replaced by Kieran Lugsden up front.

With ten minutes left Harrogate won a corner but this was cleared and they then brought on the veteran Hull striker Blackstone for Barnard (82 mins). After Alty had cleared a Harrogate freekick, Little found Lugsden on the right. He played the ball inside for Owen who, presumably believing there was an Alty player coming up behind him, stepped over the ball and let it run inside. Sadly, the ball just went to the opposition, who went down to the other end and scored! Morris ferried the loose ball to Holland on the right front edge of the box and he side-stepped Talbot and planted a shot past Coburn from 10 yards (86 mins). It was ironic that Owen, who had such a good game, should be instrumental in the build up to the equaliser. Talbot, too, had played well and was left exposed as Holland scored.

After Scott had been brought down, Alty had a freekick 20 yards out in a central position. Potts freekick hit the wall which was not ten yards away and, in his frustration, Potts tripped an opponent, to earn a booking (88 mins). In the closing minutes Scott made some good inroads on the left before great skill from Little took him past two men to win a corner on the left. The corner was cleared comfortably and the final moments were played out without the score changing. This had been a very good performance by an injury weakened Altrincham side and though there was great disappointment at conceding a late equaliser, Harrogate could not be begrudged their share of the spoils which allowed them to remain at the top of the table.