Match Report

SUMMARY:

Alty were desperately unlucky not to take at least one point out of this game as it took an 85th minute goal by Welch, in which two fouls in the build up were missed by the officials, to give Stanley the points. However, had Colin Little taken one of the good chances that came his way it could have been a different story. Nevertheless, in a very entertaining game watched by more than 1,200 fans, Altrincham gave an excellent performance with Potts named as Man of the Match but Hawes, at right-back, Owen and Band also played very well. The good news was that results elsewhere took Alty up two places up the table, out of the relegation spots.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr. M. HAYWOOD

This was Alty's first home game back in the Conference National since the last game of 1999-2000 season when a goalless draw with champions, Kidderminster United, had condemned them to the drop. A good crowd of 1,264 included good numbers from Accrington, some of whom displayed banners proclaiming, 'We've got your Ian Craney, ha ha!", alluding to Alty's former captain, who now plies his trade with Stanley.

TEAM NEWS

Alty were again without the unfit Eddie Hussin, Gary Scott, Steve Aspinall, Lutel James and Kirk Hilton. Karl Munroe had also been added to the injury list when he had limped off at Stevenage on Saturday. And, Rod Thornley was unavailable as he was working as masseur to Eriksson's England squad in Denmark. So, manager Graham Heathcote was obliged to make changes. He brought Colin Potts into the starting eleven and both James Olsen and Stephen Rose came in as subs. Positionally, Steve Hawes swapped with Peter Band, the former starting tonight at right-back and the latter in central midfield. Although Mark Maddox had passed the landmark of 300 Alty appearances last season, tonight was actually his 300th start; another milestone tonight was Kieran Lugsden's 50th appearance for the club (6 starts and 44 sub appearances).

Stanley included former Alty captain, Ian Craney in midfield. At centre-back was former Stockport stopper, Mike Flynn and their side included several summer signings, including Welch, Richardson and striker Andrew Mangan.

ALTRINCHAM: 1. Stuart COBURN, 12 Steve HAWES, 4. Mark MADDOX, 5. Gary TALBOT, 7. Colin POTTS, 8. Val OWEN, 15. Peter BAND, 14. Lewis CHALMERS; 19. Gary WILLIAMS, 9. Colin LITTLE. Subs: 13. Richard ACTON (gk), 16. James OLSEN, 20. Kieran LUGSDEN, 24. Stephen ROSE, 25. Nehru McKENZIE.

ACCRINGTON STANLEY: (All blue): 1. Stuart JONES, 16. Leam RICHARDSON, 3. Michael WELCH, 4. Robert WILLIAMS, 27. Michael FLYNN, 19. Anthony BARRY, 7. Steve JAGIELKA, 8. Ian CRANEY, 9. Andrew MANGAN, 10. Paul MULLIN (capt.), 21. Gary ROBERTS. Subs: 2. Peter CAVANAGH, 6. Andrew PROCTER, 12. Danny ALCOCK, 20 Matthew O'NEILL, 30. David BROWN.

REPORT

Before kick-off there was a minute's silence in memory of Neil Thomason, who was Altrincham FC's youth coach until the end of last season. Neil had died suddenly whilst on holiday in July. Then, kick-off was delayed for four minutes as huge amounts of white paper streamers were thrown onto the 20/20 End goalmouth by the visiting fans. Eventually, Stanley kicked off, towards their own fans and won an early corner when Potts was forced to head out a cross from the right by Flynn, following the same player's throw-in which had been conceded by Adams (2 mins). A foul by Maddox on Mangan on the front edge of the box maintained the early pressure on the home defence, but the defensive wall did well, blocking the kick. From a Chalmers throw, Little flicked the ball into the box but it was cleared. Next, Owen won the ball well to start a neat passing move, which ended wlth Potts's stab at Jones (6 mins). Maddox then impressively beat Mullin twice in the air as both sets of fans' chanting maintained a lively atmosphere. After Mangan had shot across goal from the left, an error by Adams allowed Jagielka to get in a cross, which Maddox cleared. The game was settling into a lively end to end contest as an 8-pass Alty move ended when Williams was seen off by the Stanley defence. Potts was impressing on the right and a succesful dummy enabled him to cross from the right but just too long for Little at the back post (11 mins). Owen, too, was doing well and from his header, Potts beat his marker and got in another cross but it was overhit again. After a foul on Band, Hawes's free-kick came to Chalmers, whose cross was punched clear by Jones. Potts continued to trouble Stanley on their left side and, after he had been fouled by Williams and taken a quick free-kick, he was immediately tripped for a second free-kick. But Adams's kick went to the keeper (16 mins).

The entertainment continued when, following a throw on the right by Flynn, three short passes inside the Alty box saw Mullin put the ball in the net but, to Alty's relief, offside was given (17 mins). After the tentative first half at Stevenage last Saturday, this was proving to be a much better display from Alty. From an Adams clearance, a fine pass from Little would have set the pacy Williams in on the keeper but the ball struck the back of Williams's legs. Stanley then won and wasted a corner before Maddox, playing his last game before suspension, again beat Mullin in the air (22 mins). Hawes was playing well at right-back and he fed Williams, who got in a well-struck effort, which was beaten out well by Jones. Alty's impressive play continued as Owen and Band got the ball to Potts, whose cross from the right just cleared Band and then hit Little, in space near the penalty spot. Little was, presumably half expecting Band to get to the ball and consequently fluffed what was an excellent chance (24 mins). The action then switched to the other end as Mangan netted from a clearly offside position.

Next, Chalmers's fine ball for Potts sadly produced a poor cross from Colin. Soon, however, Little smartly charged down Jones's attempted clearance but as Little gathered the ball, Flynn dispossessed him (28 mins). A golden chance then came Alty's way when Chalmers's long throw from the left came to Little at the back post but his mishit shot looped up to graze the crossbar from close range and was then cleared (31 mins).

Accrington did get a look-in at the other end after 35 minutes when Potts lost the ball to Roberts, who took off up the middle. The pursuing Potts pushed Roberts, to concede a dangerous freekick, 20 yards out in a central position. Craney fired the kick into orbit above the 20/20 hoarding and into the car park. It became clear that it was not to be Little's night when Hawes's cross found the Alty frontman and his excellent first-time shot was brilliantly kept out by Jones, the rebound falling to Little, right of goal. With the odds on his burying the ball in the back of the net, Little flashed his shot across the face of goal (39 mins).

As Alty maintained the upper hand, Flynn did well to see off Williams. Next, Chalmers won the ball but Jones saved well, low down from 25 yards. After Talbot was penalised for a foul against Mullin, Dalton Steele desperately tried to get his side to use a 4-man wall but he need not have worried as Roberts spooned the set-piece 15 feet over the bar (43 mins). The game went into its signalled one minute of added time before the whistle put an end to a very entertaining first half in which Alty's belief in themselves had grown as the minutes passed. It remained goalless but could easily have been 2-2 or something similar.

Just as in the first half, the start of the second half was also delayed. This time an assistat referee wanted a further peg putting in place to anchor the Golf Road net in place and groundsman and Reserves' manager Neil Brown was summoned by tannoy to effect the repair. So, it was 8.53pm before play restarted, after a 3 minute delay, and Stanley resumed with Cavanagh having replaced Richardson. The substitute's first act was to be beaten by Potts, whom he then cynically body-checked. The resulting freekick led to a poor cross from Chalmers. Indeed, the Alty crosses throughout tonight's game were disappointing.

On his return to Moss Lane, Craney had had a quiet game but he now surged up the middle and sent a left-footer just over the bar (47 mins). Another chance then fell to Little as a ball from Band dropped to him from the left but he screwed it well wide (48 mins). After this let-off, Stanley won a corner. Following that, fine tackles from Owen and Chalmers underlined the Robins' commitment. But Stanley had the better of these opening stages of the half. Next, just after a Chalmers shot had been saved, Owen was felled but limped on.

Stanley boss, John Coleman now took over in the technical area whilst his counterpart, Graham Heathcote remained in the directors' box continuing his touchline ban. Coleman soon brought on Brown for Jagielka (60 mins). A foul on Little by Craney gave Alty a freekick from which Little's shot was deflected over the bar for a corner, which was half-cleared before Owen fired over from the edge of the box (63 mins).

Stanley now enjoyed some pressure, with two corners and then a mysterious freekick on the edge of the Alty box which Cavanagh lifted tamely over the bar (66 mins). Good work by Band and, then, Hawes, got Alty going forward again before Lugsden replaced Williams up front (72 mins). Band then fed Little but as he entered the box he was jostled by Flynn and could only shoot at Jones. Lugsden was now harshly penalised and booked for his first challenge, which was far more innocuous than that by Cavanagh at the start of the half (74 mins).

The underemployed Coburn now needed treatment after being fouled, at which point O'Neill replaced Roberts for the visitors (76 mins). From Coburn's freekick, Owen got Lugsden free on the right. He did well and not only got to the by-line but got the ball past Jones. However,as the ball crossed the face of goal, there was no Alty player to turn it home. The referee then allowed O'Neill to escape without a booking for felling Potts as Alty now gave McKenzie his Conference debut in place of Chalmers, on the Alty left (78 mins). Jones punched the freekick clear to McKenzie, who fed Lugsden but his 25-yarder cleared the bar.

After Maddox had seemed to shepherd the ball out successfully for a goalkick, Mr Haywood curiously awarded a corner. Maddox now appeared to have a groin injury but played on. When Adams fed Lugsden, the youngster was felled and Williams was booked (83 mins). With Stephen Rose, curiously wearing a number 24 shirt which bore Melling's name, waiting to make his first appearance since breaking his leg at Worcester last season, Stanley stole the points. Following a Stanley long throw on the right, Band was clearly pushed, to the right of goal as he went up for the ball. The ball then arrived at the back post where Welch bundled it past Coburn, who clearly felt he had been lent on as he went up for the ball. But neither offence was spotted by the officials and all of Alty's hard work had been undone (85 mins). Rose immediately came on for the limping Maddox. Rose went into midfield and Band went to centre-back. But Alty still had time for another good effort as Band and McKenzie fed Little. Jones was unable to hold the shot at the first attempt, diving, low to his left. But he recovered to grab the loose ball (89 mins).

The ref awarded Stanley a last minute freekick, which produced a corner. Three minutes of added time were announced but Alty could not find an equaliser. Just before the end, Mangan got free on the left but fired across goal (90+4 mins). Colin Potts was named as Man of the Match. Though two defeats from two games is obviously a disappointing situation, the team's performance is improving and enough chances were created to have won this game.