Match Report

SUMMARY:

A battling performance by an Alty side lacking ten first-teamers earned them a point, their third successive clean sheet and their fourth game in a row without defeat in this match against Hereford United, one of the title favourites. Although The Bulls hit the bar through Carey-Bertram, they were fortunate that one of the incidents missed by referee Smedley was a clear foul on Williams inside the box early in the game. Although the Bulls had most of the attacking play, the Alty defence and midfield were resolute, with Val Owen clearly Alty's man of the match but, once again, it was a fine team performance. For the last half hour Maddox came on for Williams and played in deep midfield, in front of the back four, and though this reduced Alty's outlets, Hereford got few clear sights of the Robins' goal and wasted those that they had with woeful shooting. The gate of 2,318 included 141 in the away enclosure.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr. I. Smedley

This match had been brought forward to a noon kick-off because of a clash with the Wales v England match in Cardiff. So Alty's supporters' coach had had to set out at 7.20am and the club had had the expense of an overnight stay, which its finances could ill afford. Still it was good practice for a repeat of the same problem, a clash with England 's game with Austria on October 8, which has given us a 1pm kick off at Canvey Island!

Alty had twice previously played Hereford United in the Conference, in 1999-2000. Alty had won at Moss Lane and salvaged a draw with a last minute goal at Edgar Street from"super-sub" Dickie Landon.

TEAM NEWS

Alty were without the unfit Eddie Hussin, Gary Scott, Steve Aspinall, Lutel James, Kieran Lugsden, Rod Thornley, Richard Norris, Kirk Hilton, Nehru McKenzie and Karl Munroe. However Colin Potts and Gary Talbot were fit enough to start after their injuries and "Talbs" was captain today. Mark Maddox returned to the bench after being suspended.

For The Bulls, ex-Chester keeper, Wayne Brown, made his home debut, as did Darren Blewitt. Hereford included former WBA and Grimsby midfielder Stacy Coldicott on the bench but leading scorer Guy Ipoua was unfit. Frenchman Alex Jeannin started on the left but wing-back Ryan Green was suspended and centre back Tamika Mkandawire was only fit enough to be a sub, as he had a hamstring problem. Up front, Hereford had Adam Stansfield, goalless this season, but the scorer of 25 goals last season following his move from Yeovil.

HEREFORD UNITED: (All white): 14. Wayne BROWN, 21. Rob PURDIE, 28. Dean BECKWITH, 20. Alex JEANNIN, 19. Darren BLEWITT, 6. Tony JAMES, 7. Jon BRADY, 11. Andrew FERRELL, 15. Craig STANLEY, 18. Daniel CAREY-BERTRAM, 9. Adam STANSFIELD. Subs: 1. Craig MAWSON, 4. Stacy COLDICOTT, 5. Tamika MKANDAWIRE, 8. Jamie PITMAN, 12. Graham EVANS

ALTRINCHAM (Pale blue shirts, dark blue shorts and pale blue socks) : 1. Stuart COBURN, 21. Stephen ROSE, 15. Peter BAND, 5. Gary TALBOT, 3. Chris ADAMS; 7. Colin POTTS, 8. Val OWEN, 12. Steve HAWES, 16, James OLSEN; 19. Gary WILLIAMS, 9. Colin LITTLE. Subs: 13. Richard ACTON (gk), 4. Mark MADDOX, 14. Lewis CHALMERS, 24. George MELLING, 26. Lee HENDLEY.

REPORT

After changing ends, Hereford kicked off on a warm but overcast morning. A good Alty move, started on the left by Owen, ended with Williams doing well to get into the box where he went down following what looked like a foul challenge inside the box but as play went on the ball ran to Potts, left of goal, whose shot forced a full-length save from Brown, diving to his right, to concede the game's first corner (6 mins). In the early stages, Hereford's main danger was coming from the combination of Carey-Bertram and Jeannin up the left. Stansfield then lashed a shot over the bar after Rose and Ferrell had gone down in the Alty box. Hereford were playing a patient passing game, moving the ball repeatedly across the pitch, but Alty were covering well.

United threatened again when Carey-Bertram played in Stansfield but Coburn rushed out smartly to block the striker's effort (14 mins). The home side was now getting on top and won a corner. But at the other end, a fine pass from Olsen almost set up Little but the ball just ran to Brown (17 mins). But, soon, Olsen's error led to Stansfield having an effort blocked and then the same player headed a cross from the right over the bar (21 mins). Following a lecture for Hawes after a freekick had been awarded to Hereford, a shot by Jeannin hit Owen to give Hereford a corner. Amidst the general Hereford pressure, Alty still had their moments as when Little toe-ended a Potts pass to Brown. But Stansfield then scored from Stanley's mis-hit shot from the left but it was ruled out for offside (26 mins).

Potts was looking Alty's most potent attacking threat but Hereford were enjoying more of the possession. Now, off the ball, Beckwith and Little squared up to each other. The fourth official had to stop the game and after discussion both men were booked (32 mins). Alty went close, soon afterwards, as Potts curled a looping effort from the right just over the bar (34 mins). The ref then stopped play to lecture Little for reasons that were unclear but seemed, again, to concern Beckwith. Immediately after play resumed, Beckwith upended Little to concede a free-kick. Referee Smedley then allowed Stansfield to push Band in the back which led to a dangerous situation which Talbot resolved with a foul which got him booked and gave Hereford an undeserved freekick on the 'D' (37 mins). Coburn tipped Brady's curling freekick over the bar for a corner. Beckwith again fouled Little soon afterwards and from the freekick, Little shot well wide.

Band and Talbot continued to do well at the back and neither side got a shot on target as two minutes of added time started. Owen continued to impose himself in midfield but it was Adams to whom Alty were most indebted as half time arrived when he halted Purdie.

Deliberately, or not, Hereford came out very early for the second half and then had to wait as Mr Smedley allowed a 17-minute interval. He finally appeared some time after everyone else to a chorus of jeers from the home fans, presumably upset at his not sending off Little or Talbot in the first half. Coburn was soon in action, punching clear a freekick conceded by Potts and then having to clear Talbot's underhit back pass. But Alty were soon getting out of their half and won a freekick following which Alty were given offside. Hereford now won a corner from which Blewitt sliced well wide (52 mins). An ironic chant of 'Did you practise that all week?' referred to the hosts' full-time status.

Two more fine interceptions from Owen led to nothing before Carey-Bertram underlined Hereford's poor shooting by firing very wide (54 mins). The same player volleyed wide again soon afterwards when he should have been flagged offside. But Hereford got Alty hemmed back and won another corner as Owen deflected a ball out which Coburn would have caught. The Alty keeper caught the corner.

Alty now brought on two centre-backs. George Melling replaced Talbot in central defence whilst Mark Maddox surprisingly slotted into deep central midfield as Williams was withdrawn, leaving Little as Alty's sole attacking outlet (61 mins).

Whilst Alty's defence were fairly comfortably holding Hereford at bay, they were having problems keeping the ball upfield. Still Hereford's attacks were toothless as was epitomised by Stanley's shot which went so high it sailed out of the ground. But they did better when Purdie got past Adams and fed Carey-Bertram, whose shot came back off the Alty crossbar (67 mins).

Evans, the former Caersws striker, now came on for Brady (69 mins). However, the sub was no more accurate in his shooting than his team-mates as he sliced wide a pass from Purdie (73 mins). Beckwith continued to annoy Little, pushing him yet again without conceding a freekick. Another home shot went wide before Coldicott came on for Hereford's Jeannin and Alty brought on Lewis Chalmers for Potts (76 mins).

Almost immediately a Chalmers long throw yielded a corner for Alty as James put the ball out before Little could get it. Chalmers’s arrival on the right had allowed Alty both to get forward from his long throws and also, with his heading ability, to compete for balls cleared from defence. In fact, Hereford now seemed to be a spent force as Alty, belying their part-time status at such a late stage of the game, won a second corner (80 mins). Then Owen made another superb interception in midfield and surged up the middle, feeding Little. Sadly, Little lost the ball as Owen continued his run.

A late tackle by Evans then left Adams injured and he had to hobble through the closing minutes. Mr Smedley lectured the offender, but took no formal action other than to award a freekick. As Stanley was named the home side’s man of the match, it seemed certain that had an award been made to a visitor, it would have gone to Val Owen who belied the years to police the Alty midfield. Despite his knock, Adams made a fine tackle to stop Purdie. But just as Hereford seemed to have shot their bolt, the amazing announcement of four minutes added time to a half which had seen no significant stoppages, brought them a second wind. They won a corner, which they took short and utterly wasted with a dreadful attempted cross but the added time ticked away without any serious threat to Alty’s point. As at Aldershot last week, the players and management saluted the vocal travelling support and once more Altrincham had demonstrated that part-time footballers with commitment, team spirit and organisation can match their full-time counterparts over 90 minutes and more. Alty may not have threatened the Hereford goal very much, but with ten of their first-team squad players out injured, to have achieved a goalless draw at one of the favourites for promotion was a tremendous achievement.