Match Report

SUMMARY:

A late collapse by Alty saw them crash out of the FA Cup and lose out on £10,000 prize money. Alty had played well in the first half but Tamworth improved their performance in the second half and went ahead when debutant Robinson, on loan from Millwall, cut in from the right and drove a low left-foot shot past Coburn from just outside the box (55 mins). Alty deservedly levelled after 65 minutes when Potts was allowed time to cross and Smith turned the ball into his own net as Alty sub Kyle Wilson closed in at the back post. From a free-kick conceded by Chalmers, just outside the box, Tamworth dithered for an age before opting for a shot at goal by Ward which struck a possibly unsighted Coburn on the arm before dropping to Edwards to tap home (84 mins). Five minutes later the Exeter loan player made it 3-1 with a header after being left unmarked from a right-wing cross (89 mins).

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr. Martin Harris (Lincs)

This was Alty's first visit to Tamworth, who like Alty are a part-time side. The Lamb is a neat but compact stadium with a pitch which slopes in both dimensions. Altrincham fans received a friendly welcome - and this spectator in particular was very impressed by the hot pork and apple baps on sale at the refreshment point!

TEAM NEWS

Alty were without the injured Aspinall, Lugsden and Norris, though all three took part in the warm-up. Lutel James made his first start for Alty. Onto the bench came Kyle Wilson, loaned to Alty by Crewe.

With regular keeper James Dormand injured, The Lambs had Mark Gayle in nets; his only previous start this season had been in a local cup match. Trevor Robinson made his debut after arriving on loan from Millwall. Another recently loaned starter was Jake Edwards from Exeter City whilst Trevor Francis's son, James, replaced Tristram Whitman. Tamworth regained the lead in the 84th minute when Jake Edwards headed home the lose ball following a flicked on free kick taken by Graham Ward. The flick on had been well saved by Coburn but popped up invitingly for the on loan Exter striker to score his first goal in a Lambs shirt.

TAMWORTH: (All red): 30.Mark GAYLE; 2. Adie SMITH, 4. Dave BAMPTON, 6. Aaron BROWN, 8. Graham WARD, 12. Carl HEGGS, 14. Kyle STORER, 15. Scott STAMPS, 20. James FRANCIS, 21. Jake EDWARDS, 26 Trevor ROBINSON. Subs: 16. Mark COOPER, 17. Nathan JACKSON, 19. Bob TAYLOR, 23. Jimmy TURNER, 25. Tristram WHITMAN.

ALTRINCHAM (Pale blue shirts, dark blue shorts and pale blue socks): 1. Stuart COBURN, 17. Karl MUNROE, 15. Peter BAND, 5. Gary TALBOT, 3. Chris ADAMS; 7. Colin POTTS, 12. Steve HAWES, 8. Val OWEN, 11. Gary SCOTT; 9. Colin LITTLE, 18. Lutel JAMES. Subs: 10. Rod THORNLEY, 14. Lewis CHALMERS, 21. Stephen ROSE, 23. Kirk HILTON, 29. Kyle WILSON.

REPORT

After Alty had kicked off up the slope, Tamworth won the game's first corner (3 mins), but James then won Alty a corner of their own which Potts directed to keeper Gayle (7 mins). For Tamworth, Robinson was looking lively on the left. Play continued fairly evenly without any clear chances, before Tamworth won their second corner. James was looking lively for Alty but after Bampton's foul on Little, the Tamworth no.4 kicked the ball away and was booked. Though Hawes's freekick was cleared, Potts soon got in a cross which was cleared to Little. His goalbound effort from the edge of the box struck a defender (20 mins). Little went close again when he shot narrowly wide of Gayle's left post (26 mins).

Edwards became Tamworth's second player to be booked for kicking the ball away at a free-kick (28 mins). For Alty, Band was again playing well and it was he who made a fine tackle after Francis, (Trevor's son), had got into the box past Adams and Scott. From the resulting corner, Storer handled (33 mins). Brown became Tamworth's third booking when he felled James. Before the freekick could be taken Little and Bampton were lectured. The freekick was half cleared to Potts, whose well-struck effort was diverted for a corner. After treatment for the busy Hawes, play resumed and soon James got into the left box and after getting up from one challenge, he went down again inside the box but the referee saw nothing wrong with Francis's challenge (41 mins). As the half drew towards its close, Alty had the upper hand. But as play went into added time, The Lambs won a corner. However, just before the whistle, Gayle fumbled Adams's freekick and Bampton caught Little's resulting shot but the referee had blown for a foul on the keeper.

Half-time arrived with Alty looking well capable of going on to win the match

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Tamworth started the second half better than Alty and won a corner at which Munroe was lectured by the ref for speaking out of turn (53 mins). Two minutes later, Robinson, who had switched to the right, cut in and drove a low, left-foot shot past Coburn from near the penalty "D' (55 mins).

Alty had still not recovered when following the restart, Heggs and Edwards interchanged passes and it took a great block by Coburn to keep the ball out. At this point, Munroe failed to heed his earlier warning and was booked (57 mins). Alty won a fortunate corner from an Adams free-kick. Soon afterwards Alty withdrew Hawes and introduced Kyle Wilson, the new loan signing from Crewe (64 mins). After Little, Wilson and Scott had combined on the left, Scott found Potts. He got past Stamps and was not closed down at all as, from the right, he crossed the ball towards the back post, where Smith, under pressure from Wilson, turned the ball into his own net (65 mins). Soon afterwards, Edwards headed a clearance to Potts whose finely-hit, swerving shot was well held by Gayle (67 mins). The game was now a good cup-tie as Whitman replaced Francis for Tamworth (69 mins).

Soon Coburn had to be alert to tip Storer's effort over the bar for a corner. But at the other end, Wilson found Band and he turned well to shoot at goal and force a fine save from Gayle, who tipped the ball out for a corner. Just after Edwards had shot narrowly wide, Chalmers replaced Potts for Alty and Wilson switched to the right (78 mins). After Scott had been left injured by a foul, near half way, a fracas broke out as a result of which two Tamworth players were booked; Storer for the foul and Heggs for his role in the melee. The card count was now 5-1 for Tamworth.

But despite this, a foul by Chalmers gave Tamworth a free-kick, slightly left of centre, about 22 yards out. Tamworth did not seem to know what to do with it and an inordinate amount of time passed as they first considered some kind of rehearsed move before finally settling on a direct crack at goal from Ward. This was hit well by Ward but was beaten out by Coburn, the ball coming back off his forearms as he presumably saw the ball late through the maze of players ahead of him. The loose ball fell to Edwards who had a simple task of scoring (84 mins).

Moments later both sides made a change with Thornley replacing James who had been marginalized in the second half and veteran ex-WBA striker Bob Taylor came on for Robinson (85 mins). A foul on Wilson gave Adams a freekick which was cleared but then Coburn had to make a great save from Whitman at the other end after Edwards had got the better of Scott on the Tamworth left. But the respite was short as a cross from Smith from the right found Edwards completely unmarked in front of goal and he gave Coburn no chance with his header into the net to make it 3-1, a flattering margin to the home side but nevertheless Alty could not complain as the home side had been the better side in the second half (89 mins). As the game went into the last minute of normal time, Turner replaced Robinson for Tamworth but referee Harris found a surprisingly long five minutes of added time. Tamworth won a corner in added time and tried unsuccessfully to play out extra seconds with a short kick routine. Alty did not look like scoring in the final minutes and left The Lamb disappointed after a first half performance that had suggested they might at least get a draw if not a win. Tamworth’s prize, apart from the £10,000 prize money was an away tie at Bournemouth in Round One of the FA Cup on Bonfire Night.