Match Report

SUMMARY:

After the supporters' coach suffered a puncture near Hilton Park services on the M6, many Alty fans arrived at Aggborough just as the home side were taking the lead with a dubious penalty awarded against Maddox for handball when a ball was driven against him from close range (23 mins). But, with their vocal support in place, Altrincham enjoyed the better of the second half and deservedly equalised after 80 minutes when Lugsden was brought down by Jackson in the box and Aspinall, making his first ever Conference start, drove the resulting penalty home. Chris Adams picked up his fifth booking of the season and will be suspended in the near future.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr. Robert Shoebridge (Derbyshire)

This was a curious Boxing Day local derby between two sides 100 miles apart but the pairing had seemingly been brought about by the late demise of Northwich Victoria, who would have been our Christmas opposition had they not been relegated for their off the field problems.

Alty were visiting Aggborough for the first time since March 2000, when Alty lay 10th in the Conference but were to plunge to relegation at the end of the season, their fate sealed by a 0-0 draw with the Harriers at Moss Lane in the final match of the campaign. A puncture suffered by the supporters' coach meant that many did not arrive until mid-way through the first half. Thanks are due to coach driver, John, and Alty chairman Geoff Goodwin for getting the coach fixed and arranging for the team coach to collect the fans stranded at Hilton Park. Special thanks must also go to Grahame Rowley and Brian Flynn for driving their own vehicles back from Aggborough to collect more of the coach passengers and to Paul Daine who also acted as chauffeur to Hughsie! And after it was all over, Geoff generously waved his coach-hire fee, which was much appreciated by the STAR supporters' travel club.

TEAM NEWS

Alty were without the injured Val Owen, Karl Munroe, Gary Talbot and Gary Scott but Steve Bushell and Chris Adams had recovered to play, whilst James Robinson had recovered from his torn gullet to be on the bench. Steve Aspinall started at right-back and Rod Thornley was recalled up front.

The managerless Harriers were unchanged after their LDV win over Bradford City.

KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS (Red shirts and socks, white shorts): 13. Daniel LEWIS, 2. Patrick FLYNN, 4. Mark JACKSON (capt), 5. Wayne HATSWELL, 8. Terry FLEMING, 9. Iyseden CHRISTIE, 10. Lee THOMPSON, 11. Michael BLACKWOOD, 20. Russ PENN, 23. Simon HESLOP, 24. Johnny MULLINS. Subs: 1. John DANBY. 6. Daryl BURGESS, 14. Gareth SHELDON, 18. Taiwo ATIENO, 21. Gavin HURREN.

ALTRINCHAM (Pale blue shirts and socks, dark blue shorts): 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. Steve ASPINALL, 4. Mark MADDOX (capt), 15. Peter BAND, 3. Chris ADAMS; 37. Ged MURPHY, 14. Lewis CHALMERS, 30. Steve BUSHELL, 12. Warren PEYTON; 9. Colin LITTLE, 10. Rod THORNLEY. Subs: 7. Colin POTTS, 19. James ROBINSON, 20. Kieran LUGSDEN, 21. Stephen ROSE, 28. Pat McFADDEN.

REPORT

Having arrived slightly late due to the coach problem, I am told that the opening minutes were relatively uneventful. The first action of note after l got into the ground was a fine tackle by Maddox (8 mins). Alty were looking reasonably comfortable in these early stages, though the Harriers were enjoying more of the possession. Although the full contingent of Alty fans had yet to arrive, there was good vocal support for the visitors from those who had come under their own steam.

With neither side creating clear openings, it was referee Shoebridge who effectively set up the opening goal of the match when he awarded a harsh penalty after a ball was driven against Maddox's hand near the penalty spot, the Alty captain having no chance to get out of its way and making no deliberate action to intercept the ball (23 mins). Christie converted the spot-kick comfortably, just as the final contingent of Alty fans came through the turnstiles. Soon afterwards, Maddox was booked when Blackwood took an exaggerated dive over his leg (28 mins). However, neither side looked like scoring from open play at this stage but, after Chalmers had been treated for an injury, Kidderminster did threaten only for Adams to get in a superb block on Christie near the penalty spot, at the cost of a corner (37 mins).

Alty continued to look well capable of getting some return from this game but half-time arrived with the sides only separated by a contentious penalty.

Kidderminster kicked off the second half but Alty soon seized the initiative when Bushell and Chalmers got the ball forward, where Murphy's low shot struck a defender's foot and was cleared (46 mins). Alty continued to press and for the second time in two minutes Flynn was panicked into slicing the ball and this time, Alty's first corner was the consequence. Next, Peyton, who had a good game, fed Little for a shot which just cleared the bar from 20 yards (50 mins). Fleming then showed some petulance when he went down injured and was not keen to suffer the mandatory walk off the pitch after treatment.

Kidderminster were looking error-prone now that Alty were getting at them but the visitors' next effort was Murphy's shot, well over the bar from just outside the box (53 mins). However, Chris Adams became Alty's second player to be booked when he checked Thompson's progress (56 mins). He has now been booked five times so will suffer a suspension. From Fleming's free-kick, Mullins got a free header but the ball flew just wide. For Alty, Chalmers's long throws helped to keep up the pressure as the Harriers continued to play nervously especially on their right side of defence. Indeed, Alty now brought on fresh attacking power as Potts and Lugsden replaced Chalmers and Thornley (63 mins). But the next corner went to the Harriers. Neverthless, a panicky clearance soon came from goalkeeper Lewis but Alty were unable to capitalize on it. Next, Penn lashed a shot over the Alty goal before a poor Kiddy clearance came to Murphy but he could not find the target with an attempted lob from 35 yards (68 mins).

Sheldon now replaced Blackwood (69 mins) but Altrincham continued to have the better of the proceedings in the second half as Flynn yet again sliced a clearance into touch, his fourth such error of the second half (71 mins). Following an Aspinall free kick on the right, Lugsden and Potts set up a header for Little which he met firmly to produce a decent save from Lewis (72 mins). Kiddy now brought on Atieno, their on-loan player from Walsall, in place of Thompson (76 mins). Shortly afterwards Alty were reduced to ten men for a couple of minutes when Maddox had to go off with a blood injury to his head (77 mins). But his recovery was aided when Bushell found Lugsden in the right of the box and the young striker went down under Jackson's challenge to give Altrincham a penalty. After Little's missed spot-kick at Accrington last week, Aspinall made sure that he would take this one. With Lewis diving to his left, Aspinall drove the ball home to complete his twelfth consecutive successful spot kick for Altrincham, to mark his full Conference debut (80 mins).

Almost immediately after play had resumed, Aspinall was hurt, but though Kidderminster soon won a corner, Altrincham still looked capable of going on to win the game. However, they suffered a blow when Aspinall was forced to retire and his place was taken by Rose (84 mins). Maddox was now back on the pitch but wearing a numberless shirt to replace his blood-stained number four top. After a foul on Little, Harriers' Mullins was yellow-carded as he conceded a freekick 35 yerds out. With Alty's supporters singing them on, Potts produced a complete anti-climax as his freekick not only cleared the bar comfortably, it also cleared the stand roof - comfortably (87 mins). However, Kidderminster finally raised themselves for one last push against their part-time opponents and won a corner on the left. This was cleared but from a long throw from their left wing, the ball found Christie right of goal and in space. He fired in a fierce shot which Coburn did magnificently to beat out for a corner and preserve Alty's well -earned point. In the three added minutes of time, after the ninety had been completed, Hatswell was booked for a trip on Potts. From Peyton's freekick on the wide right, a goalmouth scramble in the Kidderminster box ended with Little's lay off to Murphy and the latter's shot, which went narrowly wide of the keeper's right post (90+2 mins). There was still time for Alty to clinch the points when Band and Peyton combined to feed Lugsden. He did well to make himself space in the right of the box but then lifted his shot over the bar (90+3 mins).

This was a creditable performance from an injury-weakened Altrincham side and their point was very well merited. The game itself was not the greatest of spectacles but the result meant that Alty have now only lost 3 times in their last 16 league visits to Aggborough. Strangely, Kidderminster's named Man of the Match was the substituted Thompson.