Match Report

SUMMARY:

In a game delayed for half an hour by a road accident outside the ground, Alty were well worth their point, especially after having to re-jig their side when they lost two of the regular defenders on the morning of the match. Centre-back Peter Band was taken ill on the way to Tamworth and left-back Chris Adams cried off with a hip injury. After Murphy had wasted a good chance and then seen a 'goal' disallowed for an alleged foul on the keeper, it was Tamworth who took the lead when slack Alty defending following a throw-in on the Lambs' left allowed Ricketts to nod the ball down for Edwards to score (25 mins). Alty equalised in first-half added time after referee Buller had stopped play, with Alty in possession and in a threatening position, to award a free-kick to the visitors. But from a central position, more than 25 yards out, Peyton quickly drove the ball into the top corner. The second half saw Tamworth enjoy more of the ball but Altrincham more than held their own to win a deserved point.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr. K. Buller (Somerset)

This was Alty's second visit to The Lamb in 2005, having lost there earlier this season when two late goals sank the Robins in a 3-1 defeat in the FA Cup. So, whilst Tamworth were preparing to take 16 coaches of supporters to the Britannia Stadium to meet Stoke City in the FA Cup 3rd Round next Saturday, Alty were concentrating solely on Conference survival in their 13th away game out of 23 played in the Conference this season.

Scheduled as a 1pm kick-off, today's game was delayed by half an hour due to an accident on a roundabout yards from the ground, which had hampered access to the ground.

TEAM NEWS

Alty suffered a double blow on the morning of this match when their already weakened squad was deprived of two of its regular defensive starters. First, Peter Band reported with a viral illness which was to lead to his collapsing on the way to the game, whilst Chris Adams's hip problem prevented his passing a fitness test. It was a testimony to the Alty centre-back's resilience that Peterinsisted on being named on the bench and took part in the warm-up and half-time kickabout. In addition, Alty were already without two other defenders in the injured duo of Karl Munroe and Gary Talbot but, fortunately Gary Scott had recovered from his neck problem to play, albeit out of position at left-back, and Steve Aspinall started at right-back, having limped off at Kidderminster on Boxing Day. However, midfielder Val Owen was also absent, with a groin problem. Stephen Rose came into the back four, alongside Mark Maddox.Before today's match, ten of the Altrincham squad against Tamworth had previously started fewer than ten Conference matches for Altrincham this season

Tamworth welcomed back Scott Rickards, re-signed from Redditch United. After their suspensions Matt Redmile and Adie Smith returned.

TAMWORTH (All red): 34. Scott BEVAN; 2. Adie SMITH, 5. Matt REDMILE, 6. Steve MELTON, 8. Graham WARD, 10. Scott RICKARDS, 21. Jake EDWARDS, 23. Jimmy TURNER, 26. Barry McCONNELL, 32 Michael TOUHY, 35. Eddie ANACLET, Subs: 12. Carl HEGGS, 14. Kyle STORER, 15. Scott STAMPS, 16. Mark COOPER.

ALTRINCHAM (Pale blue shirts and socks, dark blue shorts): 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. Steve ASPINALL, 4. Mark MADDOX (capt), 21. Stephen ROSE, 11. Gary SCOTT; 37. Ged MURPHY, 14. Lewis CHALMERS, 30. Steve BUSHELL, 12. Warren PEYTON; 9. Colin LITTLE, 10. Rod THORNLEY. Subs: 7. Colin POTTS, 15. Peter BAND, 19. James ROBINSON, 20. Kieran LUGSDEN, 28. Pat McFADDEN.

REPORT

After changing ends, Alty played the first half up the slope and in the first minute Thornley was caught offside as the visitors started well. Peyton was getting stuck in on the left and soon Little made space well from a Bushell pass but his shot was well saved, low down, by Bevan (7 mins). But Bushell soon had to do well to clear the Alty lines after Ward and Edwards threatened and the on-loan Halifax midfielder went on to have a good game in central midfield for Altrincham. Soon after Edwards and Peyton had been lectured for a spat, Alty should have taken the lead when Thornley and Little worked the ball across from the left to set up Murphy for a clear shot from just inside the box but the Alty right winger underhit his shot and it was cleared (15 mins). But Tamworth replied immediately with a good effort by Rickards, who got inside Maddox to force a good save from Coburn (16 mins). Following an Alty throw on the left, Bevan dropped the ball under an aerial challenge from Thornley and Murphy drove the loose ball into the net only to see his effort ruled out for a foul on the keeper which was less than clear (17 mins).

Alty's unfamiliar back four, with Aspinall and Rose having only started a handful of games this season and with Scott playing out of position at left-back, was doing well whilst the giant Redmile was also marshalling his Tamworth defence well. But, after the big defender had fouled Little, Aspinall's freekick almost found Chalmers, left of goal (22 mins). However, it was to be the Lambs who took the lead, their goal following an innocuous throw-in on the Tamworth left. Rickards was left unmarked in the Alty box and he headed a cross from the left by Turner down for Edwards to score from left of goal, though Coburn almost kept his effort out (25 mins).

Referee Buller missed a foul from behind on Chalmers as the teams cancelled each other out for the next few minutes. Coburn did, however, make a comfortable save from a Ward free-kick before Thornley won Alty a corner from the left, which came to nothing from Aspinall's kick. But Alty threatened again when Bevan could only parry away a good shot from Thornley, to Peyton, but the flag went up for offside before the visitors could capitalise.

After 40 minutes, Scott conceded a corner and from Melton's kick, Redmile forced a good save from Coburn. It looked as if Tamworth would retain their lead to the interval, especially when Little fed Peyton, in a promising position left of goal, only for the referee to stop play for an Alty free-kick, 25 yards out in a central position. With Aspinall looking to be the likely free-kick taker, Peyton spotted the giant keeper Bevan was flat-footed and drove a fine shot into the keeper's top-right corner for a deserved equaliser (45+1 mins). It was only Alty's second goal since August to have been scored in an away Conference match, other than from the penalty spot.

Alty started the second half with Coburn looking into the low sun. It took some ten minutes for the first serious chance of the half to arise and it came Alty's way. Aspinall found Thornley, left of goal, and he did well to get in a cross which found Little but glanced off his head and wide of goal (56 mins). After a good Rose clearance, Peyton won an Alty free-kick but it was a minute or two later before the next shot when Thornley and Little set up an opening for Chalmers, but his effort ran gently to Bevan. At this point, Storer replaced Tamworth's former Exeter man, McConnell (60 mins).

Tamworth now enjoyed some pressure though there was a brief stoppage for treatment to Rose and Edwards, after a clash of heads in centre-field. But soon Edwards had recovered well enough to lash a shot narrowly over the bar though Coburn must just have touched it, as a corner was given. From the corner, Redmile's clear push on a defender gave Alty a free-kick as Bushell cleared the loose ball off the line. Soon Redmile was climbing all over Little to give Alty a free-kick just outside his own box but Mr Buller kept his card in his pocket (70 mins).

Tamworth enjoyed some more possession but to little effect before Lugsden replaced Thornley (76 mins). Almost immediately Scott conceded a corner, which was met by Redmile but he headed over the bar. The Lambs' player-manager, Mark Cooper now brought himself on for Melton (78 mins). The game's first booking arrived when Maddox blocked Edwards and the Alty captain picked up his 17th booking of the calendar year 2005 (81 mins). From the free-kick, Tamworth gained a corner, which Redmile again nodded over the bar. Tamworth pressed again but, after Rose had seen off one probe, Coburn had to produce a good save from Edwards from Turner's cross. Alty now brought on Robinson up front as Little moved deeper (84 mins). A Storer lunge at Robinson provoked a minor spat and words from the referee but Robinson responded with a "tasty" challenge on his opponent when play resumed. Alty had a late chance when Peyton was hauled down just outside the home box. Aspinall's driven free-kick was deflected out for a corner (88 mins). This was cleared and three minutes of added time could not alter the score, though player-manager Cooper should have done better with a half-hit effort in the dying seconds of normal time. Alty fully deserved their point as they inch towards Conference safety.