Match Report

SUMMARY:

Right: Alty's current run of success owes a lot to people who don't always get onto to the pitch; three of them are pictured here after the game with Cambridge. In the foreground is unused sub Pat McFadden, whose 27 goals for the Reserves have forced him into contention for the first team, whilst in the background is Ray Armstrong, with one of his team of the best ballboys and girls in the Conference, wearing his Sensport kit, provided by Ian Senior's sportswear company.

Alty recorded their third successive win with this deserved victory over Cambridge. Alty took an early lead following a corner when Band's header was blocked and came out to Robinson who fired home from the right of the box into the far corner (4 mins). When Thornley scored a fine goal with a looping shot over the keeper from just outside the box, it looked as if Alty would cruise to victory (26 mins). But Cambridge pulled a goal back after 35 minutes when Bridges capitalised on an Alty defensive mix up and either side of half time the visitors applied some pressure. But in the final 20 minutes or so, Alty could have scored three more as Robinson almost converted a low cross from Lugsden, Lugsden himself hit the bar with a header and Potts forced an excellent save form keeper Howie. James Robinson was named Man of the Match.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr. R.T. Hewitt (first half), Mr E J Smith (second half)

Altrincham had taken a heavy beating, 4-0, at the Abbey Stadium earlier this season but on The 'U's only previous visit to Moss Lane, for a friendly in 1967, they had taken an even heavier hammering, losing 7-1 to a rampant Robins' side for whom Jack Swindells netted a a hat-trick. For today's game Cambridge had brought good support, despite arriving at Moss Lane having only won once previously on the road this season.

TEAM NEWS

Despite a bout of flu in midweek, Alty's top scorer Colin Little was passed fit for today's game as Alty sought to build on their run of two successive wins. Kieran Lugsden had recovered from his bout of flu so was restored to the bench in place of Lee Hendley. It was good to see four Alty absentees involved in the warm up, the suspended Warren Peyton and the recovering Gary Talbot, Karl Munroe and Eddie Hussin. Talbot and Munroe are expected to figure in Tuesday's friendly at Trafford.

Cambridge had three debutants in Jamie Guy, on loan from Colchester United, Stacy Coldicott, loaned from Hereford United and Rob Woollaston. Since beating Alty earlier this season, United's form had been patchy and away from home, very poor.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Stuart COBURN, 11. Gary SCOTT, 4. Mark MADDOX (capt), 15. Peter BAND, 3. Chris ADAMS; 37. Ged MURPHY, 2. Steve ASPINALL, 8. Val OWEN, 19. James ROBINSON; 10. Rod THORNLEY, 9. Colin LITTLE. Subs: 7. Colin POTTS, 14. Lewis CHALMERS, 20.Kieran LUGSDEN, 21. Stephen ROSE, 28. Pat McFADDEN.

ALTY SUBS:

CAMBRIDGE UNITED (All blue): 13. Scott HOWIE; 4. Andy DUNCAN, 5, Mark PETERS (capt.), 21. Michael MORRISON, 29. Courtney PITT, 19. Tommy JASZCZUN, 12. Jon BRADY, 17. Stacey COLDICOTT, 10. Jamie GUY, 8. David BRIDGES, 23. Rob WOLLEASTON. Subs: 33. Max PORTER, 18. Stephen SMITH, 15. Adam DAVIES, 30. Craig WESTCARR, 26. Danny BUNCE.

REPORT

On a cold but bright afternoon, Cambridge kicked off, defending the 20/20 End. An early mistake by Peters, who was to be withdrawn in the first half after an unhappy game, saw the ball clear the defender and reach Thornley who won his side a corner (3 mins). Taken by Adams, Band met the corner with a header which was cleared off the line but the ball came out to Robinson who lashed the ball across goal and into the far corner of the net from the edge of the box (4 mins). After a foul on Scott, Alty won a freekick which found Thornley but the ball ran on to the keeper. Soon afterwards, a fine ball forward from Murphy found Little but he was closed down. Then Thornley found Little with an overhead pass and he won a corner but Adams's flag-kick was cleared to Owen, who fired over the target (15 mins). Alty were playing some good passing football before Wolleaston won Cambridge a corner on their left, off Band. Murphy cleared this but was fouled in the process to give Alty a freekick.

Thornley then chased down the visitors's keeper to force a miskick from Howie as Alty continued to have the upper hand against a Cambridge side looking insecure at the back (21 mins). But when Cambridge did get forward, Coburn was bundled into his own net as he came for a corner but was awarded a freekick for his pains. However, just as the visitors looked to be getting a toehold in the game, another error by Peters, who miskicked the ball, saw Little feed the ball to Thornley. From a central position, Thornley turned onto the ball and looped a well-struck shot over the keeper and just under the bar, to the keeper's right, from the edge of the penalty area (26 mins).

After Robinson had been fouled by a Cambridge player, the offender was lectured but not booked by referee Hewitt. Then a twice-taken Alty freekick ended up in the Cambridge keeper's arms. Another Alty move up the left, ended with the ball switched to the right and the visitors' keeper catching Murphy's cross. After 35 minutes Cambridge took off Peters and replaced him with Davies. Almost immediately, a pass upfield led to a mix-up between Band and Maddox on the edge of the Alty box and Bridges nipped in to score (35 mins). Soon Robinson fired a shot just wide, from a good pass by Aspinall. However, the hard-working Murphy then had to concede a corner on the Cambridge left, from which one of their players headed over the bar. Then Bridges won a corner as Alty hesitated, awaiting an offside flag. Cambridge continued to press but their next attack ended with a shot over the bar. Owen then saw off Pitt's advance before Thornley got clear and pased to Little who was blocked off. Two minutes of added time were played, during which Brady shot wide from Guy's feed.

Referee Hewitt was replaced by his assistant Mr Smith at half time, presumably due to injury. Fourth official, Ian Sidall ran the line, less than a week after refereeing a controversial Alty Youth game against Bootle Youth.

Altrincham kicked off the second period and soon Murphy shot wide before Owen made a fine interception but shot over the bar (47 mins). The floodlights now came on and, soon, Thornley came to the touchline for attention to his foot. Cambridge now went forward but Bridges shot across goal and soon afterwards the same player shot at Coburn after Thornley, who had returned to the game, lost possession. Cambridge soon threatened again as Guy got past three defenders before shooting over the bar. Scott and Brady then clashed accidentally and the Alty man needed treatment to his head for the second time in the game. After a good flick from Little, Thornley was caught offside and then Cambridge went up the left but Guy headed the resulting cross wide (55 mins). Next, after a foul on Murphy, Adams's freekick was headed out for an Alty corner. From Robinson's corner, Little headed wide (57 mins). Following a foul by Maddox, Coburn gathered a freekick from Pitt.

Cambridge were now enjoying some pressure inside the Alty half, with Guy looking menacing. However, Band got away with a couple of miskicked clearances but it was Alty who had the best shot in the next few minutes when Murphy's well struck shot from right of goal was parried out by Howie but a defender managed to clear the ball for a corner before the arriving Thornley could tap it home (69 mins). At this point, Lugsden came on for Thornley up front for Alty (70 mins). From Robinson's corner from the left, Little got in a header which cleared the bar. Moments later a superb dribble by Lugsden on the right saw him get into the box and his low cross went to the back post where the unmarked Robinson, stretching just feet from the goal line, was only able to turn the ball into the side-netting with the goal at his mercy (71 mins).

Murphy was soon busy again making an important header to concede a corner on the Cambridge left. This was poorly directed straight to Little but soon a freekick was conceded in the Cambridge left corner by Scott (72 mins). Next, after Little had been clearly held, Cambridge were allowed to advance up the middle and one of their players got in a shot which hit the bar but the flag was up for offside in any case (75 mins). Alty now got a freekick, 25 yards out, when Lugsden was tripped. Robinson, who had scored a superb goal direct from a freekick from similar range in the last game at Moss Lane, this time only managed to find the centre of Golf Road as his effort cleared the terrace roof. Then Alty won another freekick as Alty began to dominate again. This time Aspinall took the freekick and a corner resulted. However, Aspinall's corner was poor and merely found the sidenetting.

Cambridge then got to the other end where Guy went down in the box but the ease of his fall did not convince the referee that any offence had been committed. After he had gathered the ball from Guy, a huge punt from Coburn almost set Little free but the ball ran on to Howie (78 mins). Robinson was now hobbling for Alty whilst in the Alty defence an error by Band almost caused problems till Band himself recovered to clear the danger. Soon, Owen put Little clear but the ball got caught up in his feet as he advanced and he was closed down (80 mins). Now Alty brought on Potts for the limping Robinson (81 mins) and within a minute the new player had been felled for a freekick. From Aspinall's freekick, Duncan headed clear as his keeper came for the same ball. Possession was soon back with Murphy, on the Alty left, and from his excellent cross, Kieran Lugsden got in a firm header which came back off the crossbar for a Cambridge goalkick (83 mins).

Alty were now taking the game to Cambridge and soon Lugsden advanced again but was closed off by Duncan to the right of goal. Next Pitt got free and advanced 35 yards up the middle before making a poor pass which came to Murphy. There was a worrying moment for Alty when a cross from the left just evaded Brady in front of goal as Alty's defence hesitated. Lewis Chalmers now came on in place of Steve Aspinall for Altrincham (86 mins). At the same time Westcarr replaced Cambridge's Jaszczun. The game reached the end of ninety minutes as the fourth official signalled a further three minutes of play. After Lugsden had got to the edge of the visitors' box he was clearly tripped only for play to continue. Soon after this, as Alty were caught offside, Brady was named as the visitors' man of the match, whilst Robinson lifted the home side's award. A magnificent block tackle by Adams in the centre-front of the Alty box saw off Cambridge's last real threat. But there was still time for Scott and a piece of skill from Little to set up Potts for a well struck shot from the right which Howie did very well to push over the bar for a corner (90+3 mins). Soon after this, play ended with Alty having secured their third successive win. Their record over the last six games is now the third best in the Conference (bettered only by the top two teams, Accrington and Hereford) and the Robins have now lost just once in their last seven outings. Next week they take on bottom of the table Crawley and will be looking to move nearer to their points target for survival in the Conference National. With 36 points already in the bag, three more wins would almost certainly secure survival and, indeed, fewer points may turn out to be enough. Alty are benefitting from a more or less settled side in recent weeks and the improved form of Murphy after the slow start to his Alty career has also been a factor in their good run.