Match Report

SUMMARY:

Above: A crowded Alty goalmouth in the first-half at Cambridge.

Alty twice came from behind to take a deserved point and extend their unbeaten run to four games. And if Lee Hendley's late "goal" had not been ruled out for offside it could have been even better. With Rod Thornley unavailable and Colin Little injured, Alty fielded Joe O'Neill as a lone striker but they fell behind after 13 minutes when the combative Lee Marum lifted the ball over Richard Acton from a nod on by Richardson. Alty levelled after 34 minutes when Steve Aspinall comprehensively beat Crichton from the penalty spot following a handball in the box. Richardson converted a low cross from the right to make it 2-1 (53 mins) before Robbie Lawton poked home a goal which may have gone in from a final touch by a falling defender (64 mins). Alty lost Hendley with an ankle injury in the closing stages.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr. Mike BULL (Essex)

Altrincham had lost the corresponding fixture 4-0 last season but had beaten Cambridge at Moss Lane. The hosts had recently installed former Northwich boss Jimmy Quinn as manager, after previous boss Rob Newman had departed following a string of poor results. Cambridge had been one of the clubs (unlike certain others) who had been supportive to Altrincham during the Robinson Affair (the deduction of 18 points by the football authorities). The Alty fans were all housed in the impressive, modern all-seater South Stand and approximately one hundred of them had made the long journey from the North West in what was an unnecessarily long-distance midweek fixture thrown up by the Conference computer. The Cambridge stewards at the away end were a friendly bunch but the club's arrangements for away supporters' coaches remain unusual in that the vehicle has to deposit fans three-quarters of a mile away with the unsigned route from there being across Coldhams Common, essentially a field housing a herd of cows, but with a tarmac path and occasional lamp-posts, as well as two cattle grids and an unlit, short tunnel. Negotiating this route after a night match and avoiding the cow pats is a test for all.

Alty's injury woes continued though slightly abated by the return of Gary Scott to the bench but, as part-timers, they were now without striker Rod Thornley, who was absent on his "day job" as masseur for Steve McLaren's England squad. In addition, Altrincham were still without normal starters in goalkeeper Coburn, centre back Talbot, midfielder Bushell, and striker Little, whilst on the bench, Hussin and Scott were coming back from injury. The Robins employed the same team as started at Aldershot except that into the side, for Thornley, came Peter Band, with Joe O'Neill deployed as a lone striker.

Compared with their last game, Cambridge brought in Robinson for the injured Jaszczun as United sought their third league win in successive games, a feat unachieved for seven years.

CAMBRIDGE UNITED (Yellow shirts, black shorts and socks): 1. Paul CRICHTON, 26. Rob GIER, 3. Matthew BLOOMER, 21. Michael MORRISON, 25. Trevor ROBINSON, 7. Jon BRADY, 8. David BRIDGES, 17. Rob WOOLLEASTON, 11. Courtney PITT, 9. Marcus RICHARDSON, 22. Liam MARUM. Subs: 10. Daniel CAREY-BERTRAM, 18. Stephen SMITH, 20. Shane HERBERT, 15. Robbie SIMPSON, 14. Michael GASH.

ALTRINCHAM (Pale/dark blue shirts, pale blue shorts and socks): 13. Richard ACTON; 2. Steve ASPINALL, 17. Karl MUNROE, 20. Stephen ROSE, 11. Warren PEYTON; 22. Colin POTTS, 8. Val OWEN, 4. Peter BAND, 7. Robbie LAWTON, 14. Lewis CHALMERS; 12. Joe O'NEILL. Subs: 3. Gary SCOTT, 15. Justin BOWLER, 19. Lee HENDLEY, 21. Kieran LUGSDEN, 23. Eddie HUSSIN.

Alty Substitutions:

REPORT

Rain fell heavily for 45 minutes before kick-off but had stopped as Cambridge got the game under way on the excellent surface at the Abbey Stadium. It was Altrincham who won the first corner, at the end of the first minute. Potts's corner came to Chalmers beyond the back post and his shot seemed, from the distant away end, to strike the post and go out for a goalkick. The vocal away supporters then expressed their displeasure as Marum committed his third foul in as many minutes but avoided punishment other than a freekick. Soon, a teasing cross from the Cambridge left drifted just past the Alty bar and then Rose had to make a fine tackle on Richardson before Acton gathered the ball at his feet from Bridges, after the United player's handball had gone undetected (10 mins). Next, Acton was smartly off his line to smother Marum's close-range effort as the home side pressed forward. But Alty were holding their own, and soon O'Neill drove a shot into the side-netting from left of goal. With the home fans surprisingly subdued in the early stages, their team gave them a goal to cheer as, inside the box, Richardson nodded the ball over a hesitant Alty defender, leaving Marum faced only by Acton and he lifted the ball over the keeper to score to maintain his impressive scoring ratio in recent games (13 mins).

Alty responded with a low drive from 25 yards by Lawton, which was saved (16 mins). Then, when O'Neill was fouled just outside the box, an almost continuous line of a dozen players from both sides faced Potts and his shot was, not surprisingly, deflected out for a corner. From this, Chalmers jumped well to head the ball into the net, but it was ruled out for a push (19 mins). O'Neill was now caught offside as Alty strove for an equaliser but Cambridge continued to look dangerous on their left flank and were winning most of the game's aerial duels, but Alty were working hard themselves. Another foul on O'Neill gave Alty another freekick on the edge of the United box, which Peyton lashed over the bar (25 mins).

Next, a rare Stephen Rose shot was deflected to Crichton before Acton and Munroe almost got in each other's way from Brady's cross but the Alty keeper managed to palm the ball clear. When Marum was penalised for his fourth foul soon afterwards, he still escaped a caution (32 mins). Following an Acton punt, Chalmers now fed O'Neill, to the left of goal. As he played the ball into the box, it struck Gier’s arm and Mr Bull pointed to the spot. Several handballs were given in this game and they mostly seemed to fall into the category of inadvertent arm contact rather than intentional arm movements to gain an advantage. Steve Aspinall sent Crichton the wrong way to record his third success from four spotkicks this season with a firm, low shot (34 mins). Lifted by the goal, Alty now continued to press forward and soon they won a corner when Chalmers rose well to nod Aspinall's freekick across goal to O'Neill, whose effort was deflected out of play. From the right, the Altrincham corner created a melee as three close-range Alty efforts were somehow hacked clear by Cambridge defenders (39 mins).

Wolleaston now lashed a shot wide but Alty continued to go forward with Potts's shot running comfortably to Crichton. When Peyton's slip on the damp surface led to Marum getting past Band, it was the recovering Peyton who got in a vital tackle to concede a corner. This was cleared but, soon, Brady then got past Aspinall, only for Bridges to head narrowly over the bar. However, Alty were awarded a freekick for a push so no goal would have resulted anyway (41 mins). When the lively Chalmers went down in the box, soon afterwards, no offence was spotted but play was immediately halted for treatment to Owen, near halfway. After lengthy attention from physio, Andy Hosgood, the Alty midfielder resumed and the game entered two added minutes, during which Cambridge won a corner from which Acton made an important palm away before the entertaining first-half came to its conclusion.

In the second half, Acton was soon forced to make a decent save from Marum as Cambridge, no doubt re-animated by their half-time team talk, attacked in force. Alty's first significant goal-effort of the half was Potts's rising shot over the bar (51 mins) following which Acton produced a flying save at the other end to concede a corner from a shot from the right (52 mins). Band was then penalised for handball on the Cambridge right, near halfway. This was cleared for a throw, following which a low cross from the right was converted from close range, in a central position, by Marcus Richardson, to make the score 2-1 (53 mins).

Cambridge continued to press with Marum nodding over, but then Owen did well to feed O'Neill but the Alty striker delayed just long enough for his shot to be blocked. Next, Acton came out well to block a Cambridge counter-attack, at the cost of a corner. Following this, Richardson blazed over. Alty assistant boss Dalton Steele, with manager Graham Heathcote confined to the stands, now brought on Bowler for Potts and Hendley for Rose (60 mins). Bowler played on the left with Chalmers moving to the right whilst Hendley joined the previously solitary O'Neill up front.

Alty soon won a corner, which Peyton underhit. But Alty's new 4-4-2 formation pressed forward and after Owen had found Chalmers, the latter cleverly played Lawton into the box. The stretching Lawton poked the ball past the keeper and as it rolled towards the line, Lawton and a covering defender lunged for the ball with the Cambridge man seeming to handle it as he fell, as the ball crossed the line (64 mins). Cambridge heads seemed to drop for a while as Alty now pressed forwards. 19 year-old Hendley hooked an effort wide as his pace began to have an impact on the game (68 mins).

Cambridge now came back into the game and after Acton had come out to head clear, a Cambridge effort went narrowly wide. A home corner soon followed before Marum and Munroe were lectured, Alty being awarded the freekick for yet another foul by the bustling forward who was soon subbed by Carey-Bertram, the former Hereford man (76 mins). A fine Aspinall tackle then stopped a Cambridge attack but Alty soon had the ball in the net when Owen advanced and fed Hendley, who neatly sidefooted the ball past Crichton into the bottom right of the net, only to see the effort wiped out for offside (78 mins). Hendley then got into the box again and under a defender's challenge he went down injured in the box. After treatment the teenager had to hobble off with what looked like a twisted ankle - he was replaced by Lugsden after a promising cameo of 22 minutes on the pitch (82 mins). However, Kieran was soon getting involved, winning a freekick well, on the edge of the box, which Peyton curled narrowly wide of the far post (84 mins).

Cambridge brought on Smith for Pitt (87 mins) as Marum, who had been subbed 10 minutes earlier, was named Man of the Match. As the three minutes of added time started, Owen became the game's only booking for a foul on Bridges near half-way (90 mins). This was a well-deserved point for Altrincham, their third in successive away games and underlined the progress they had made since last season's 4-0 mauling at the Abbey. Alty's travelling supporters saluted their team before heading off home. It is sad to report that after a pleasant welcome at the ground itself, just after setting off from the Coldhams Common pick-up point, a window on the Altrincham supporters' coach was struck by an object thrown at it but, fortunately, no damage was done and the dedicated fans, who had given excellent support throughout, finally got back to Altrincham at around 1.45am - with, for many of them as well as the Alty players, work beckoning just a few hours later!

Although Alty's injury list lengthened with Hendley's ankle problem, this was otherwise a good night for the visitors who consolidated their position in mid-table (14th). As Alty Director Grahame Rowley revealed in the excellent matchday programme, the Robins have set themselves a target of fifteenth this season, so they remain on course for that after more than a quarter of the campaign has been completed.