Match Report

SUMMARY:

Above: Late in the game, all eleven Alty players defend a freekick.

Altrincham missed a golden chance to take the lead after just two minutes when Potts hit the outside of the post from right of goal, just five yards out, with the keeper and a defender having gone to ground to leave an invitingly open net. But after that, Weymouth dominated the first half but lacked any kind of sharpness in front of goal to match their build-up play. In the second half, after a quiet start, Alty raised their game but could not break down the Weymouth defence, with McFadden slicing a couple of shots wide. Weymouth finished strongly but Acton made a couple of fine saves to confirm the justice of his Man of the Match award. The gate of 1,214 was boosted by 172 England spectators taking advantage of discount entry prices on their way to the England v Macedonia game at Old Trafford. Report to follow

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr. A HAINES (Sunderland)

Weymouth arrived at Moss Lane in 3rd place in the table, whilst Altrincham were in 14th position. But Weymouth had only won twice on the road and were the lowest scorers amongst the top teams on the Conference. This game was being played at 1pm to avoid a clash with another match in Trafford, which involved England and Macedonia. Enterprising Alty supporter Pete Hughes had suggested a discount entry rate for England supporters heading for Old Trafford's 5pm kick-off and this had paid off with 172 extra supporters attracted to this game - and even though this was not the best game at Moss Lane this season by some margin, they were to get more excitement from this goalless draw than that between the international teams for which they will have paid perhaps ten times more.

Before kick-off there was a minute's silence for the recently deceased Paul Gee, a longstanding Altrincham fan who had sadly died in his forties.

Alty were still without the experienced spine of their side in goalkeeper Stuart Coburn, centre back Gary Talbot, midfielder Steve Bushell and striker Colin Little. They started with the same eleven which had drawn well at Cambridge in midweek, but Pat McFadden was on the bench in place of the latest injured player at Moss Lane, Lee Hendley. Peter Band, however, was today deployed on the right of midfield whilst Colin Potts supported Joe O'Neill up front.

Despite rumours to the contrary, The Terrras started with Raphael Nade, but were without the injured Jason Tindall, former Aldershot man Nick Crittenden and Ashley Vickers.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red 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 (capt), 14. Lewis CHALMERS; 12. Joe O'NEILL. Subs: 3. Gary SCOTT, 15. Justin BOWLER, 18. Pat McFADDEN, 21. Kieran LUGSDEN, 23. Eddie HUSSIN.

Alty Substitutions:

WEYMOUTH (Terracotta and blue shirts, terracotta shorts and pale blue socks): 1. Arran LEE-BARRETT; 5. Simon DOWNER, 4. Roy O'BRIEN, 18. Tony JAMES, 23. Abdelhali El-KHOLTI; 15. Lee ELAM, 20. Shaun WILKINSON, 8. Ben SMITH (capt), 16. Dean HOWELL; 9. Richard LOGAN, 11. Raphael NADE. Subs: 2. Stephen TULLY, 10. Wayne PURSER, 12. Chukki ERIBENNE, 17. Jason MATTHEWS, 19. Simon WEATHERSTONE.

REPORT

On a breezy but initially bright Saturday lunchtime, Alty kicked off after changing ends and attacked the 20/20 End. The unsegregated crowd duly changed ends as well as the visitors got off to a shaky start. First, O'Neill almost charged down goalkeeper Lee-Barrett's clearance before Peter Band found Colin Potts and with the keeper and a defender down on the ground, the Alty man was faced with an open goal. But from just five yards out, slightly to the right of goal, Potts only succeeded in striking the outside of the post (2 mins). However, the visitors soon began to settle and Richard Acton had to be alert to block Elam after the former Southport winger had got past Warren Peyton on the Alty left. Acton's block gave the Terras a corner. The corner was half cleared but came to Elam whose low shot forced a good save from Acton, low to his right, near the post (6 mins).

Right: Peter Band battles against two Weymouth opponents.

Much of the visitors' attacking play was coming up their right, through Elam and the visitors were passing the ball well throughout the whole team. For Alty, Potts tried a very speculative lob from 45 yards which went comfortably to Lee-Barrett (11 mins). But Weymouth were having the majority of possession as the quarter-hour mark passed though the Alty defence was preventing them from a clear sight of goal. Alty were defending in numbers so, when Owen made an interception he had no team-mate in the opposition half to whom he could send the ball. After a Munroe foul, 30 yards out, the ball was worked to the right but from Elam’s cross, Logan made a hash of his header and the ball skimmed well wide (19 mins). Alty continued to work hard to contain Weymouth but apart from Howell's nod wide of the Alty goal, the Terras posed little direct threat to the Alty goal. But Alty for their part were largely confined to their own half with O'Neill an often isolated figure up front. However, Elam should have done better when Munroe's misheader allowed Smith to feed Elam but the winger lifted his shot both over the advancing Acton and the goal when he should have hit the target (33 mins).

O'Neill became the first player to be booked for a foul near halfway on O'Brien (35 mins). Sitting in the directors' box, Alty boss Graham Heathcote was not happy and engaged in an exchange of views with Colin Potts. Weymouth now won two successive corners, the first of which prompted a scrambled clearance from the Alty box. A Logan shot, wide, preceded a good cross at the other end from Chalmers which Lee-Barrett was thankful to see go out for goalkick off Band (44 mins). As the first 45 minutes ended, Acton made a great sliding save as he came out to stop Logan but the flag went up late for offside in any case. In the one minute of added time, Alty got into the Terras' half but when the half-time whistle sounded, the home side were grateful to be on level terms after the visitors had enjoyed so much possession.

The opening of the second half not only saw the weather cloud over but the game went through a dull patch too. Finally, there was some goalmouth action as Acton backhanded a cross away for a corner (52 mins). At this point the Terras brought on Tully at right-back for Downer, the departing player holding his hamstring as he reached the bench. Play was soon halted again after Owen and Lawton collided and the Alty captain sustained a mouth injury which needed treatment, followed by a change of shirt because of some blood stains (56 mins). Weymouth then went close as Nade stretched for a header in front of Rose but he put Tully's cross from the right narrowly wide as Alty remained on the back foot. Chalmers sparked an Alty revival, first with a good long throw into the Terras' box and then when he climbed superbly to head a ball across goal for O'Neill to relay to Potts but Potts fired over the bar from the right of goal (61 mins). Munroe then saw off Elam at the other end at the cost of a corner, following which El-Kholti fired high and wide from 25 yards (62 mins).

But Alty’s Aspinall now played a superb 50 yard ball forward up the inside right channel; however, O'Neill volleyed it over the bar (64 mins). Nevertheless, the home side were now doing well but they made a change as Potts gave way to Pat McFadden (65 mins),. Almost immediately a neat move ended as Chalmers did well and found McFadden but the ball was taken off his feet as he was about to shoot. Next, Lee-Barrett, who had a slightly shaky afternoon, failed to gather the ball as he climbed over O'Neill and was lucky to get a freekick when he spilled the ball. But Weymouth went to the other end only for the out of sorts Logan to lift his effort over the bar after a superb double exchange of passes on the right by Tully and Smith had got the ball to the by-line (67 mins). Chalmers then did well again and fed McFadden but the teenager hesitated before slicing his shot over the bar from left of goal (69 mins). Alty continued in the ascendant with Band and Lawton impressing and it was Band who was now found by Lawton at the back post but he could not get much power behind his header from a bouncing ball. Next, another superb long pass from Aspinall was just gathered by the keeper in front of McFadden who was making some good runs.

After this, another fine ball from Aspinall found McFadden on the right but after the ball had come to Owen via Lawton, possession was lost as Alty were enjoying their best spell of the game (71 mins). Eribenne now replaced Nade for Weymouth (72 mins) but it was Alty who continued to set the pace until the visitors made their final swap, as Weatherstone replaced Wilkinson (75 mins). Weymouth now got in a shot from Howell which Acton saved comfortably before a foul on O'Neill gave Alty a freekick 30 yards out in a central position. From Aspinall's freekick Chalmers rose brilliantly to nod the ball across the goalmouth but the ball went for a goalkick off Band (78 mins). Next a 35-yard shot from Aspinall hit the target but was straight at the keeper. However, Weymouth raised their game for the final stages.

First El-Kholti fed Smith and his header forced a great tip over the bar for a corner, by Acton. From the corner, the same two players were involved as again Acton tipped a Smith header over the bar for a second corner. Soon a third corner followed, conceded by Rose's sliced clearance, a rare mistake on an afternoon on which the centre-back gave a solid display. Then at the other end McFadden made a penalty claim as he played a cross against El-Kholti's arms but the Alty striker did win a corner, which came to nothing. Before this was taken, Alty made a change, with Lugsden replacing O'Neill (84 mins). McFadden was soon involved again as Owen found him, via Lugsden, but he hooked his shot wide. As the game went into four added minutes after the ninety, Elam rounded Acton but the covering Band cleared off the line (90+1 mins). Next Eribenne was booked for a late challenge on Aspinall. But there was still time for Tully to feed Elam once more but his firm shot, as he cut in from the right, was well saved by Man of the Match, Richard Acton (90+4 mins). Despite playing another added minute, the game remained goalless and Alty recorded their fifth successive game without defeat, albeit four of them have been draws. Nevertheless, this was a good result against a high-flying team and after being on the back foot for so much of the first half, the Robins had done well to make a good game of it in the second half. For their part, Weymouth played some fine passing football and in Elam had a constantly dangerous winger, but their finishing was below par for a side aspiring to promotion.