Match Report

SUMMARY:

Alty completed their first double of the season with their biggest win of the campaign against an Aldershot Town side which started well but fell behind to a superb 25 yard shot from James Robinson (8 mins). Darren Barnard equalised from the penalty spot after Band had been harshly judged to have pushed over Holloway. Band was booked for protesting and, in the aftermath, both Barnard and Alty's Coburn were also cautioned (35 mins). Referee Lewis amazingly produced his book another twice before the break, booking Little and Thornley to make it five cautions in ten minutes. But in that same period Alty scored twice more. Firstly, Thornley lashed home a shot from the right (41 mins) and then, in the fourth minute of added time, Robinson scored his second when he expertly curled a freekick into Bull's top corner from just outside the box to make it 3-1. The second half was a slightly quieter affair but Alty were rarely threatened by their visitors. Alty went 4-1 up after 78 minutes when Rose, who had just come on, and Robinson combined to set up Thornley at the back post. Colin Little added a fifth two minutes later when he got the ball off Barnard on the half way line and, despite retreating defenders, kept his head to score well (80 mins). After last week's 5-0 defeat at Forest Green, this was the perfect response from Altrincham.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr. R.L. Lewis

Alty's only away win so far this season had been at Aldershot but both teams were much changed since that encounter in August. Since then, from the Alty starting line-up, Steve Hawes and Gary Williams had left the club, Gary Talbot was out injured today and Colin Potts was suspended. Also three of the bench that day, James Olsen, George Melling and Nehru McKenzie had left the club. As Alty again selected no keeper on the bench, Richard Acton was not involved today. This left only Coburn, Band, Adams, Owen and Little as the Alty players to start both games against The Shots this season. Of the bench today, it was good to see Lee Hendley return after a long injury-enforced absence.

Alty entered the game after a below-par showing at Forest Green last week where they had lost 5-0. For their part, Aldershot's form had been patchy in the last couple of months but overall they were much improved on their showing in the early part of the campaign. On the evening before today's game, The Shots had sold top scorer Tim Sills to Oxford United but in the recently signed former Grays' man Leroy Griffiths they had a ready replacement to lead the line up front. Nick Crittenden had been a doubt before the game but played, as did Elphick, the Shots' recent loan signing from Brighton.

TEAM NEWS

Altrincham were without the suspended duo of Warren Peyton and Colin Potts as well as the injured defenders Karl Munroe and Gary Talbot. Chris Adams, who had sat out the last game on the bench after injury, was today back in the starting line-up. This allowed Graham Heathcote to shuffle his formation, moving Scott to the right side of the back four whilst Steve Aspinall moved to join Val Owen in central midfield. James Robinson started on the left with Ged Murphy on the right, whilst the rejuvenated Rod Thornley and Colin Little continued up front. The Alty bench included three young strikers in Lugsden, McFadden and Hendley.

Pre-match reports had suggested that Aldershot would be without the influential wide man Crittenden, but he was in the starting line-up. The Shots also included a recent loan signing from Brighton, Gary Elphick. But, having sold Tim Sills the night before the game, another recent signing, Leroy Griffiths (ex-Grays and Fisher) was bearing the brunt of the visitors' goalscoring aspirations today.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts 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, 8. Val OWEN, 2. Steve ASPINALL, 19. James ROBINSON; 9. Colin LITTLE, 10. Rod THORNLEY. Subs: 14. Lewis CHALMERS, 20. Kieran LUGSDEN, 21.Stephen ROSE, 26. Lee HENDLEY, 28. Pat McFADDEN.

ALTY SUBS:

ALDERSHOT TOWN (All blue). 1. Nikki BULL; 26. Matt SOMNER, 3. Darren BARNARD, 24. Gary ELPHICK, 4. Greg HEALD, 8. Steve WATSON (capt)., 17. Ryan SCOTT, 11. Gary HOLLOWAY, 20. Nick CRITTENDEN, 28. Ryan WILLIAMS, 27. Leroy GRIFFITHS. Subs: 21. Dan WEAIT (gk), 5. John BROUGH, 12. Lewis HAMILTON, 14. Hassan SULAIMAN, 19. Dave WINFIELD>

REPORT

On a bright but cold afternoon, the sides changed ends and Alty played the first half attacking the Golf Road End, where their supporters continued their tradition of good vocal support which had not been dulled by the traumatic 5-0 reverse at Forest Green the previous week. Aldershot, too, were well supported, especially considering the distance they had travelled. After just 70 seconds, Aldershot won the game's first corner when Watson's wayward shot was slightly deflected and, indeed, The Shots went on to enjoy the better of the opening stages. Alty's best moment in the first few minutes came as Little raced clear of the defence, only to be hauled back for offside (6 mins). But The Shots continued to press and it was against the run of play that Alty took the lead in spectacular fashion. A mishit clearance by an Aldershot central defender came out to Robinson. He was a full 25 yards from goal in a central position and the danger to the visitors seemed slight. But he unleashed a superb shot into the top of the net which beat Bull to put Alty 1-0 ahead (8 mins). It was probably the best strike seen at Moss Lane this season.

The goal lifted Alty and they soon won a corner through Thornley, on the right but Adams's kick was too high to cause any danger. Just after a lecture for Watson and Little for off the ball antics, Aldershot constructed a neat build-up but it ended in a poor cross, behind the goal, by Crittenden (15mins). Soon, Griffiths repeated the act, putting another cross behind Coburn's net but the game was now on an even keel after Alty's slow start before their goal. However, Aldershot won a corner on the left which saw the ball pass through the goal area for a goalkick (20 mins). Alty hearts were then in their mouths as Coburn raced 40 yards out of goal and his clearance was not the best but he managed to recover his goal line position to gather the ball by the time the visitors had worked it forward. The visitors won two more corners, with Somner heading the first over the bar. The second corner came when Griffiths got past Band on the right. Alty boss Graham Heathcote was not a happy man at this stage, despite his side's lead.

Alty then shouted for a penalty after Thornley went down in the box (27 mins). But the visitors came closer to scoring when Crittenden fired just over the bar after Scott's advance had seen a clearance fall to the Aldershot wingman (28 mins). Then Altrincham came even closer still to a goal when Murphy, who was having his best game since joining Alty from Droylsden, and Robinson combined. From Robinson's cross from the right, Little fired in a low shot at the back post which Bull did very well to keep out and then as Owen closed in on the loose ball in the goalmouth, a defender or the keeper somehow manged to block what looked likely to be a goal (29 mins).

Soon afterwards, a Thornley shot led to an Alty corner on the right, which Bull caught from Adams's kick. When Band was penalised 24 yards out, Barnard wasted the opportunity by taking the kick too quickly and striking the ball into the wall (31 mins). For Alty, Owen was looking to be back to his best after his recent injury and his new partner in midfield, Aspinall was also playing well. The Alty back four had looked reasonably comfortable but when Griffiths fed Holloway and the Aldershot no.11 drifted across the box, he went down fairly easily under a challenge from Band which the referee, Mr Lewis, construed as a penalty. Band was booked for protesting before Barnard sent Coburn the wrong way from the spot (35 mins). There was then a melee as Coburn was engulfed by opponents, presumbaly after reacting to something said by Barnard. Both players were booked.

Soon after the restart, Thornley went down on the right touchline about ten yards from the corner flag and needed extensive treatment. He was then taken off the pitch for this to continue and play carried on with Alty a man short. After Little had been judged offside, at the other end Band did well to find Coburn as Holloway threatened. Aldershot continued to press as Alty remained a man short. Little and Watson were then both booked, presumably for an off the ball incident as referee Lewis took his cautions count to five in four minutes (39 mins). He was not finished yet, either! But before the referee could book anyone else, Thornley, who had just returned to the fray, fired home from 20 yards, right of goal, after Owen's advance had prompted confusion in the Aldershot box (41 mins). Rod celebrated his putting Alty 2-1 up with his trademark cartwheel.

Mr Lewis now made his sixth booking in ten minutes by flourishing a yellow at Thornley for a foul (45 mins), as the game entered a surprisingly long four minutes of added time. Folowing a foul on Owen, the freekick led to a second one as referee Lewis seemed to penalise an Aldershot player for "simulation" on the edge of his own box as Aspinall advanced. Robinson lined up the freekick and unerringly found the top corner as Bull's dive to his right failed to stop the curving ball (45+4 mins). The ex-Crewe man had now struck two excellent goals to move him into joint second place in the Alty goalscoring charts this season. Though Alty led 3-1, referee Lewis left the field to a chorus of boos for his booking spree in the final ten minutes of the half.

Aldershot manager Terry Brown signalled his unhappiness by sending his team back onto the pitch several minutes before play was scheduled to resume for the second half. He also made a change, bringing on Brough in place of Scott at the interval. Alty started with Little making an impressive turn towards goal before being closed down and soon afterwards, Robinson headed at Bull but the keeper saved comfortably (47 mins). The early minutes of the half were relatively uneventful though there was a stoppage when a foul left Robinson hurt but he managed to resume without treatment. Aldreshot gained a corner (53 mins) but soon afterwards Maddox went down off the ball and needed treatment to his leg, before hobbling on. Alty then had a very good appeal for a penalty turned down. The incident arose when Thornley crossed from the right and Little was bundled over by a defender almost on the goal line as he went to meet the ball.

Aldershot won a corner soon afterwards which led to an Alty goalkick. Thornley was then fed skilfully by Murphy but as he sought to get past the last defender his control let him down and the opening disappeared (58 mins). With Elphick all over Little, referee Lewis earned an ironic cheer from the Alty fans for giving the freekick. Thornley was felled soon afterwards, again by Elphick, on the front edge of the Shots' penalty area. Little lifted the freekick over the bar as the hour mark passed. Adams saw off an Aldershot attack before Little was tripped as he raced onto Thornley's pass, but the inconsistent Mr Lewis did not book the offender, Heald. Soon afterwards, an error by Murphy allowed Holloway to get the ball and from his pass Crittenden fired into the side netting (64 mins). Then from Aspinall's half clearance, Williams found Watson but he shot over the bar (65 mins). Aldershot had their chances but were not taking them.

However, the visitors were soon under pressure when Elphick handled the ball on the very edge of his own penalty area, with Alty boss Graham Heathcote one of many who saw the incident as a penalty. Little took the kick early and Bull saved comfortably. The Aldershot defence continued to have hesitant moments which made it easy to understand why they have the worst defence in the league, exceeded only by bottom-placed Southport in the goals conceded department. Alty now won another corner but Adams's kick only found Bull's arms. Alty were now comfortably on top and looked a completely different side from that which had performed so abjectly at Forest Green seven days earlier. The spirit in the side was epitomised by a magnificent tackle from Maddox which set Robinson free and his feed to Little led to Alty's leading scorer turning well to make space for a shot, which went only narrowly wide of Bull's left post. At this point Aldershot made another change as Sulaiman replaced Elphick (71 mins).

Aldershot survived an appeal when a player diverted the ball back to Bull's hands but the referee correctly did not see it as a back pass. Soon, Sulaiman almost set up a goal for Griffiths but the striker shot at a defender when he should have done better. More pressure came when Murphy was harshly penalised on the left front edge of the box. But Barnard's freekick was poorly taken. Alty now brought on Rose in right midfield for Murphy (78 mins). Within moments, Rose was instrumental in feeding Robinson and he, in turn, found Thornley at the back post where he finished coolly to make it 4-1 (78 mins).

Alty were not yet finished. Little got the better of Barnard on the half way line and raced towards goal as covering defenders charged back to his left. Little expertly jinked his way round a challenge and calmly kept his head before shooting at goal, his effort looping off a defender and into the net to make it 5-1. It was Alty's first five-goal haul in a league match since August 2001 when they beat Colwyn Bay away 5-2 and the first five goal haul at Moss Lane in a league game since Alty beat Accrington Stanley 5-2 in March 2001. In the Conference, the last time Alty scored five at home was in 1994-5, when they beat Stafford Rangers 5-1.

After 84 minutes Little gave way to Lugsden and two minutes later Chalmers came on for Val Owen.

Alty have found league goals hard to come by this season, having scored just 20 before today's game, so today's haul added 25% to that! As Graham Heathcote told the NL Paper after the game, "The main difference today was that we finished our chances off". James Robinson and Rod Thornley were named joint Men of the Match as each scored twice but in midfield Owen was also back to his best whilst everyone else also contributed to a great result.