Match Report

SUMMARY:

Right: Alty's Steve Bushell and Burton's Darren Stride line up with the match officials and mascots before today's game.

After Colin Little had spurned a golden chance after just two minutes, firing wide when behind the defence, Altrincham went on to give an excellent first-half performance yet still trailed 1-2 at the interval. They fell behind when Coburn rushed out of goal but defender Munroe needed to get the ball away rather than allow it to run to his keeper, as Burton's Brown was closing in. Unfortunately, Munroe's clearance went to Clare who, from more than 30 yards out, lobbed the ball over the stranded keeper and defender to put the visitors ahead (17 mins). However, Alty desevedly equalised four minutes later when Little and Lawton got the ball to Owen, who turned well before striking a low shot past Poole's right hand into the corner of the net. Burton's second goal also came from an Alty clearance as Aspinall kept his head in his own box to gather the ball and clear, but he only found Fowler who lashed a superb shot past Coburn from 25 yards (33 mins). Burton had scored from virtually their only two chances of the game at this point.

The game was settled by another Alty lapse after 50 minutes. Firstly, Aspinall's push conceded an unnecessary freekick on the Burton left, 30 yards out. But then Alty's marking from the freekick was poor as Stride rose head and shoulders above the defence to knock the ball back towards the near post where Clare converted comfortably from close range (50 mins). Burton then contained Alty's best efforts for the rest of the half until Little poked the ball home from Band's pass after a Burton defender had deflected Peyton's freekick onto his own crossbar (90+3 mins). The result means that Altrincham have now won just two games out of their last 13 Conference matches and are now twentieth, just one place above the relegation slots.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr. Al J. Halliday(Lincoln)

Burton had yet to lose a league match against Altrincham and they arrived in fourth place in the Conference, whilst Alty were in 18th position and in need of a win after securing just two victories in their previous dozen Conference games.

Joe O'Neill remained on the bench as manager Graham Heathcote opted to play Colin Little alone up front, with Robbie Lawton supporting behind him. Peter Band returned to the bench after an injury lay-off, whilst goalkeeper Richard Acton also came back to the bench in case of a recurrence of Stuart Coburn's recent groin problem. Alty's starting eleven was unchanged from that which deservedly secured a point at Grays last weekend. Lewis Chalmers, fresh from international action at Burton in midweek, was deployed on the right flank.

Nigel Clough's side was without winger Keith Gilroy but scares about David Brown's fitness proved unfounded. Veteran Kevin Poole continued in goal for the Brewers.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Stuart COBURN; 2. Steve ASPINALL, 17. Karl MUNROE, 20. Stephen ROSE, 3. Gary SCOTT; 14. Lewis CHALMERS, 6. Steve BUSHELL (capt), 8. Val OWEN, 11. Warren PEYTON; 7. Robbie LAWTON; 9. Colin LITTLE. Subs: 4. Peter BAND, 10. Rod THORNLEY, 12. Joe O'NEILL, 13. Richard ACTON (gk), 22. Colin POTTS.

Altrincham substitutes:

BURTON ALBION (All yellow): 30. Kevin POOLE; 2. Gary ROWETT, 5. Darren TINSON, 7. Darren STRIDE, 3. Aaron WEBSTER; 4. Andy CORBETT. 22. Paul CARDEN, 8. Lee FOWLER, 10. Andy DUCROS; 24. David BROWN, 9. Daryl CLARE. Subs: 6. Ryan AUSTIN, 14. Shaun HARRAD, 16. Jon SHAW, 17. John BRAYFORD, 19. Danny HOLMES.

REPORT

Burton kicked off towards the Golf Road End but, following a Chalmers' throw, it was Alty who won the first corner when Little harried a defender into conceding it. From Bushell's kick, on the right, the ball was played low and diagonally to Little whose first-time shot was goalbound till a defender cleared it inside the six-yard box (90 secs). Then just seconds later, another shaky bit of work from the normally secure Burton defence saw a back header fall for Little as he advanced behind the back line. Colin connected well with his shot as he entered the box but failed to hit the target, smashing his shot narrowly wide of Poole's left post. It was the sort of chance which has to be converted at Conference level (2mins).

Alty's bright start continued as Lawton advanced up the left past a defender and won a corner on that side of the field off Stride. Peyton’s short corner to Little led to nothing, as did most of Alty's corners this afternoon. After the lively Lawton had seen his shot blocked Rose did well to stop Clare, as the supporters gave their sides good support. Burton continued to look less than confident at the back in the early stages and, next, a 25 yarder from Owen caused Poole to fumble the ball worryingly for the Midlanders. But it was Coburn who had to make the best save of the early stages, going to his left to push the ball away from a good strike by Ducros (15 mins). Then, against the run of play of the early stages, Burton took the lead when Alty keeper Coburn rushed to the front edge of the box, left of goal, as a through ball came towards him. However, the back tracking Munroe felt obliged to clear the ball before it could reach his keeper as Brown was closing in, quickly, between the defender and keeper. Unfortunately, Munroe's clearance only went to Clare, who was 30 to 35 yards from goal in the inside right position. The former Conference Golden Boots showed his class with a superbly weighted and directed lob which dropped into the empty net to put his side ahead (17 mins).

But Alty did not have to wait long to equalise. From a Coburn clearance the ball came via Aspinall, Bushell, Little and Lawton, on the right, and then via Bushell again to Owen, who turned cleverly and planted a low shot into Poole's bottom right hand corner from just inside the box (21 mins). It was Val’s second goal in successive games. Soon afterwards Lawton was lectured for protesting when Mr. Halliday failed to give handball against a Burton player (24 mins). Lawton continued to maraud across the pitch in support of Little and soon some good work from Chalmers set Lawton free on the right but his low cross came too early for the supporting Alty players to arrive in the box. But the home side continued to play good football. However, when another Burton mix up led to a foul on Chalmers, Mr. Halliday declined to take out his notebook. With manager Heathcote yelling to his right back, "Asa, do it!", presumably a reference to a rehearsed freekick procedure, Peyton had other ideas and took the freekick himself , finding Munroe at the back post and his goalbound header was well kept out by Poole at the foot of his right upright, at the cost of a corner (29 mins).

From Bushell’s corner Chalmers found Little but his cross went to Poole from the right of goal. Lawton continued to impress as Alty more than matched their visitors but, after an error from Webster, not his first of the game, Lawton fed Little but he shot wildly from right of goal. It was to be a turning point as Burton again capitalised on a defensive error to score a goal. It came after Aspinall, calmly gathered the ball in his own box, and cleared a Burton attack. But the ball only went to Fowler, 25 yards out. The midfielder immediately lashed an unstoppable shot to Coburn's right to restore the Brewers' lead and to underline the value to Alty of taking their chances (33 mins).

So, Alty had it all to do again, despite having played well so far. Soon Aspinall had to make a good tackle to stop Brown inside the box before a shot from Rowett which seemed to go straight into Golf Road was deemed to have taken a deflection and a corner was awarded (38 mins). Soon after this, Rose was judged to have committed a foul but from the freekick, 30 yards out, Rowett fired wide (39 mins). Rose was again unfortunate to be penalised when Brown seemed to back into him but Webster shot the freekick at Coburn (42 mins). Just before the break, Chalmers and Bushell combined to feed Lawton inside the box. As he went to shoot, Lawton was brought down by a tackle but Mr. Halliday waved play on (44 mins). One minute of added time left the score unaltered at 2-1 to the visitors but the game seemed far from over.

Alty had the first chance of the half but Peyton headed wide from Aspinall’s cross (47 mins). However, a needless push in the back by Aspinall on Ducros as the Burton midfielder headed towards the touchline thirty yards out, to the left of the Alty goal, was to prove costly. From the freekick Alty failed to track Stride who rose well towards the back post to nod the ball diagonally forward towards the near post where Clare had a fairly easy task to convert the chance and make the score 3-1 to the Brewers (50 mins).

Five minutes later Alty changed formation, bringing on Thornley alongside Little up front, with Lawton moving to the right and Chalmers to the left of midfield. Scott was the player to give way, with Peyton moving to occupy his left-back berth. Burton continued to nullify all of Altrincham’s endeavour and it looked as if it would be difficult for the home side to find a way back into the game. The visitors themselves made a change after 61 minutes as Brown gave way to Harrad, fresh from a hat-trick in the Reserves, as indeed was Alty's own sub, Thornley. Next, Thornley gained a corner for his side, which came to nothing, before Mr. Halliday continued to show patience as Stride again committed a foul without caution, this time on Thornley. But when Munroe was pushed over in the D outside the Burton penalty area, the ref did produce his book, cautioning Carden (64 mins). Peyton's freekick was deflected for an Alty corner, another short one from Bushell which led to nothing. Alty continued to press but Munroe was unable to turn in Lawton's pass (66 mins).

Next, Alty brought on Potts on the right wing for right-back Aspinall, necessitating the move of Chalmers to right-back (69 mins). When a Burton player needlessly barged Munroe head first into the advertising hoardings behind the Alty by-line, referee Halliday failed even to have a word with the offender. But a few minutes later when Peyton's frustration led him to foul a Burton player trying to wind down time near the corner flag, the referee did produce his yellow card and the Alty man could have little complaint (74 mins). It was Peyton's fourth card of the season. Mr. Halliday soon produced his card again when Clare went down dramatically under Munroe's challenge - Munroe now has five yellow cards this season so will miss the next game. Clare forced a tremendous save out of Coburn from the freekick, the keeper diving to his right to push the ball away (76 mins). Then at the other end, Poole had to be out smartly to gather as Little closed in (77 mins). Having shown reluctance to caution anyone for half the match, Mr. Halliday had now acquired a liking for producing his card and Thornley was his next victim, for what seemed an accidental handball in centre field (81 mins). At this point Burton brought on Holmes for Fowler .

Burton continued to soak up Alty’s efforts without any alarms as the minutes ticked away. A Peyton freekick was struck too long and gave the visitors a goalkick. before Shaw came on for Albion as Ducros was substituted (87 mins). A minute later, Band came on for Altrincham's Chalmers (88 mins). Potts won his side a corner soon after this but the same player's kick was poor, going low and short to the first Burton defender facing him. A Band clearance at the other end struck Lawton to give Burton a late corner on their left, as four minutes of added time were signalled.

In the second added minute Clare's snap shot went narrowly wide but Coburn had it covered. However, following an Alty freekick on the right by Peyton, a defender deflected the ball onto his own cross bar. It came to Band who got the ball right to Little who hooked the ball home from close range to make it 2-3. However, it was already in to the third minute of added time and too late to offer much hope of a late reprieve for Altrincham. And so it proved, as moments later the final whistle sounded and Alty had nothing to show for a good performance, particularly in the first half against Nigel Clough's well organised side. Burton had taken their chances with an efficiency which Alty did not match. Darren Tinson was named the Brewers' Man of the Match whilst Robbie Lawton was the Robins' equally deserved choice for the honour.