Match Report

REFEREE: Mr. A Bennett (Hatherleigh)

Five of Alty's 21-man squad were out injured so the squad chose itself. But Graham Heathcote chose James Dean, signed the previous day on loan from Bury, to start up front in preference to Colin Little.

Salisbury's defender Jon Bass played with three stitches in his leg but regular skipper, Aaron Cook, was out injured. Mike Fowler took over as captain whilst midfielders Andy Sandell and Ian Herring, as well as the suspended Wayne Turk, were missing,as was the ill striker Robbie Matthews.

BACKGROUND:

Salisbury had lost their previous four matches whilst Alty had won two of their previous four games and had lost just twice on the road this season.

LINE-UPS

SALISBURY CITY (White shirts, black shorts, white socks): 1. Ryan CLARKE; 2. Jon BASS, 5. Tim BOND, 29. Luke OLIVER, 3. Matt ROBINSON; 8. Scott BARTLETT, 6. Mike FOWLER (capt), 18. Darrell CLARKE, 19. Liam FEENEY; 10. Matt TUBBS, 15. Marvin BROWN. Subs: 11. Luke PRINCE, 13. Tommy WIDDRINGTON, 14. Jon BESWETHERICK, 17. Danny CLAY, 31. Martin HORSELL

ALTRINCHAM (Pale & dark blue shirts, pale blue shorts and socks) 13. Richard ACTON; 15. Chris LANE, 5. Darren TINSON (capt), 16. Ryan SHOTTON, 3. Gary SCOTT; 7. Robbie LAWTON, 6. Jake SEDGEMORE, 11. Warren PEYTON, 12. Joe O'NEILL; 19. Chris SENIOR, 20. James DEAN. Subs: 1. Stuart COBURN, 4. Karl MUNROE, 9. Colin LITTLE, 18. Pat McFADDEN, 22. Carlos LOGAN..

Alty Subs:

On a dull afternoon, City kicked off towards the away end at Salisbury's modern but compact ground on the outskirts of the city. Inside 30 seconds, Salisbury had the ball in the net after Oliver had flicked the ball on to Clarke at the back post, but an offside flag saved Alty's blushes. The home side went on to enjoy the better of the opening stages. However, after 9 minutes a superb 50-yard surge upfield by centre-back Shotton seemed to have foundered on miscontrol by Dean from Shotton's pass, but O'Neill managed to get in a shot, which was blocked and then Senior shot wide from the follow-up. Next, Dean fed Senior who curled a shot narrowly wide from 22 yards. After some scrappy play, it was Salisbury who won the game's first corner (15 mins).

Next, Acton did well to grab the ball ahead of Tubbs, following an error by Lane (17 mins). Both Tinson and Shotton were doing well for Alty, though the giant ex-Stevenage man, Luke Oliver, was always a danger from long throws and dead-balls. Alty then won two successive corners, the second coming from a shot by Shotton (23 mins). Salisbury keeper Clarke was lucky not to concede a goal when he slid out of the left side of his box and had to release the ball. He then ran after the ball, towards his corner flag, where Lawton got the ball past the keeper on the by-line. But Lawton's cross for O'Neill was overhit (26 mins).

Next, a Lane shot was deflected out for an Alty corner. But when Alty stood off Tubbs, he exchanged a pass with Feeney before shooting wide (31 mins). Though Alty were holding their own, their opening goal came out of nothing. Sedgemore fed Dean, 30 yards out, right-centre. The big striker took a touch before driving a fine shot into the net off the bottom of the crossbar, with the keeper motionless (35 mins). A minute later, keeper Clarke's afternoon got worse as he came second in a race for the ball with Senior who, as usual was wiling to chase an apparent lost cause. But with Senior just inside the Alty left of the box, and heading away from goal, the keeper brought him down to concede a very clear penalty. Sedgemore sent Clarke the wrong way as he drove home the spot-kick (37 mins).

Above: Jake Sedgemore, far right, nets the penalty which put Alty 2-0 ahead.

Senior again underlined his commitment by climbing to win a header against Oliver, who is a foot taller than him (41 mins). Half-time came after one added minute, with Altrincham looking comfortably in command with a two-goal lead.

A rare error from Shotton allowed Brown an opening but he mis-controlled the ball (47 mins). Alty's slow start continued as Feeney now won a corner (49 mins). The Robins remained on the backfoot as Shotton headed a Salisbury shot out for another corner. The home side then made a double attacking swap. Clay, the former Exeter man, replaced Fowler and winger Prince came on for the right-back and captain, Bass (55 mins). The belligerent Tubbs was then booked for a foul on Acton before stupidly climbing on Tinson's back immediately afterwards and escaping a second yellow (56 mins). Brown then shot wide before Alty just survived a flick-on by Oliver from Bartlett's long throw (59 mins).

Salisbury continued to come at the deep-lying Alty team but then a long Shotton throw from the right was brilliantly volleyed against the crossbar by Senior at the other end (66 mins). Following two good headers clear by Tinson yet another nod-on by Oliver led to Brown firing over the bar (67 mins). From Acton's goalkick, a good Alty move was half-headed clear by Robinson to Lawton, inside the box. He found Senior, to his left. Senior coolly delayed his shot before placing a delightful, curling, left-footed shot into the net, to the keeper's right (68 mins). For the first time this season Altrincham had a 3-0 lead and three valuable points beckoned.

Above: The ball is in the net as Chris Senior takes the congratulations - 3-0

Almost immediately Lane was booked for alleged time-wasting (69 mins). Soon, Acton had to come out to save well at Prince's feet amidst optimistic penalty appeals from Salisbury, but a corner was given. Alty defended this corner very poorly allowing Brown an unhindered downward header past a flat-footed Acton (72 mins).

The goal gave City a fillip but they still faced a fifth successive defeat. However, Alty were now penned back and posing little threat at the other end. Dean was getting little change out of the Salisbury defence in the air, so was unable to hold `the ball up to relieve the pressure. The Alty midfield was also second best at this stage but Alty got to the 81st minute before a goalmouth scramble gave Salisbury a corner. Altrincham survived this before Lane conceded a freekick on the edge of the box for a freekick. Prince's fine dead-ball effort came back firmly off the crossbar (84 mins). And when Altrincham then won a corner after Dean's well-struck shot was beaten out at the near post by Clarke, it seemed that Alty would hold on to the points (86 mins). Indeed, a second Alty corner followed before an error at the other end by Scott gave City a corner themselves on their right. And from Prince's inswinging corner-kick Oliver headed home off the bar (88 mins). Two goals direct from corners had now been conceded by the visitors.

Alty were now jittery whilst Salisbury scented an escape route from defeat. Alty then tried to bring on Karl Munroe to shore up their defence but the fourth official seemed to be slow off the mark, to the annoyance of the Altrincham management. So the referee restarted play as Mr Bird flapped around with his electronic display board (90 mins). Almost inevitably Salisbury scored an equalizer amidst this confusion when Oliver nodded on an aerial ball and, as Acton came to punch clear, Brown got in first to head into the net (90 mins).

Alty boss, Graham Heathcote threw off his jacket in disgust before venting his fury at the officials. Referee Bennett came across and sent him to the stand. Finally, Munroe got on, in place of Dean (90+1 mins). Alty withstood another four added minutes of pressure to emerge with a point they would have been happy to agree to at kick-off but which now felt like two points squandered. Conceding three headed goals will give Altrincham plenty to think about but countering someone as tall as Oliver is no easy task and both Tinson and Shotton otherwise played well. Whether more, and earlier substitutions by Altrincham would have helped relieve the late pressure must remain conjecture.