Match Report

SUMMARY:

Altrincham deservedly beat a lacklustre Rushden side but put their supporters through unnecessary stress in the final minutes when, having just gone 2-0 up, Peter Band's poor clearance gifted Diamonds a goal. Joe O'Neill had put Alty one up after 27 minutes with a deftly placed header from Lawton's right-wing cross. Alty played some composed football but they did not add to the scoreline till the 88th minute when, for the fourth game in succession, Pat McFadden laid on a goal, feeding Joe O'Neill from the by-line left of goal. Joe placed a low shot into the far corner. But as the game went into added time, Band took the ball across Coburn as the keeper came to gather it and then sent his clearance straight to Tomlin, who lobbed the ball into the top corner. Report to follow.

Right: L to R, Rod Thornley, Stuart Coburn, Peter Band, Warren Peyton and Karl Munroe defend the Alty lines.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr. C.L. Pawson

Captain Steve Bushell was missing after limping off at Halifax on New Year's Day. Joe O'Neill came back into the starting line-up and Rod Thornley returned after missing the Halifax game due to work commitments, Pat McFadden was surprisingly dropped after an excellent first start of the season at Halifax. In Bushell's absence, Chalmers moved to centre midfield with Thornley occupying the left wing. Thomson retained his place after his full debut on New Year's Day.

Rushden had signed five new players this week and four of them were included in the squad today. Daniel Webb, a striker, on one month loan from Yeovil, started up front and also playing, in wide midfield, was Jamie Cook an ex-Oxford Utd and Witney Town striker. On the bench were Jimmy Ghaichem, a midfielder, signed this week on a season-long loan from Peterborough United along with Shane Hill, an ex-Sheffield United midfielder. Alty's tormenter at Nene Park earlier this season, Simeon Jackson, started on the flank rather than up front. Both sides had a scare in the warm-up, with Lewis Chalmers seeming to have a back problem and Diamonds' Paul Watson injuring himself. Chalmers went on to play the game but Watson did not start and was replaced by Shaw who had not even been named on the original teamsheet.

BACKGROUND:

For this game, the naming of referee Pawson was a good omen for Alty as he had previously officiated at Altrincham's 2-0 win over Tamworth this season as well as an away 1-1 draw at Bradford PA on 22 November, 2003 and a goalless draw at home to Burscough on 3 September, 2002 at 7.45p.m.

After rain for much of the morning and preceding week, the Moss Lane was soft but perfectly playable - which would not have been the case a couple of seasons ago before the drainage work in summer 2005. The gate was boosted by a good turnout from Hale Barns Junior FC who from 2007-08 season will be known as Altrincham FC Juniors.

Rushden, below Alty in the league table, had nevertheless twice beaten Alty comfortably this season in both the Conference and FA Cup but, since the sides had last met, Rushden had appointed a new manager in the shape of Graham Westley, the former Farnborough and Stevenage boss.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Stuart COBURN; 2. Steve ASPINALL, 4. Peter BAND, 17. Karl MUNROE, 11. Warren PEYTON; 7. Robbie LAWTON, 8. Val OWEN, 14. Lewis CHALMERS, 10. Rod THORNLEY; 16. Peter THOMSON, 12. Joe O'NEILL . Subs: 3. Gary SCOTT, 5. Gary TALBOT, 15. Justin BOWLER, 18. Pat McFADDEN, 20. Stephen ROSE.

Altrincham substitutes:

RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS (All blue): 20. Scott TYNAN; 2. Glenn WILSON, 4. Jon ASHTON, 5. Chris HOPE (capt), 6. Wayne HATSWELL; 12. Simeon JACKSON, 18. Tom SHAW, 7. Dave SAVAGE, 30. Jamie COOK; 27. Daniel WEBB, 8. Michael RANKINE. Subs: 23. Martyn MARGASON (gk), 14. Lee TOMLIN, 15. Tyrone BERRY, 28. Jimmy GHAICHEM, 29. Shane HILL.

Alty kicked off towards their fans in the Golf Road End, whilst the Rushden supporters who were not in the Main Stand, stood in the open 20/20 End. Inside the first minute Webb shot weakly wide after getting past Band but Alty then won a corner from a throw-in by Lewis Chalmers and a second corner immediately followed (2 mins). The next few minutes produced little of note till Alty won their third corner as Thomson threatened to get on the end of a Thornley cross, only for a defender to put the ball out of play. From Peyton’s corner, from the right, keeper Tynan dropped the ball but was fortunate to be able to re-grab the ball (9 mins). An excellent tackle from Chalmers soon saw off Jackson and set up an Alty attack which came to nothing with Thomson. Altrincham were beginning to get the better of the game and a fine passing movement soon ended with a rasping shot from O'Neill from 22 yards which Tynan saved superbly, pushing the ball to his right to concede another corner to the Robins (13 mins).

Warren Peyton had an impressive start to the game making several important interceptions and using the ball well on the left but Alty goalkeeper Stuart Coburn was largely unemployed behind his back four. Alty were now playing some neat football, shouted on by their manager Graham Heathcote who urged them to play a passing game at every opportunity. Another neat move saw O'Neill chest the ball down cleverly in the outer reaches of the box before hooking his shot wide (19 mins). When Cook clattered Aspinall, his second significant offence, the debutant was lucky to escape a booking from Mr. Pawson. Coburn did have to field a header from Rushden but Alty were awarded a freekick in any case (21 mins).

Alty attacked again and a diagonal cross forward from Aspinall only just evaded Thornley at the back post (25 mins). Then a cross from Cook struck Band but rebounded to Coburn who held it at the second attempt. From a throw on their left Rushden then got the ball to Jackson but his shot was wildly off target to Coburn's left. Soon afterwards Owen, Lawton and Thomson worked the ball to Lawton on the Alty right and from his cross O'Neill's gentle but expertly placed reverse header put the ball into the net beyond the wrong-footed Tynan (27 mins). Graham Heathcote had now come down to the touchline and continued to urge his side to keep passing the ball. Alty almost scored again when Owen, who had an excellent game, was tackled in the act of shooting. Peyton continued to impress at the back for Alty. Rushden's attack looked far from incisive though Coburn did have to field a weak header from Rankine, who had had a poor trial game with Altrincham in pre-season (32 mins).

"Don't relax", the Alty boss urged his team just before Jackson headed well wide (34 mins). Altrincham won their fifth corner of the half after another neat build up but Aspinall’s corner from the right was cleared (35 mins). Rushden them won themselves a corner off Munroe, from which a header clear was made by Chalmers. Alty had a worrying moment when Band went down holding his right shoulder after a fairly innocuous aerial challenge and there were fears that he had again dislocated his shoulder, having done so on Boxing Day. The Alty manager called on his side to be a "bit sharper” and when Band committed a foul Rushden had a potentially dangerous freekick from just outside the box. However, this came to nothing but Altrincham had taken their foot off the pedal and almost paid for it as Rankine curled a shot just over the bar from the edge of the box (44 mins).

Rushden continued to enjoy possession as half-time approached and Aspinall had to block a shot from Jackson but the one minute of added time was completed without any change to the score, leaving Altrincham deservedly one goal ahead.

Rushden kicked off the second half but the first excitement of the second period came after 49 minutes when Thornley put in an excellent dipping shot which went only narrowly wide of Tynan's left post. Thomson continued to get little change out of the Rushden defence but a quick clearance from Coburn set Thornley advancing on the left and from Peyton’s resulting cross, Alty won another corner, on their left (52 mins). Aspinall's corner came to Thornley who sliced his shot wide. At this stage neither side looked particularly threatening until O'Neill got past Hatswell into the edge of the box only to be brought down. Whilst there may have been some doubt about whether it was a penalty or a freekick on the box-edge, the home fans and management were astounded when Mr. Pawson gave neither and waved play on (56 mins).

After this Webb was booked for a foul on Chalmers in the air (56 mins). Following the freekick, Band lifted a shot well over the bar from 25 yards. Rankine then went down very "easily” against Aspinall but referee Pawson gave him a free kick which annoyed the Alty manager. Alty were asleep at the freekick, except for Owen who made a vital interception. When Rushden played the ball out to Savage soon afterwards, the Rushden player fell over. Soon afterwards, Jackson pulled a cross wide of goal and then Berry replaced Rankine for the visitors (59 mins). Alty continued to let Rushden come at them as Coburn smothered a low cross from Webb (61 mins). But Alty came back to life and from an Aspinall cross, a looping header by Thomson cleared the Diamonds' bar (64 mins).

Lawton then won his side a corner off Hatswell but Peyton’s corner was cleared . Rushden then brought on new signing Ghaichem for Shaw (66 mins) and they soon won a dubious corner after Coburn had collected the ball but was adjudged to have taken it behind the by-line. When Alty cleared the corner all 11 of their players were within 30 yards of their own goal. When Alty made a change it was not the expected introduction of McFadden for Thomson but instead centre-back Stephen Rose came on in midfield as Thomson came off. As a result Chalmers moved to the left of midfield as Thornley moved forward (68 mins). Soon after this Thornley almost toe ended a second goal when he did superbly to stretch to meet a cross but could only direct his shot wide of the post (70 mins).

The home crowd was now getting tense as the gap between the sides remained a single goal. "Get fire in your bellies" shouted Graham Heathcote, as he tried to reanimate his team, who were playing their fourth game in 11 days, a heavy burden for part-timers. But Rushden then put the ball in the net from Cook's cross but the effort was offside (74 mins). Rain was now pouring down as both number sevens went down injured in separate incidents.

Alty's Lawton suddenly pulled up in pain after the ball had seemingly struck his leg innocuously but after treatment both Alty's captain and Rushden's Savage continued (75 mins). Owen then fired well wide from the edge of the box before a weak header from Cook was fielded by Coburn (78 mins). Alty won a free kick 22 yards out which was laid off to Aspinall whose well hit shot was well saved by Tynan at the cost of a corner on the Alty left (80 mins). This signalled a late upsurge by Alty which demonstrated that despite their part-time status they could last the full ninety minutes against a full-time side. They won two more corners in the next couple of minutes, the first coming after Lawton’s shot from the right was deflected onto the outside of the post. At this point, McFadden came on for Thornley (83 mins).

The corner was half cleared and Alty then won a freekick on their left. This led to yet another Altrincham corner (85 mins). Rushden's last throw of the dice came soon afterwards as Tomlin replaced Savage (85 mins). But soon afterwards Alty made the score 2-0 when Rose and Owen fed McFadden who got to the by-line left of goal and though his first lay off was blocked, his second found O'Neill who slotted a low shot from the left across goal into the corner of the net (88 mins). It was Joe's second goal of the match and his fifth of the season. But Rushden produced a belated improvement, having failed to test Coburn seriously to date. Firstly Munroe had to clear an effort from Tomlin off the line, the ball coming back out to Tomlin who seemed certain to score only for Coburn to make a superb save (90+1 mins).

But the respite was short as the loose ball came back into the box and, inexplicably, Band took it away from the waiting arms of Coburn and cleared the ball straight to Tomlin. The Rushden sub, who had scored against Alty earlier this season, took his chance well, sending a looping shot into the far corner of the net (90+1 mins). With three minutes of added time having been signalled, Alty had to see out two more tense minutes but did so successfully to record their fourth successive league game without defeat and a haul of 8 points over the Christmas and New Year period.

The win lifted them three places to fourteenth but having played 14 of their 26 games at home and having played more games than several teams below them, it is far too early to relax on the campaign to stay in the division for next season. Nevertheless, this was generally a good showing for Alty with some fine passing especially in the first half and the victory was all the more impressive, given the absence of the suspended Colin Little and the injured Steve Bushell. Joe O'Neill was named Man of the Match with Ashton taking the award for Rushden and it was good to see O'Neill improving his goalscoring tally to add to his deserved reputation for selfless hard work for the team. Had he not won the award today, Val Owen and Robbie Lawton were amongst the other Alty contenders for the champagne.