Match Report

SUMMARY:

Altrincham recorded their first-ever win over Grays Athletic thanks to a well-taken goal by Joe O'Neill, after Lewis Chalmers's long throw from the left had cleared Peter Band and a Grays defender in the centre of the box (29 mins). Grays had plenty of possession especially in the second half but were let down by poor final balls and kept at bay by excellent Altrincham defending. Joe O'Neill was named Man of the Match.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr J Waugh

Gary Scott and Val Owen remained sidelined through injury but centre-back Peter Band returned after illness. Stephen Rose reverted to right-back as Steve Aspinall returned to the bench where goalkeeper Richard Acton made a rare appearance. Grays' Gareth Grant was missing as he was in gaol and Stuart Thurgood was suspended.

After three wins on the trot, Altrincham had lost their last game at home to Oxford United. Grays were surprisingly finding themselves at the wrong end of the table and had had four managers this season. But they had been unlucky to lose an FA Trophy semi-final against Stevenage last Saturday.

ALTRINCHAM: (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks). 1. Stuart COBURN, 20. Stephen ROSE, 4. Peter BAND, 17. Karl MUNROE, 11. Warren PEYTON; 12. Joe O'NEILL, 7. Robbie LAWTON, 6. Steve BUSHELL, 14. Lewis CHALMERS; 9. Colin LITTLE, 19. Chris SENIOR. Subs: 13. Richard ACTON (gk), 2. Steve ASPINALL, 5. Gary TALBOT, 18. Pat McFADDEN, 22. Andy SCOTT.

Altrincham substitutes:

GRAYS ATHLETIC: (All pale blue). 1. Ashley BAYES; 2. Andy SAMBROOK, 16. Tom KEMP, 4. Jamie STUART (capt), 9. Anthony TONKIN; 18. Matt BODKIN, 22. Ashley NICHOLLS, 30. Ben HARDING, 23. Glenn POOLE; 7. Dennis OLI, 19. Alex RHODES. Subs: 11. Leroy GRIFFITHS, 12. Tom WILLIAMSON, 14. Anthony BARNESS, 15. Danny KNOWLES, 17. Dean HOWELL.

On a very cold night, Grays kicked off in front of Alty's lowest home gate of the season - predictably so, as this game had been rearranged from a Saturday fixture due to the Essex club's progress in the Trophy. Attacking the 20/20 End, Alty deployed Senior on the right with O'Neill partnering Little up front. Lawton joined Bushell in central midfield. With ten league scouts watching various players, it took six minutes of pacey but unproductive football before a freekick for a foul on O'Neill led to Chalmers's flick-on for O'Neill's shot at Bayes. Alty won the game's first corner when the lively O'Neill was tackled, inside the box (8 mins). Next, a cross from the Alty right was cleared out to Little, whose good shot was well saved by Bayes (9 mins).

For Grays, Oli was looking a threat and Bodkin's speed on the right wing also looked menacing. From Oli's feed Harding forced Coburn into a diving save, low to his right. But a good move from Alty, involving Chalmers, Little and Senior soon produced another Altrincham corner. Senior ran from the near post to gather Bushell's short corner and just as he was about to shoot, he was bundled off the ball. Grays now went up to the other end, where the on-loan Rhodes crossed but Harding headed over the bar. However, Oli soon won a corner when Rose headed out his cross. Play was now end to end and played at a good pace by both sides. O'Neill continued to impress as he got past two opponents on the left touchline but his cross struck Stuart before rebounding off the Alty man for a goalkick (15 mins). Next Coburn had to hurry out to kick clear an underhit back pass from Peyton. Then, from a Chalmers throw, Band found Little, but he shot wide (18 mins).

Grays responded by winning a corner after Poole's cross hit Rose in the face (21 mins). But when Chalmers headed clear, all his team-mates were in their own box, so the ball soon came back. Though Alty won a freekick soon afterwards, it was Grays who won the next corner, which Coburn caught well. Alty now won two successive corners on the left and from the second, Chalmers launched a huge throw into the box. The ball just cleared Band and his marker, but fell for O'Neill, just left of the penalty spot, and he rifled a left-foot shot into the net, to give Altrincham the lead (29 mins).

The goal prompted some more good play, before Grays pressed forward, only for Rhodes to be penalised for hands. Band had to clear the next attack, and Alty remained on the defensive as O'Neill conceded a freekick just over the half-way line (35 mins). But Grays had an escape when O'Neill did well but saw his shot saved and come out to Little who was knocked over as he was about to shoot, but Mr Waugh waved play on to the amazement of Alty and their manager, who had seen it as a clear penalty (37 mins).

Soon, Chalmers got in a shot, but it was well off target. Play continued entertainingly from end to end as some Alty fans made their way peaceably through the away end to the refreshment trailer, with half-time imminent.

Alty started the second half, attacking the Golf Road end. Three successive throws from the left by Chalmers led to both O'Neill and Senior going down in the box, but appeals for penaties fell on deaf ears (46 mins). After Coburn's routine save from Rhodes, O'Neill's lay-off at the other end led to Little shooting narrowly wide from 25 yards (49 mins). Following a freekick for a foul by Bodkin on Peyton, Little did very well but had his shot from 10 yards blocked for a corner. Bushell took this short and it came to nothing but soon an impressive move ended with a great cross-shot which Bayes tipped out for a corner (53 mins). Now Griffiths came on for Rhodes and after a Grays attack had been cleared, Alty brought on McFadden for Senior (55 mins). O'Neill now went to the right wing. Alty enjoyed the better of the next few minutes but then Grays were awarded a corner despite Munroe deliberately shepherding the ball out for what he clearly believed to be a goalkick. Munroe protested and found himself booked for his pains (62 mins). Following the corner, Nicholls's dipping shot just cleared the bar. Next, Oli sliced a shot to Coburn before Little fired McFadden's excellent lay-off well over from 22 yards (64 mins). After 66 minutes Dean Howell replaced Bodkin, whose pace on the right had caused Alty some early problems but who had been much quieter afterwards.

Munroe now missed a header but a Grays mis-pass meant that they failed to take advantage. Soon, Stuart came forward to win a corner off Munroe and when Chalmers threw a throw-in straight into touch, Alty looked to be tiring against their full-time opponents. Grays went close and Poole's cross was headed narrowly wide at the back post but the Essex side continued to fail to match their approach work (73 mins).

"You've got to step it up", Graham Heathcote told his men, as the visitors now enjoyed a lot of possession. But when Griffiths made an error, the pressure on the visitors' Chairman, Mick Woodward, told as he shouted, "For Christ's sake!" at yet another unforced error. Alty had a golden chance to wrap the game up when Bayes beat out a strong Little shot, to McFadden left of goal, but somehow Pat's cross-shot was kept out (79 mins).

Band was now penalised twice in as many minutes and was booked, after conceding a freekick on the front corner of the box (82 mins). Grays won two late corners, as Alty tried to counter-attack with long balls for McFadden to chase. As time ticked away, Talbot replaced Little (89 mins). Two minutes of added time were played during which Mr Waugh chose to show a blind eye to a blatant push on Robbie Lawton but Altrincham survived to the final whistle without too much alarm and recorded their fourth victory in five outings. The win took them up to fifteenth but they remain far from safe in the struggle against relegation. But for Grays, the loss of several of their better players during the earlier part of the season has cost them dear and changes of managership have caused further disruption. But the Essex club will always be popular at Moss Lane both for trying to play the game in the right way and for the generosity of their chairman towards our club during the points deduction case last year.