Match Report

SUMMARY:

Above: Lewis Chalmers receives congratulations after scoring

Above: Billy Jones scores Exeter's winner from the penalty spot.

For the second time in a week the outcome of a game at Moss Lane was decided against Altrincham by a refereeing decision. This time, with no one appealing and no threat to the Alty goal, referee Langford, (the man who allowed Burton to beat us last season by allowing handball in the build-up to the winning goal) spotted a push from Munroe and awarded the Grecians a penalty. Jones calmly sent Coburn the wrong way to make it 2-1 (80 mins). Earlier, Altrincham had taken the lead on 19 minutes when Peyton's quickly taken freekick from half way was met by Chalmers's fine leap and his header looped over keeper Jones into the far corner of the net. In a game ruined as a spectacle by a gusty wind, Exeter levelled just after the break when Chalmers gave away possession and Stansfield got past Talbot to the right of goal before laying the ball inside for Logan to sidefoot home (50 mins). Things got worse for Alty who had to take off Bushell at half-time, then his replacement, Senior, appeared to twist an ankle and had to be carried off only ten minutes into the second period. Finally, Talbot also had to be replaced after 63 minutes as Alty rarely threatened the Exeter goal in the second half.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr Oliver Langford

Alty were again without the injured Val Owen and Gary Scott but also had Stephen Rose suspended. But Rod Thornley had returned to the bench from England duty. Andy Scott came into the starting line-up in centre-midfield whilst Gary Talbot same in to central defence as Munroe shifted to right-back. Exeter again shuffled their strikers with Logan and Stansfield the preferred combination today. Chris Senior was dropped to the bench.

After their disappointing defeat by Stafford in midweek, Alty were anxious to gain the points vital to keep them in the Conference whilst Exeter were anxious to regain a play-off place at the top. The game was played in bright sunshine but with a stiff breeze blowing across the pitch towards the Carole Nash Stand.

ALTRINCHAM: (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks). 1. Stuart COBURN, 17. Karl MUNROE, 4. Peter BAND, 5. Gary TALBOT, 11. Warren PEYTON; 7. Robbie LAWTON, 6. Steve BUSHELL, 22. Andy SCOTT, 14. Lewis CHALMERS; 9. Colin LITTLE, 12. Joe O'NEILL. Subs: 19. Chris SENIOR, 13. Richard ACTON (gk), 2. Steve ASPINALL, 18. Pat McFADDEN, 10. Rod THORNLEY.

Altrincham substitutes:

EXETER CITY: (All blue). 27. Paul JONES; 18. Steve TULLY, 15. Rob EDWARDS, 6. Chris TODD (capt), 3. Billy JONES; 10. Jon CHALLINOR, 4. Matt GILL, 14. Berti COZIC, 22. Lee ELAM; 20. Richard LOGAN, 9. Adam STANSFIELD. Subs: 1. Martin RICE (gk), 5. Danny SEABORNE, 7. Andy TAYLOR, 8. Jamie MACKIE, 11. Lee PHILLIPS.

Exeter kicked off towards their own fans in the 20/20 End and they had the first shot of note, Challinor's dipping effort from 25 yards which went wide after 1 minute. Next, Stansfield hooked a shot wide (4 minutes) as the away side set the early pace. But a poor punch from goalkeeper Jones from Little's cross led to a good chance for Lawton but he shot wide of the unguarded goal from outside the box (7 mins). Next, Coburn made a fine block-save after 9 minutes, but Logan had been given offside in any case. Then Exeter won three corners in a minute and, from the last of these, Todd's overhead kick cleared the Alty bar (12 mins). Alty boss Graham Heathcote shouted to his men, "We're all over the place. I can guarantee you that they've only got eleven men", an indication that he felt his team were chasing aimlessly around the pitch after their opponents.

Alty responded to the criticism when Lawton won a corner for them. Bushell's kick was cleared to Lawton who was well wide with his effort from 20 yards (13 mins). However, Altrincham won a second corner a few minutes later which came after Munroe had been caught late by Stansfield in the centre circle. But Bushell's corner was not up to standard. Nevertheless, Alty were now improving and when Little was caught on the back of the head just inside the opposition half, Alty were awarded another freekick. Peyton's quickly taken kick from the left side of the pitch, forward up the inside left channel, was met by an excellent leap by Chalmers and his header sailed against the wind and dropped over Jones into the far corner of the net to put Altrincham ahead (19 mins). A few minutes later, Little did well but, as he got into the box, his shot was blocked (22 mins). At the other end, Peyton did well to block an attack before Logan's dangerous cross from the right was cleared by Lawton. An Exeter appeal for a penalty for hands against Talbot went unheeded before good work from O'Neill inside the Grecians' box earned Altrincham another corner kick. After this, a fine, dipping left foot shot from Andy Scott just cleared the bar and also keeper Jones, though Alty fruitlessly claimed a corner believing that Jones had tipped the ball over the bar (25 mins).

When Munroe was penalised against Logan, Exeter's resulting freekick from the edge of the box posed a threat which was only half cleared before Gill's shot through a crowded goalmouth fortunately was straight at the unsighted Coburn (27 mins). Next, good play from Bushell prompted O'Neill into the box but, as he shot wide, he was flagged offside at the end of a neat move. The next corner went Exeter's way but Coburn caught Gill's kick cleanly. When Band was fouled by Billy Jones, the young defender was fairly harshly booked (31 mins). The strong wind was not helping the flow of the game but Munroe did well to see off Gill's attack. At this stage Altrincham were relying on counter-attacks as Exeter pressed forward. But the home side's next attack ended with Band hooking the ball high over the target following a Chalmers throw-in (35 mins).

Logan now headed over the Alty bar before Munroe cleared off the line but it was not clear whether Challinor's sliced effort was going in, anyway. After a foul by Chalmers on the Exeter right, near the corner flag, the ball was cleared and, from the counter attack, the ball went to keeper Jones at the other end. As he attempted to kick clear O'Neil smartly blocked his kick and Jones was fortunate to see the ball rebound wide of goal from where he re-gathered it (39 mins). Exeter continued to exert some pressure as Alty defended from a deep position but there was no serious threat to the Alty goal till Todd found himself in space on the stroke of 45 minutes but he sliced his shot wide. Two minutes of added time were found from somewhere but half time arrived with Altrincham's lead intact.

Exeter were sent out from the dressing room for the second half almost five minutes early, presumably to reflect on their first-half failings. Though he had not seemed injured Alty captain Bushell was replaced at half-time, having entered the game less than 100% fit. His replacement was striker Chris Senior, so Joe O'Neill moved back to the right wing as Senior joined Little up front and Lawton shifted to centre-midfield. Senior soon looked lively and got free to the left of goal but he was not able to get in a shot, though he did win a corner (47 mins). A minute later, Elam got into Alty's box but sent in a poor cross from the left. However, Alty were soon punished when Chalmers gave the ball away some 40 yards out on the Alty left. The ball came to Stansfield who got the wrong side of Talbot to the right of goal. His low ball, inside, was sidefooted home from the centre of the goalmouth by Logan to level the scores (50 mins).

More good work from Senior soon set up a shot for Little but he shot wide (51 mins). Exeter came back at Alty and won a corner, from which Todd nodded over Gill's flag-kick from the right (53 mins). But then an innocuous challenge between Edwards and Senior just inside the Exeter half led to Senior going down in agony with what looked like a very painful ankle injury. After lengthy treatment from physio Andy Hosgood, Senior was chaired off the pitch with the help of Andy Scott and replaced by Rod Thornley, having spent just ten minutes on the pitch before his injury (58 mins). So now Alty had their third attacking pairing of the game. Stansfield was proving a handful for Talbot and Peyton and won a corner on the Exeter right. Altrincham pulled all eleven back for the corner and so found it difficult to relieve the pressure, However, when Challinor fired over after 63 minutes the home side had to make a third enforced change as Talbot gave way to Steve Aspinall. Aspinall went to right back forcing a reshuffle and Alty's third centre-back pairing of the game as Munroe now joined Band. Exeter were now pressing Altrincham hard without creating clear openings (66 mins). However, Munroe was penalised against Logan but the freekick was cleared.

Alty's best effort in this middle part of the half was Chalmers's shot from 22 yards which went comfortably wide (70 mins). This prompted some Alty pressure which led to a corner as the wind strengthened and made the play disjointed once again. But Little then executed a fine pull-down of the ball but could not get in a shot before an error allowed Stansfield a sight of goal which he wasted (75 mins). Altrincham were still on the back foot but looking reasonably comfortable against a fairly ineffectual Exeter attack. Then, Tully, who was booed at evry touch by an Alty crowd which was annoyed at his disparaging comments about their club before the game, got forward up the right and crossed the ball in but as the ball headed harmlessly across the pitch towards the Alty right-back position, referee Langford astounded everyone by awarding a penalty. No one seemed to have appealed and it was only Mr Langford's exaggerated enacting of a two-handed push, when quizzed by the Alty players, which gave a clue as to his decision, which seemd to be against Munroe. From the spot, Billy Jones sent Coburn to his left as he put the ball into the other corner to give Exeter the lead (80 mins). For the second time in a week a controversial refereeing decision had cost Altrincham dear.

Immediately Exeter made a double change with Mackie replacing Logan and Stansfield giving way to Phillips. Altrincham, who had posed little threat to the Exeter goal in the second half were now forced to come forward but Elam became increasingly lively against them on the Exeter left, only for the former Southport winger to be surprisingly substituted by Taylor (84 mins). Altrincham won a late corner, after 88 minutes, and with Band threatening, keeper Jones fumbled the ball away. The game went into four added minutes at the end of the ninety during which Coburn earned applause as he went to his left corner flag and dribbled the ball away but Altrincham could not get the equaliser and the Devon side made off with all three points to leave Altrincham still frustratingly distant from the handful of points which they need to guarantee survival in this division.

The game was not a particularly good spectatcle as the wind made play difficult. Whilst Alty posed little attacking threat in the second half they had looked capable of holding on for a point till Mr Langford's decisive penalty decision. Joe O'Neill was named Alty's Man of the Match with Billy Jones taking the award for the visitors.