Match Report

SUMMARY:

A pulsating start to the game saw four goals in 20 minutes, three of them to Alty but with the visitors 4-1 up by the interval the second half was a non-event apart from Coburn's penalty save and a stupendous fifth Alty goal from Thornley. Lawton put Alty one-up following Chalmers's long throw (3 mins). After Little had missed a sitter, Archer headed an equaliser (9 mins). When O'Neill sprang the offside trap, Little converted when his fellow-striker's shot came back to him (12 mins). After Bastock had failed to gather another Chalmers long throw, Little nodded in Alty's third goal (20 mins). Little completed his hat-trick in first-half added-time when Talbot nodded on another Chalmers throw to him. The second half was poor as Alty conserved their energy for another match in 48 hours and St Albans found it hard to raise their game. But Munroe stupidly conceded a penalty when he pushed over an opponent long after Coburn had the ball in his hands. However, the Alty keeper saved the spot-kick superbly (60 mins). After 30 more minutes of uninspiring fare, the referee found 6 added minutes and in the second of these, Thornley thumped a tremendous looping shot over Bastock from 30 yards to complete the scoring. Curiously, Alty manager Graham Heathcote stormed down the tunnel, 20 minutes from the end, seemingly annoyed that his team were not following his instructions.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr N Kinseley

Val Owen and Gary Scott were still out, injured, and Chris Senior's injury last week ruled him out, along with the suspended Stephen Rose. So, Andy Scott continued in centre-midfield as did Karl Munroe at right-back. City were without Djoumin Sangare, who had to drop out before the game with injury, so Cousins made his Conference debut after 15 months out with injury.

Alty's form in recent weeks had been turned on its head; three successive away wins but also three home defeats in the previous four games. St Albans were at the bottom of the table for this, the first match between these sides at the characterful Clarence Park ground. For their part, Alty lay 18th and still needed at least three points for Conference survival.

ALTRINCHAM: (Pale/dark blue shirts, pale blue shorts and 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: 13. Richard ACTON (gk), 2. Steve ASPINALL, 3. Gary SCOTT, 10. Rod THORNLEY, 18. Pat McFADDEN.

Altrincham substitutes:

ST ALBANS CITY: (All yellow). 1. Paul BASTOCK; 8. Ram MARWA, 5. Gary ELPHICK, 28. Ahmed DEEN, 2. Chris SEEBY; 29. Malik BUARI, 31. Guy LOPEZ, 4. Tom DAVIS, 3. Scott COUSINS; 26. Leon ARCHER, 10. Lee CLARKE. Subs: 7. Matty HANN, 12. Dean CRACKNELL, 13. Ricky PERKS, 18. Faly BASSE, 19. Nick RODDIS.

St Albans won the toss and changed ends, so Alty kicked off down the slope towards their own fans, standing in the open with the sun on their backs. Just 680 fans were at Clarence Park, 141 being at the away end, so, including those in the stand, almost a quarter of the gate were visitors. And it was the Alty fans who were making the more noise even before their side had taken an early lead. The early opening goal came when Chalmers's long throw from the left came out to Lawton on the edge of the box. His left-foot, downward shot bounced over Bastock, who was only able to help it into his own net (3 mins). After Coburn had punched clear at the other end, another Chalmers throw produced two corners in succession. From the second, Bushell and Scott got the ball to Little, who missed badly, volleying over with the goal at his mercy (7 mins). It looked a costly miss when the unmarked Archer headed home a right-wing cross to make it 1-1 (9 mins). But the Saints' shaky defence was then caught out again, this time playing for offside near half-way, as O'Neill got clear on the left from Chalmers's pass. Though Bastock blocked O'Neill's shot well, Little drove home the loose ball to make it 2-1 to Alty (12 mins). St Albans's defence conceded a third when Lawton's shot was deflected out for a throw. From Chalmers's long throw from the left, Bastock came out but only got one hand to the ball and Little nodded in the loose ball (20 mins).

The Alty supporters celebrate after Colin Little has netted Alty's second goal at St Albans.

... and after Alty's third goal, too.

St. Albans won a corner soon afterwards but whenever Alty went forward, the home defence looked suspect. Following a Peyton freekick, Alty had two corners in succession (28 mins). Bastock just did enough to pat away the second one but when Scott played the ball back in, the keeper fumbled it again but was not punished for his error. After Elphick had fouled O'Neill, 30 yards out, Peyton's freekick was misheaded by Elphick and Talbot nodded it on to Little who scored, but was given offside (35 mins). Next, from O'Neill's feed, Lawton cut in but his left-footer ran weakly to Bastock (36 mins). Moments later a great volley from Little flashed inches wide of Bastock's post, from the Alty right.

But despite their lead, Alty boss Graham Heathcote was unhappy as he sarcastically told his players, "Don't do what I told you to do, play your own game!" Though the Saints enjoyed a fair amount of possession, they posed little threat. At the other end, O'Neill went down in the box, but play continued regardless. As one minute of added time started, Buari fired over the Alty bar after good work by Archer (45 mins). But then, from yet another long throw from the left from Chalmers, Talbot rose well to nod the ball on for Little to complete his hat-trick and make it 4-1 for Alty at half-time.

Colin Little emerged for the second half with his left hand bandaged but after the excitement of the first half, the entertainment was to be minimal in the second period. From the home side's supporters there was little if any vocal encouragement. Indeed, until Archer, at the back post, nodded wide from Cousins's freekick, there was nothing to set anyone's pulse racing in the second period (54 mins). The game almost had the air of a practice match, with Saints having plenty of possession but lacking any incision. After 58 minutes they made a double swap as Hann and Cracknell replaced Cousins and Lopez. Then, as Munroe and Clarke headed towrds the Alty goal, the home player went down looking for a freekick. With the ball safely in his hands, the St Albans player got up and as he passed the Alty defender, the Alty right-back stupidly pushed him over. Referee Kinseley gave a penalty and booked Munroe. It was the defender's fourth card in five games and in the one of those five games in which he had not been booked, he had conceded a penalty! Fortunately, Coburn made a superb stop from Davis's spot-kick, diving low to his left (60 mins).

Alty continued to soak up what passed for St Albans' pressure but were creating nothing themselves up front as play drifted aimlessly on. The Saints looked resigned to their fate and Alty were content to sit on their lead. But, when Cracknell was then allowed to turn in the Alty box, he forced a save from Coburn (67 mins). A mis-directed back-header from Talbot then gifted St Albans a corner which came to nothing. A few minutes later, Alty boss Graham Heathcote had seen enough and stormed off up the tunnel complaining, it seemed, about a "lot of cheating", which seemed to be an oblique reference to his own players' performance not matching his wishes. Dalton Steele went down the tunnel after his boss, but emerged alone to direct operations from the touchline (72 mins).

St Albans continued to press before Thornley replaced O'Neill (73 mins). This signalled an upturn for Alty as they won a corner. Soon afterwards Thornley missed an open goal, miskicking badly from 6 yards (76 mins). At the other end Clarke's woeful shot was followed by the substitution of Buari by Basse (77 mins). Altrincham soon missed their third sitter of the game when Little failed to convert Thornley's feed from the right (80 mins).

.Above: Alty's fourth goal. The scorer, Colin LIttle is hidden by Joe O'Neill, left of goal.

Next, Pat McFadden replaced Little (81 mins). Then, Clarke's misheader gave Alty a corner but, soon, Thornley was booked as he slid into Elphick and Bastock. After treatment Elphick limped off, leaving his side with 10 men (85 mins). After this, Aspinall came on for Bushell (86 mins). A wild tackle by Clarke, compounded by kicking the ball away, saw the Yellows' no.10 booked (88 mins). Mr Kinseley showed no pity on the spectators who were enduring, not enjoying, the second half when he signalled an amazing six added minutes. As Munroe went down in his own half, after being caught by an opponent, the game continued regardless and the ball was played up to Thornley whose superb dipping shot from 30 yards flew past Bastock to make it 5-1 (90+2 mins). Rod celebrated with his customary cartwheel. St Albans won a late corner from which Basse got himself caught in the net by his studs to the amusement of the Alty fans behind the goal but, eventually, after seven added minutes, the final whistle went. As a result, Alty edged nearer to safety but St Albans now look certain to go down.

Colin Little's hat-trick today was Altrincham's first in the league since 28 March 2005, when Colin hit three against Hinckley United at Moss Lane in the Nationwide North in a 4-1 win. Before that, the last league hat-trick was Rod Thornley's against Gateshead on 26 August 2002. The last away hat-trick appears to be Lee Poland's at Lancaster City in the FAC1R on 27 November 2001.Two weeks earlier, Poland hit four in an 8-1 win at Woodley Sports in the CSC