Match Report

SUMMARY:

After a poor first half in which Alty failed to muster a shot on target and lost Joe O'Neill with a hamstring injury, Alty brought on central defender Gary Talbot after an hour, to form a three-man attack, and went on to dominate the second half. But they could not score, though Little had a well-taken goal ruled out for offside and goalkeeper Veiga threw himself in front of a point-blank effort from the same player. In the first half Tamworth, led by Atieno, had been the more threatening and took the lead after 13 minutes when Atieno's header beat Coburn, and beat the keeper just inside his right post. So, it looks as if a win will be needed next Saturday to avoid relegation.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr Michael OLIVER (Ashington)

Alty have missed Val Owen in midfield in the run-in but the combative midfielder returned to the side today, as did goalkeeper Stuart Coburn. But striker Chris Senior and Gary Scott remained sidelined by injury. Alty's bench had only Rod Thornley as an attacking threat. For Tamworth, Ludovic Quistin remained suspended and Steve Burton was out injured. Tuohy was replaced by Weaver in the only change from the Lambs' last outing. In the warm up, Justin Jackson was to be seen, but Tamworth have been prevented from playing him due to registration rules.

This was a vital game for both sides. Altrincham had won just one of their previous four games so remained three points away from the target of 53 points which conventional wisdom suggests will be enough to stay in the division. However, Tamworth were in a worse plight in which anything less than a win left them as good as relegated - a draw, combined with defeats for Cambridge in their last two matches by significant margins would save Tamworth as the final Saturday of the season has cast Cambridge versus Tamworth. To boost the home support free entry offers were introduced at The Lamb for readers of their local paper but Altrincham were also expecting good away support for this match which they were visiting for the fifth time in two seasons, thanks to clashes in the Trophy and FA Cup as well as in the Conference. Alty had yet to win at Tamworth, so they knew they were in for a battle.

TAMWORTH: (All red). 1. Jose VEIGA; 5. Rikki BAINS, 23. Simon WEAVER, 22. Michael BRISCOE, 14. Graeme LAW; 31. Simon HESLOP, 24. John McGRATH, 2. Adie SMITH, 20. Daryl TAYLOR; 18. Jake EDWARDS, 29. Taiwo ATIENO. Subs: 3. Michael TUOHY, 4. Dave BAMPTON, 6. Emmet FRIARS, 8. Kyle STORER, 11. Matthew WILLIAMS.

ALTRINCHAM:(Pale/dark blue shirts, pale blue shorts and socks) 1. Stuart COBURN; 20. Stephen ROSE, 17. Karl MUNROE, 4. Peter BAND, 11. Warren PEYTON; 7. Robbie LAWTON, 6. Steve BUSHELL, 8. Val OWEN, 14. Lewis CHALMERS; 9. Colin LITTLE, 12. Joe O'NEILL. Subs: 2. Steve ASPINALL, 5. Gary TALBOT, 10. Rod THORNLEY, 13. Richard ACTON, 22. Andy SCOTT.

Altrincham substitutes:

On a warm, sunny afternoon, Alty kicked off, downhill, but with a gusty breeze against them. Following a series of throws on the right by Rose, Little's early shot was blocked. On a very hard pitch, the bouncing ball made for scrappy fare for the spectators as both sides repeatedly hacked the ball up in the air. With a crowd of over 2,000, boosted by the home side's free ticket scheme and sizeable Alty support, there was a more lively atmosphere than usual at The Lamb. Alty started the game the better but for Tamworth, Atieno was looking a threat and it was the big, mobile striker who headed his side ahead after 13 minutes from virtually their first significant attack. The goal came after Munroe had misdirected what should have been a routine clearing header, across the back four towards the Tamworth right instead of clearing it upfield. Heslop gained possession and from the resulting cross from the Tamworth right, Atieno's header from the centre of the box went into the net between Coburn's full-length dive to his right and the upright (13 mins).

Soon afterwards Alty won a throw on the left and Chalmers cheekily took advantage of an open gate in the perimeter fence to get an extra long run-up. But Heslop somehow impeded the throw and was booked (16 mins). Following a foul by Band on Weaver, Tamworth gained a corner, from which Briscoe headed narrowly wide (20 mins). Tamworth were conceding freekicks at regular intervals but Alty were creating no openings as a consequence. The visitors were unable to keep possession for any length of time as was typified when Rose, Bushell and Munroe each gave the ball away in a two minute period (28 mins). In the same period the ball came off Band towards his own penalty area but Coburn was quickly out to gather, just ahead of Atieno, whose foot-up offence on the keeper went unpunished. The Alty keeper had to repeat the act moments later, just gathering the ball in the front corner of the box as Edwards threatened. Next, an error from Band allowed Atieno to feed Heslop, who won a corner (32 mins). Despite their faltering performance, Alty's fans continued to give their side excellent support but they were hugely relieved to see Coburn superbly tip over McGrath's brilliant, dipping and swerving shot, for a corner. From this corner, Weaver fired over (37 mins).

On the halfway line, Joe O'Neill now went down after a routine aerial challenge and it was immediately obvious that his hamstring had gone. But play continued for a while before physio Andy Hosgood came on to confirm that O'Neill could not continue. Rod Thornley came on for O'Neill (39 mins). After a good clearance from Rose, Bushell was caught late, to win a freekick and this led to a corner from Briscoe's wild slice (45 mins). From another freekick, in added time, Peyton drove his shot well over from 30 yards (45+1 mins) but half-time arrived with Alty having failed to test Veiga at all.

Rod Thornley spent much of the interval warming up with the unused subs, and as Tamworth got the second half under way, Gary Talbot was limbering up on the touchline suggesting his intended introduction to the game in the second half. Alty now began to get forward and almost equalised in bizarre fashion when Thornley's curling cross from the left was utterly misread by Veiga and only went the wrong side of his back post by inches. Veiga is one of those keepers who always looks suspect, not least because he often punches when he should catch, yet somehow manages to keep the ball out - at least when he plays against Altrincham, who had never won on this ground.

After some uninspiring up and unders, Tamworth won a corner, before Smith got past Rose and, from the left byline set up Taylor for a clear shot which the winger totally fluffed (53 mins). Following a Chalmers throw, Alty then won two corners in succession. Tamworth were now kept on the back foot and when a Tamworth defender inadvertently set Thornley free, he should have been punished. But the Alty man tried to dribble past the keeper only for Veiga to get a hand to the ball and though, the ball came to Little, Alty's leading scorer could do no more than win a corner which was cleared.

Alty continued to press Tamworth back and Veiga was fortunate to get a freekick when he dropped the ball under pressure from Thornley. Altrincham now went to 3-4-3 as Talbot came on for Rose, and went up front. At the same time, Williams replaced Taylor for The Lambs (60 mins). Almost immediately Talbot had an effect as he nodded the ball on to Band, who found Little. His excellent turn and shot saw the ball hit the back of the net, only for the linesman to flag for offside (62 mins). Talbot continued to cause problems but no more clear openings as Alty continued to press forward. Tuohy then came on for Tamworth's Edwards (67 mins).

At the other end, the hard-working Peyton made an important block as Heslop drew back his foot to volley at goal (68 mins). But the Alty pressure soon resumed as two corners in succession were won. Veiga punched the first away but, after the second, he went down and received treatment though the Alty fans behind his goal were far from convinced of the seriousness of his injury (72 mins). Tamworth continued to concede freekicks without the referee's book being produced as Alty continued to dominate. The visitors went close again when, from a Peyton freekick, once more Talbot's aerial supremacy allowed him to nod the ball down. This time he found Bushell who chested the ball well before launching an overhead kick which went narrowly wide of goal (75 mins). Soon afterwards, Weaver put Talbot's header out for a corner but just as Bushell was about to take it, he was substituted by Aspinall, whose first contribution to the game was to take the corner kick from the right of goal (77 mins). From the corner Munroe headed the ball towards the back post where Little lashed the ball at goal from six yards but somehow Veiga managed to throw his body at the ball and deflect it out for another corner. This time, from the left, Aspinall wasted the corner, putting the ball behind the crossbar (78 mins).

Next, Thornley got clear of the defence, only to be ruled offside but play then stopped for treatment to Peyton. However Tamworth had now ridden the storm as the game entered the last two minutes and they manged to get to the other end to wind down time near the left corner flag. In the context of referee Oliver's leniency, Aspinall was iunlucky to be booked for his first offence (85 mins). Tamworth had a chance to wrap up the game when they advanced on the left and Coburn did well to beat out McGrath's shot and then the keeper recovered well to hold Williams's follow-up shot (88 mins). A long throw from Chalmers was caught by Veiga before four minutes of added time were announced. Alty won a corner after one of these minutes when Veiga was unable to keep Weaver's misplaced back-header in play. But the keeper punched the corner clear as he was named Man of the Match on the tannoy.

Chalmers had a late long throw from 18 yards out on the left but this time the ball span from his hands into the Alty supporters behind the goal (90+2 mins). Tamworth wound down the clock for the final two minutes and so prevented what would have been relegation had they lost today. For their part Alty's recent form has brought five defeats in six games and left them tantalising short of safety. Indeed, today, their fate passed out of their hands as their maximum achievable points are now the fourth lowest in the league.

Much will depend on the outcome of Grays Atheltic v Kidderminster Harriers and Halifax Town v Crawley Town on Tuesday night, when both Grays and Halifax use up their game in hand on Altrincham. Should both win, even a win by Altrincham on Saturday might not be enough - but let us hope that it does not come to that.