Match Report

REFEREE: Mr Peter WRIGHT (Southport)

Altrincham brought almost all of their current first-team squad to Crosby as they aimed to finalise their starting elevn for the opening day of the season in a fortnight's time.

Marine are now managed by Alvin McDonald, one of the competitors for the Alty manager's job a few years back. They were without Peter Cumiskey who has been a thorn in Alty's side on several occasions when playing for his previous club, Vauxhall Motors. However, their side included ex-Alty men Eddie Hussin and Adam Farley.

The sides had last met on Saturday 6th August 2005 in a pre-season friendly at Rossett Park, which ended 1-1. Colin Little netted for Alty after 84 minutes but Marine equalised soon afterwards through another player with Alty connections, Lee Kissock.

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MARINE:

ALTRINCHAM:(Pale blue shirts, dark blue shorts and pale blue socks): 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. Chris LANE, 5. Darren TINSON, 17. Karl MUNROE, 20. Stephen ROSE, 6. Jimmy GAYSHAM, 8. Steve ASPINALL, 7. Robbie LAWTON, 11. Chris SENIOR, 21. Colin LITTLE, 18. Joe O'NEILL. Subs: 14. Chris BAGULEY, 16. Matthew BERKELEY, 19. Val OWEN, 22. Colin POTTS, 22*. Gary SCOTT, No Number. Rod THORNLEY.

Sixteen goals had come in Alty's two most recent friendlies, with Alty scoring nine of them so it was perhaps inevitable that they were to fail to score today. Today's side was much changed from the one which earned a 4-3 win at Kidsgrove 48 hours earlier with all of the first-team squad being involved today except for the injured Warren Peyton and for Jake Sedgemore and Pat McFadden. Pat was playing today in a friendly for Leek Town, whose assistant manager is Alty groundman and former Reserves' manager, Neil Brown.

There was only one trialist in Alty's starting line-up today, in the form of right winger Jimmy Gaysham from Burnley. The problematic left-back slot was filled by centre-back Stephen Rose. On the bench were Rod Thornley and Val Owen along with Gary Scott, who was making his first appearance in the squad after his summer operation. Joining these regulars on the bench were trialists Matthew Berkeley, Chris Baguley and Colin Potts. Once again Alty wore a haphazard selection of last season's shirts, with only a couple of players actually wearing their own name on their back. Typical of the confusion was that Steve Aspinall started the game, but his own shirt was worn by Chris Lane! And the players' numbered shorts were also generally different from the numbered shirts with even goalkeeper Stuart Coburn wearing a number seven on his shorts! But whilst the Marine fans will have had difficulty identifying Alty's players, the visiting fans were also in the dark about the opposition as there was no announcement of the Marine players' names, though a programme had been produced. But two of the Marine players were instantly identifiable to Moss Laners; in midfield was Eddie Hussin and at right-back was another former Robin, Adam Farley.

Altrincham kicked off in bright sunshine, attacking the Main Stand end, with the wind behind them. Marine had an early shot wide before Alty responded with a similar off-target effort from Little (5 mins). Marine were settling the better and soon Coburn had to come out to smother the ball (10 mins). But overall there was not much to excite the fans in the opening stages and Alty in particular were making regular use of long balls lumped forward to no great effect whilst Senior and Gaysham on the wings were seeing little of the ball. But when Gaysham did get it, he looked the most lively of the Alty players. Eddie Hussin was his usual powerful self in midfield and after good play from him, Latham fired narrowly wide for Marine (18 mins). Marine continued to press as Alty boss Graham Heathcote became increasingly exasperated with his side, at one point telling one of his players, who shall remain nameless, to stop telling other people how to play and concentrate on his own game!

Marine went close after 27 minutes when a neat move ended with Brookfield's shot which landed on the roof of the Alty net. Following a Marine corner, Connolly nodded narrowly wide before Alty won two successive corners. The first of these was cleared to Lawton who, from 20 yards fired in a superb volley which Banks did well to tip over the bar. That was Alty's first shot on target (32 mins). Alty were now slowly improving but, up front, Little and O'Neill were having little joy and when Hussin conceded a freekick on the front edge of the box, Little's freekick sailed high and wide of the target (39 mins). Just before half time a mix-up between Tinson and Coburn led to a Marine header which just cleared the bar. Former Alty captain Mark Maddox, who was watching the game with his two sons cannot have been impressed with what he had seen of his former side as it was Marine, from two leagues lower than their visitors, who had certainly had the better of the first period.

At the break Marine made nine changes with the replacements seemingly all young players but Alty emerged unchanged. Marine soon threatened again as the no.17 drove a shot aganst Munroe and the deflection forced an excellent tip over the bar by Coburn for a corner (46 mins). Chris Senior was now up front with Joe O'Neill having moved out to the left. Alty managed their second shot of the game after 53 minutes when Senior forced a save and a minute later Alty made two substitutions as Potts came on for Gaysham and Owen replaced Lawton (54 mins). A good move by Marine then forced a save from Coburn (55 mins). At the other end, Alty won a freekick just outside the Marine box and Potts laid this off to Little but his shot went yards wide of the target. It was Marine who continued to play the better football but Alty almost scored in bizarre fashion when Senior closed down the keeper, whose clearance cannoned off the Alty man and only just went the wrong side of the post (61 mins).

In the next ninety seconds, Alty separately substituted three players; Thornley in an unnumbered shirt replaced Senior (63 mins) before Berkeley came on for Little and Baguley replaced Lawton (64 mins). After five more uneventful minutes, apart from a Marine corner, Gary Scott made his first appearance of pre-season, at left-back, in place of Aspinall (70 mins). But Marine continued to press and soon forced another save from Coburn (73 mins). When, soon afterwards, Gary Scott lost the ball and fouled an opponent, Alty faced a freekick over towards the Marine right touchline and 25 yards out. There seemed to be little immediate danger from this but Latham's left footed frekick caught the swirling wind and left Coburn flat footed at the back post as the ball sailed into the far corner of the net (74 mins). A Marine corner followed the goal as Alty continued to be kept back in their own half by the lively home players.

In the closing stages Alty did improve a bit and Marine responded by bringing the substituted Farley back into the game to rejoin the defence. But when Berkeley fired in a shot which went nearer to the corner flag than the goal posts it summed up Altrincham's afternoon (86 mins). Then Coburn planted a freekick into touch before Alty won a last minute corner but it was not to bring a late equaliser and Marine ended the match the deserved winners. Alty will have to hope this was just a bad day at the office and will have an early chance to redeem themselves against Tranmere Rovers on Monday night where they will try for the eighth time to record a pre-season clean sheet. Few Altrincham players emerged today with their reputations enhanced though of the trialists Gaysham was the pick and of the regulars, Munroe had a steady game at the back.