Match Report

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr Oliver Langford

Keeper Stuart Coburn was out with the groin injury he sustained at Woking, so Richard Acton came into the starting eleven. Steve Aspinall gave way to Warren Peyton who returned to the left-back berth he occupied last season. Colin Little was dropped to the bench, but with Colin Potts ill and Karl Munroe suspended, manager Heathcote's options were limited. In midfield, Val Owen returned after missing the last four games through injury. Gary Scott remained sidelined by injury. Matthew Berkely, recently returned from international duty with St Kitts & Nevis, was not in the squad and neither was defender Stephen Rose.

Cambridge United were without their injured captain Danny Brown as well as former Canvey Island striker Lee Boylan, ex-Darlington front man Dan Chillingworth and defender Gavin Hoyte.

BACKGROUND:

Today's game witnessed the inauguration of the new floodlight system at Moss Lane. These shed noticeably more light on the pitch but one unexpected effect of the concentration of the light beams was that high punts upfield went out of the range of the lights before dropping back into the brightness.

Cambridge were beaten 5-0 at Moss Lane last season but this time they arrived as the only unbeaten side in the Blue Square Premier. For their part Alty were still without a win this season and had yet to take a home point in this campaign.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 13. Richard ACTON; 15. Chris LANE, 5. Darren TINSON (capt), 16. Ryan SHOTTON, 11. Warren PEYTON; 7. Robert LAWTON, 6. Jake SEDGEMORE, 8. Val OWEN, 21. Gareth WHALLEY, 22. Carlos LOGAN; 12. Joe O'NEILL. Subs: 2. Steve ASPINALL, 9. Colin LITTLE, 18. Pat McFADDEN, 19. Chris SENIOR, 23. Sean CLANCY.

Altrincham substitutes:

CAMBRIDGE UNITED: (Yellow & black striped shirts, white shorts & socks): 1. Danny POTTER; 5.Mark PETERS, 6. Mark ALBRIGHTON (capt), 21. Michael MORRISON; 11. Courtney PITT, 7. Dan GLEESON, 8. Rob WOLLEASTON, 3. Stephen REED, 14. Mark CONVERY; 9.Scott RENDELL, 19. Leo FORTUNE-WEST. Subs: 16. Darren QUINTON, 18. Stephen SMITH, 22. Michael HYEM, 23. Josh COULSON, 26. Robbie WILLMOTT.

Cambridge kicked off towards the Golf Road End but it was Altrincham who won the first corner when Peyton and Whalley combined and Owen's resulting shot was deflected wide. From Sedgemore's low corner to the near post, Tinson was only able to turn the ball wide for a goalkick (4 mins). Altrincham had a great chance to go ahead after 6 minutes when excellent work from Logan led to his putting a ball into the goalmouth for Lawton but an attendant Cambridge player did just enough to make the Alty man screw his effort wide of the keeper's left post from close range. Alty continued to play well with Logan's pace causing problems as he ran quickly at United on their right flank. Soon, more good work from the left-winger ended with his shot over the bar (10 mins). After Wolleaston's elbow had caught Lawton, Alty's freekick by Whalley was headed over by Tinson. But Alty's good start continued when Whalley fed O'Neill, whose shot was deflected out for a corner (14 mins). Next, an Owen shot was cleared before a Whalley volley was saved as Alty continued to take the game to their visitors (16 mins).

But then against the run of play Cambridge went ahead and the goal came from the most unlikely source. Chris Lane has been Alty's most consistent player this season but now the right back, in the centre of the field just outside the box, allowed the ball to go to the giant Fortune-West. He fed Pitt whose well-judged chip cleared Acton and dropped into the net to give United the lead against the run of play (17 mins). The goal lifted United who then won a corner from a deflected Fortune-West shot. But it got worse for Altrincham when Cambridge went further ahead in fortunate circumstances. Young Ryan Shotton, Alty's loan defender from Stoke, made a good block tackle on the edge of the Alty box but the ball rebounded fortuitously to Gleeson who, like Pitt earlier, calmly chipped the ball over Acton to make it 2-0 (21 mins). It was a scoreline that was very harsh on Altrincham at this stage and underlined the difference that clinical finishing makes to the outcome of games.

Graham Heathcote tried to encourage his men by telling them "Let's get a goal back before half time" and the first to react was Shotton who surged forward 40yards to win a throw. But Alty wasted a glorious chance to get a goal when a foul by Morrison on O'Neill gave Lane a freekick 35 yards out on the Alty right. His kick saw the Cambridge defence rush forward but the linesman's flag stayed down leaving both Shotton and Logan onside and completely clear on the edge of the box with only Potter to beat. But the two Alty players got in each other's way and the ball ran harmlessly to the United keeper (31 mins). Alty now began to make use of a new weapon in their armoury, the long throws on Shotton but the big Cambridge side were not easily beaten when contesting aerial balls and throw-ins. A rugged challenge on Owen left the Alty midfielder with a bloodied nose for which he had to leave the pitch for several minutes for treatment (36 mins).

Almost immediately Alty suffered another head injury when O'Neill was fouled by a Cambridge player but, though a freekick was given, no more action was taken by Mr Langford whose lenient attitude did not go down well with the Altrincham boss (38 mins). Once Owen had returned he did well to win Alty a corner (42 mins) but Whalley hit this too high. However, Alty continued to press but the nearest they came to a goal was in the first added minute of time at the end of the half when another Logan surge ended in a wide shot. Although Logan threatened Cambridge several times in the first half, generally his final ball or pass let him down. So, the interval arrived with Alty trailing by two goals after once again starting a game well.

Altrincham kicked off towards their own supporters at the Golf Road End and soon O'Neill was hurt in a challenge but play continued until it was stopped for a Cambridge freekick further up the pitch. After a Cambridge corner had come and gone, Alty made a double swap with Senior and Little coming on for Sedgemore and O'Neill (53 mins). Lawton moved to centre midfield as Senior slotted in on the right. Another United corner soon arrived before a good Alty move ended with Lawton firing narrowly wide from 22 yards (55 mins). But any hopes that these attacking changes would get Alty back in the game were soon in tatters as Cambridge scored a third goal. This came when the lively Pitt advanced up the left and from his cross Rendell's looping header dropped over Acton into the net (58 mins).

Alty's frustration was shown soon afterwards when Senior got involved in a spat with an opponent near the right corner flag and was booked for the third time this season (60 mins). Following good work from Whalley, Little hooked a shot wide (61 mins). With the prospect of a fifth successive home defeat the normally vocal home support was not surprisingly subdued at this stage. Cambridge were very effective at closing Alty down all over the pitch with a number of Alty's defensive clearances striking charging Cambridge players. Alty almost paid for slack marking when Potter's clearance came to Gleeson in oceans of space on the United right but Acton managed to palm away his testing cross. After a few minutes of Alty possession which did not produce any threat to the opposition goal, both sides made a substitution. Firstly, Alty brought on left-bank Sean Clancy for Warren Peyton and moments later Wilmott came on for United's Rendell (71 mins).

Lawton tested Potter with a cross cum shot from 22 yards which the keeper seemed to tip over the bar but referee Langford gave a goalkick instead. Then Acton was alert to see off a threat at the other end. Chris Lane was then booked as he brought down a Cambridge player on the left edge of the box (75 mins). Alty were asleep at the freekick but Reed's shot was blocked . Logan then threatened again for Alty but his cross from the left only found Potter. Next, Quinton replaced Reed for the visitors (77 mins).

Senior and Little then combined well but the defence cleared the danger for Cambridge (82 mins). Clancy was doing well at left back but Alty were not creating any threat to the opposition goal. Fortune-West continued to use his considerable physical presence and though he conceded several freekicks no further action was taken against him. As full-time approached Senior got to the by-line right of goal and his cross deflected to Owen off a defender but the midfielder lifted his shot over the terrace roof (88 mins). Three minutes of added time were announced during which Logan again threatened but Little trod on the ball when he received it from the winger. Then, at the other end, Willmott's low cross just evaded everyone in the Alty goalmouth. But the final whistle soon arrived to confirm Alty's tenth game of the season without a win and their fifth successive home defeat. However, all of the bottom five lost so Alty's position did not worsen in that sense.

Pitt was named the visitors' man of the match with Logan lifting the award for Altrincham.