Match Report

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr C Pawson

Keeper Stuart Coburn was still unfit with the groin injury he sustained at Woking, and Alty's other keeper Richard Acton was also injured. So, Russell Saunders, a teenage goalkeeper from Wigan Athletic was drafted in for his debut at the start of a one-month loan. In all, Alty made four changes with Little, Senior and Clancy (for his debut at left-back) coming into the starting eleven along with Saunders. Karl Munroe remained suspended and Gary Scott was sidelined by injury. But virus victims Colin Potts and Carlos Logan were in the squad, with the former on the bench and the latter starting. There was no place in the squad for either Steve Aspinall or Stephen Rose. Matthew Berkeley, recently returned from international duty with St Kitts & Nevis, made his return on the bench, where he was joined by Jake Sedgemore, Warren Peyton and Joe O'Neill who had all started last Tuesday's game.

Droylsden were without the suspended ex-Southport man Steve Daly and the former Cammell Laird player Jamie McGuire. Ged Murphy, the former Alty midfielder was a surprising non-starter. However, the Droylsden side was full of names familiar from previous encounters either with the Bloods themselves or other North-West clubs such as Southport (in the case of Kevin Lynch) or Stafford (Robin Gibson). Starting for Droylsden was Gavin Salmon who had trials at Altrincham the summer before last, before returning to the Butcher's Arms via various lower league clubs. On the Droylsden bench was recent loan signing Dale Stephens from Bury.

BACKGROUND:

Alty had not taken a point either at home or on a Saturday so far this season, whilst Droylsden were likewise without a win in the Blue Square Premier.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 24 .Russell SAUNDERS; 15. Chris LANE, 5. Darren TINSON (capt), 16. Ryan SHOTTON, 23. Sean CLANCY; 7. Robert LAWTON, , 8. Val OWEN, 21. Gareth WHALLEY, 22. Carlos LOGAN; 9. Colin LITTLE,.19. Chris SENIOR. Subs: 6. Jake SEDGEMORE, 11. Warren PEYTON, 12. Joe O'NEILL, 17. Colin POTTS, 20. Matthew BERKELEY .

Altrincham substitutes:

DROYLSDEN: (All blue): 1. Paul PHILLIPS; 4. Colin CRYAN, 19. Garry BURKE, 22. Steve HALFORD (capt), 3. Danny WARNER, 11. Chris DENHAM, 15. Robin GIBSON, 6. Gareth MORRIS, 17. Kevin LYNCH; 20. Gavin SALMON, 12. Jody BANIM. Subs: 7. Jamie TANDY, 9. Terry FEARNS, 18. Phil SENIOR (gk), 23. Robbie TALBOT, 39. Dale STEPHENS.

On an excellent surface prepared by groundsman and acting Leek Town manager Neil Brown Altrincham kicked off defending the Carole Nash & Family End. Gareth Whalley was soon in the wars after a challenge but play continued and the Alty midfielder limped on (1 min). Clancy showed some neat early touches but Alty's first effort at goal came from Little's cross from the right which Logan volleyed over the bar from left of goal (5 mins). But soon Denham began to prove a handful for Clancy and after getting past the defender, he was pulled down by the Alty left-back inside the box and the referee awarded a penalty. From the spot kick. Banim drove the ball to the keeper's right and he seemed almost to stop it but the ball squirmed past him into the net to put Droylsden ahead (9 mins). With Alty not having won a league game after falling behind since April 2005 at Bradford PA, the omens looked bad for the home side.

After the re-start Lawton got in an excellent cross from the right which was just diverted out of Little's reach for a corner on the Alty left (11 mins). A Droylsden corner soon followed after Denham had got past Clancy and Shotton had to come across to cover (13 mins). Droylsden soon pressed again and when Banim got past Lane on the Alty right it was fortunate that Gibson skied his shot over the bar (14 mins). Graham Heathcote shouted to his back line, "Get the four of you more compact". Droylsden now enjoyed a period of possession but from a long throw by Shotton from the left, Phillips fumbled the ball to the back post where Senior headed it into the net only for the linesman's flag to rule it out (16 mins). There were few goalmouth incidents over the next few minutes as both defences held firm. Play then stopped for treatment to Salmon who had looked a handful on the Droylsden left as he won several aerial contests. Alty then allowed Gibson to surge forward but Salmon's resulting shot went easily to Saunders (24 mins). Soon the limping Salmon had to come off and be replaced by Tandy (26 mins).

Logan, who had been quiet so far, after being a virus sufferer this week, won a corner for Alty on their left, but Philips comfortably caught Whalley's kick (28 mins). Unlike Alty, who tend to bring every one back for opposition corners, Droylsden consistently kept three players on the half way line, forcing Alty to leave the same number back to cover. Two promising Alty moves in as many minutes now founded on tight offside decisions (30 mins). Denham then escaped a booking for deliberate handball but soon Droylsden threatened again when Banim was allowed too much space to advance on goal but he went down unconvincingly in the box under a challenge and the referee saw no reason for a penalty award.

An Alty corner came soon afterwards before another long throw by Shotton went to Phillips (36 mins). Denham then went down cheaply but he did better soon afterwards when he cut in from the right but shot wide from 18 yards. Altrincham now won two corners in succession. And after these a fine cross from Whalley was just taken by Phillips before Little got to it. After Morris had given the ball away he took out his frustration by kicking Little off the ball. The Bloods' midfielder was predictably booked and from Whalley's low freekick into the goalmouth from about 30 yards out, right-centre, Colin Little timed his run perfectly to slip the ball past the stranded Philips to level the game at 1-1 (41 mins). Alty continued to press forward as half-time approached with one move ending with a disappointing cross from Senior just as two minutes of added time started. So, the interval arrived with the scores level and with worrying news that fellow-strugglers York and Stafford were both winning.

Droylsden started the second half and a couple of minutes later they won a corner. However, Alty soon threatened when Senior and Halford raced for the ball into the Droylsden box but although the defender clearly pushed the striker, nothing untoward was seen by the adjacent linesman (50 mins), Next, Warren Peyton came on to replace Clancy at left-back (51 mins). From a Val Owen clearance Whalley got the ball in the middle of the pitch and was getting past Morris when the midfielder deliberately tripped him. It was immediately apparent that he had done serious damage to the Alty man and after treatment Whalley was stretchered off and replaced by Jake Sedgemore (54 mins). Morris, who had already been booked, was not even spoken to. Soon Sedgemore fed Little but his shot was mishit and ran slowly to Phillips.

Droylsden then won a corner after which a mistake by Sedgemore allowed Banim to run at Saunders but the young keeper came out and forced Banim wide and his shot hit the outside of the post (57 mins). From the resulting goalkick Saunders went down in pain after kicking the ball and he too then had to be carried off, the stretcher being hastily reclaimed from the dressing room where it had deposited Whalley minutes earlier. With no keeper on the bench as both their squad keepers were injured, Alty had to put midfielder Jake Sedgemore in goal and they brought on Colin Potts to restore the side to eleven men (60 mins). Droylsden made a double swap as Terry Fearns and new loan signing Dale Stephens replaced Morris and Gibson.

With the home fans anxious about the outcome, now that they had no recognised goalkeeper, their nerves were immediately calmed by a goal from Colin Little who swept home an excellent cross from the right by Potts, who had received the ball from Lawton (62 mins). Alty then won two corners. Shotton received a booking when he nudged the ball into touch after a freekick (66 mins). Senior then did very well to get the better of big Garry Burke and get into the box, only to slip over as he was about to try and shoot past Phillips (67 mins). Sedgemore made a couple of welll timed interventions to kick the ball clear at the other end. Next a Potts freekick went across the Droylsden goalmouth before Sedgemore came out of his goal smartly to head clear.

The Droylsden defence was looking uncomfortable with Potts, Logan and Senior running at it and when Owen set Senior going forward again, the striker held off a foul challenge and then took the ball to Phillips's right before calmly controlling it and stroking it into the empty net for his first goal of the season and Alty's third of the afternoon (70 mins). Alty were comfortable for next few minutes but their lead was soon halved when Shotton misheaded a ball into the air and as it came down, Banim got it and got past him on the by-line right of goal. The centre back appeared to bring Banim down though the Droylsden forward made sure of a penalty with an exaggerated fall to the ground. Mr Pawson again pointed to the spot. For the second time, Banim only just succeeded from the spot. Sedgemore went correctly to his left but just could not keep the ball out. It was now 3-2 with 13 minutes and a substantial period of added time in prospect after the two injuries (77 mins).

Little's excellent volley soon gave Alty a corner and afterwards the Alty striker was brought down by Cryan who was booked (81 mins). Droylsden pressed forward in the closing stages but Alty's defence led by Darren Tinson ensured they got no clear shots at Sedgemore. Alty for their part took every opportunity to try and keep possession and wind the clock down. When Potts went down, Alty fans' feared another injury would cost them dear but the winger recovered. Logan had come to life in the latter period of the game after a quiet first half but both he and Potts had not trained this week due to illness so they did well to play at all. Little then did excellently to divert a dangerous freekick from the edge of the box by Banim out of play for a corner (87 mins) before Peyton conceded another freekick immediately afterwards.

A Droylsden corner sustained the pressure as five minutes of added time started. In the third added minute Denham, who had had a quiet second half, fired a shot which came back off Sedgemore's right upright and fortunately rebounded out for a goalkick off a Droylsden player. Alty rode out the final minutes to record their first win of the season, their first points on a Saturday, their first three-goal haul and, given that the Droylsden goals both came from penalties, their first clean sheet from open-play this season. Colin Little was named Man of the Match and it was good to see the Alty striker back on the mark after a lean spell.