Match Report

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr D Webb (Lancashire)

With Chris Lane suspended and both Colin Potts and Gareth Whalley injured, it took the return of Val Owen from a four-game injury absence from the league to allow Alty to field five subs on the bench given that their squad comprises just 19 players. Karl Munroe filled in for Lane at right-back, whilst Chris Senior occupied the right wing, allowing Joe O'Neill to partner Colin Little up front. Little came back into the league side after his appearance in the Cheshire Senior Cup in midweek. Robbie Lawton also returned after missing the midweek game due to the birth of his daughter.

Weymouth had Marcus Browning, Kyle Critchell, Justin Roberts, Trevor Challis, Ashley Vickers and Sido Jombarti all missing.

BACKGROUND:

Altrincham had been stuck in 21st place in the Blue Square Premier for two months but had not lost at home this season to any side in the bottom half of the division, a position which Weymouth occupied.

LINE-UPS

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Stuart COBURN; 4. Karl MUNROE, 5. Darren TINSON (capt), 16. Ryan SHOTTON, 3. Gary SCOTT; 19. Chris SENIOR, 6. Jake SEDGEMORE, 7. Robbie LAWTON, 11. Warren PEYTON; 9. Colin LITTLE, 12. Joe O'NEILL. Subs: 13. Richard ACTON, 2. Steve ASPINALL, 8. Val OWEN, 18. Pat McFADDEN, 22. Carlos LOGAN.

Alty Subs:

WEYMOUTH (Cream shirts, navy blue shorts and socks): 1. Jon STEWART; 12. Scott DOE, 20. Neil YOUNG, 26. Joel KITAMARIKE, 5. Narada BARNARD; 7. Nick CRITTENDEN, 22. Paolo VERNAZZA, 11. Anton ROBINSON (capt), 21. Conal PLATT; 9. Jefferson LOUIS, 10. Stuart BEAVON. Subs: 8. Danny PHILLIPS, 13. Simon WEATHERSTONE, 25. Gavin McCALLUM, 6. James COUTTS, 17. Jason MATTHEWS.

On a bright but breezy and cold afternoon, the players led a one-minute's applause for the late David Dawson, a longstanding Altrincham FC fan and father of Neil Dawson, a busy man every matchday in the Gill Oates Sponsors' Lounge at Moss Lane. The sides changed ends at Altrincham's request so that they were defending the Carole Nash End as Weymouth kicked off. After an early Terras' freekick had been seen off, the first corner came Altrincham’s way. Sedgemore took this, short, from the left to Peyton whose low ball into the box found O'Neill but instead of shooting, he played the ball away from goal to the crowd's disappointment. But within two minutes Altrincham had taken the lead in very unexpected circumstances. As the ball came into the front left of his penalty area, Weymouth keeper Stewart appeared to stumble, perhaps hesitating whether to kick the ball or pick it up, and succeeded only in clearing it to Chris Senior about 30 yards out on the Alty right touchline. There seemed relatively little danger but the quick-thinking Senior immediately drove the ball diagonally towards goal and as a defender chased it back, it had sufficient pace to cross the line and enter the net before it could be cleared (7 mins). The goal was Senior's 7th of the season and propelled him to the top of the Altrincham scoring chart for this season, ahead of Colin Little.

Altrincham went close again soon afterwards when Little found O'Neill, who held off a challenge, but shot narrowly wide of goal to the keeper's left (9 mins). All of Alty's best moments were coming up the right at this stage but Weymouth were beginning to pass the ball well. However, Lawton showed his determination in chasing back to break up the visitors' next forward movement. When a Weymouth throw from the left struck Sedgemore's arm inside the box Alty breathed a sigh of relied that the visitors' penalty appeals were ignored by Mr. Webb. The visitors' improvement paid off in the 14th minute when Lawton was unlucky to see his tackle rebound back off an opponent onto the Alty box. From the left by-line, Robinson crossed the ball and Ryan Shotton's attempted clearance span off his leg into the net from close range at the near post.

Play was fairly even for the next few minutes with few goalmouth chances until Scott set Peyton free on the Alty left and his cross was well held by Stewart (21 mins). Then Jefferson Louis got free despite Alty appeals for offside but Tinson, who had another fine game this afternoon, headed the ball out for a Weymouth corner on their right. This came to nothing and, soon, at the other end Stewart once more concerned the Weymouth fans as he attempted to dribble round Senior before getting the ball to Crittenden. For his part Crittenden, the former Aldershot man, was looking a threat on the visitors' right. Weymouth were now getting on top, passing the ball well in contrast with Alty's tendency to give possession away cheaply. It took a fine tackle from Scott to stop Crittenden and prompt Lawton to get forward and cross the ball into the Weymouth box where Stewart caught the ball (25 mins).

As the afternoon clouded over so did Alty's bright opening to the game. But Kitamarike was lucky to escape with just a lecture after taking down O'Neill from behind. As the half hour arrived errors were creeping into the Alty game, as when Munroe sliced two clearances in succession (31 mins). Doe then had the ball in the Alty net from Barnard's cross from the left but the referee ruled out the goal for a foul by Jefferson Louis on Ryan Shotton (32 mins). The floodlights now came on as Weymouth continued to look the better side though lacking in penetration up front until Louis forced a good full-length save by Coburn, who could not hold the striker's low shot (38 mins). Soon afterwards Louis got behind Shotton and again Coburn did well, this time tipping his shot out for a corner (40 mins). Alty continued to labour and half time could not come soon enough as they continued to give the ball away cheaply. After a stoppage for treatment to Vernazza (43 mins), the referee signalled a single minute of added time, during which the injured player returned to the fray. Half time duly arrived with Altrincham looking second best but level with their visitors on the score sheet, having barely troubled the uncertain Stewart after scoring their early goal.

Alty started the second half attacking the Carole Nash End, now occupied by Alty fans as the supporters had been allowed to change ends at the interval. From the urgency in their play from the restart, Alty appeared to have benefited from a stirring halftime team talk from Graham Heathcote and Dalton Steele. Almost immediately O'Neill got into the box before Kitamarike blocked his way but then a Senior shot was beaten out by Stewart to give Altrincham an early corner on the right. Sedgemore and Peyton worked a short corner routine and when the latter's ball in the box was weakly cleared by Stewart it came to Senior in the outer reaches of the box. He nodded the ball towards the back post where Shotton rose to head the ball into the net, putting Alty ahead and cancelling out his earlier own goal - the half was just 90 seconds old and Alty now led 2-1.

But Weymouth soon themselves won a corner from which Louis's header was deflected out for a second flag-kick. This was cleared by Shotton but it was Altrincham who now had the initiative, soon forcing Stewart into another unconvincing flap at the ball. However, Alty's inability to hold a lead resurfaced moments later as Conal Platt was left in oceans in space on the edge of the box as Crittenden cut in from the right. The wide man fed Platt who smashed the ball past a helpless Coburn to level the scores at 2-2 (51 mins).

Alty then struggled for a while as the otherwise reliable Scott gave the ball to Vernazza and the hardworking Lawton trod on the ball. Alty were fortunate when Beavon fed Louis that the big striker, who had been allowed too much space left of goal, toe poked a shot badly wide of Coburn's right upright (56 min). However, Alty then regained their composure as Peyton advanced on the left. When Senior was felled from behind, Kitamarike was booked, having already escaped with a first-half lecture for another transgression (62 mins). From Munroe’s freekick, Stewart again failed to get the ball and from Tinson's resulting header, O'Neill poked the ball well over the bar when he might have done better (63 mins).

Alty were now pressing forward but when Lawton was set running on the right his cross went behind the goal. However, it was not long before Alty took the lead which came after two long throws in succession from Shotton. Weymouth cleared the ball but only to Sedgemore, just outside the front edge of the box. His excellent header set Senior free and from right of goal he beat the keeper with a fine shot (67 mins). Weymouth responded with a corner at the other end whilst Carlos Logan who had been about to come on with the scores at 2-2 went back to the bench as the management reassessed the situation. A loud cheer greeted O'Neill's nutmeg on Platt as Alty went forward again, looking twice the side that had laboured for much of the first half. After a Shotton backpass had caused Coburn some problems, which the keeper had dealt with well, Weymouth prepared a triple substitution. This mass changeover tested the electronic display board. How such a seemingly simple piece of equipment can cause such lengthy delays week after week in football matches is one of life's mysteries. But it took a 75 seconds stoppage to allow the three changes of personnel to be made 72 mins). Phillips, McCallum and Coutts were introduced to replace Barnard, Robinson and Crittenden respectively. Once the changes had been made the visitors took a freekick from their right which Coburn punched away and a corner soon resulted for the visitors.

Alty then brought on Carlos Logan for Colin Little up front (75 mins). Weymouth’s keeper was then troubled by a speculative cross cum shot from the far right by Lawton but Stewart back-pedalled just quickly enough to catch the ball under the bar. Despite their changes, Weymouth were not causing Alty much concern as the home side now brought on Val Owen to replace Joe O’Neill (79 mins). Owen has been sidelined for several weeks and is still awaiting the results of a scan but he soon showed his customary bite in midfield. As the game went into the final ten minutes, Lawton had a shot blocked.

In a comical moment, McCallum's advance up the right was blocked by referee Webb rather than the Alty defence but it was the home side who continued to set the pace overall. Senior shot wildly over the bar (85 mins) before Logan produced some skill to win an Alty corner on the right. Indeed, the Alty sub was causing the Weymouth problems with his skill and direct running at them. Stewart then had to produce a good save to save a smart shot from the Alty left by Senior (88 mins). A minute later Beavon became the second booking of the afternoon for a foul (89 mins). But when McFadden came on for Senior as the 90 minutes expired no one in the ground expected the referee to call for six added minutes of time. There had been barely a stoppage in the second half, though there had been six substitutions. Even so, the length of time prompted the home crowd into a barrage of booing at what they saw as an unbelievable decision by the man in black.

In the second added minute, Logan cut in and forced a fine save from Stewart. Soon another surge forward from Logan won Alty a freekick just outside the box. Vernazza was booked before Sedgemore put the freekick over the bar (90+4 mins). Weymouth’s final threat, in the sixth added minute, was seen off when McFadden and Owen combined to run the attacking McCallum into touch as he attempted to get forward.

Vernazza for Weymouth and Senior for Alty were named as the Men of the Match. But Alty's second half performance saw excellent displays all over the pitch and, once again, Darren Tinson barely put a foot wrong at the back. Logan made an impact when he came on and Chris Senior, who has now netted 8 times in 16 starts and 5 appearances from the bench this season is beginning to profit from being in the starting line up after being a perennial sub at his former club, Halifax Town.