Match Report

SUMMARY:

Altrincham could have no complaints at the outcome of this FA Trophy game. Playing a new 3-1-4-1-1 formatioon with Gary Scott in front of the back line, Alty started brightly but it was York who had the better first-half chances, one of which saw them hit the post after 13 minutes. But, after a goalless first half, Farrell fired York ahead with a low drive in the 56th minute. Lloyd made it 2-0 eight minutes later when he drilled home a shot after Coburn had beaten the ball out well from Farrell's well-struck effort. Colin Little volleyed Alty back into the game in the 74th minute from Peyton's freekick from the right and briefly the Robins looked like they might retrieve something from the game. But substitute Nicky Wroe wrapped the game up in the 87th minute with a low drive from the edge of the box.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr G J Sutton

Alty had Ryan Shotton playing his last game of his loan period from Stoke City but were again without the injured Colin Potts, Val Owen and Karl Munroe. However, Gareth Whalley had recovered sufficiently to start on the bench. Alty deployed a new formation, with three at the back (Lane, Tinson and Shotton), and Gary Scott sitting between the back line and the midfield. Up front, Colin Little played behind Chris Senior.

York went into the game looking for a new club record of five successive away games, their form having taken an upturn since their change of managership, with Colin Walker the caretaker boss in charge today. On the other hand, Altrincham's home form had been poor this season, with eight defeats in the league to date.

LINE-UPS

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Stuart COBURN; 15. Chris LANE, 5. Darren TINSON (capt), 16. Ryan SHOTTON; 3. Gary SCOTT; 12. Joe O'NEILL, 7. Robbie LAWTON, 6. Jake SEDGEMORE, 11. Warren PEYTON; 9. Colin LITTLE, 12. Chris SENIOR. Subs: 2. Steve ASPINALL, 13. Richard ACTON, 18. Pat McFADDEN, 21. Gareth WHALLEY, 22. Carlos LOGAN.

Alty Subs:

YORK CITY (Yellow shirts and socks, blue shorts): 1. Tom EVANS; 23. Ben PURKISS, 5. David McGURK, 6. Daniel PARSLOW, 24. Anthony LLOYD, 8. Emanuel PANTHER, 11. Martyn WOOLFORD, 4. Stuart ELLIOTT, 25. Darren KELLY; 10. Craig FARRELL, 7. Onome SODJE. Subs: 2. Darren CRADDOCK, 12. Chris BEARDSLEY, 13. Josh MIMMS, 16. Richard BRODIE, 22. Nicky WROE.

On a bitterly cold afternoon, York kicked off towards their own fans at the Carole Nash End. York had brought a decent number of supporters with them and in terms of flags and streamers they must possess the highest square-yardage in the league. York had the first attempt at goal but Sodje's effort went wide. But it was the home side which won the first corner of the afternoon, through a Lawton, Little and Senior combination. Sedgemore made a hash of his corner, from the left, hitting the ball low into the side netting at the near post (4 mins). Altrincham then went close from open play as Little fed Peyton and from his cross the ball just cleared Senior’s head in front of goal only to find O'Neill at the back post. His knock back went over the bar from Senior's acrobatic effort (5 mins). The lively start continued as Sedgemore made amends for his earlier corner with a pinpoint freekick following a foul on Little. Sedgemore's kick found Little unmarked in the penalty area but the striker curiously headed the ball away from goal and the danger past (7 mins).

Then, at the other end, Sodje found Farrell and his well-hit shot was well saved one-handed by Coburn, Shotton clearing the rebound away to safety (10 mins). Next, Tinson had to be alert to cut out a telling York ball forward. But now the visitors began to get on top, passing the ball well and keeping possession. Alty had a let off when Woolford hit the post with Coburn beaten (13 mins). Altrincham were giving the ball away too often particularly in the final third of the pitch. The excitement of the early stages had now diminished and the crowd was relatively quiet as the visitors enjoyed the greater possession but without seriously threatening a goal at this stage. Indeed the next goal chance came when O'Neill did very well to win a back post header but his effort went narrowly wide (28 mins). Then Coburn did well to hold a fierce 20-yarder from Farrell for York (29 mins). For Alty Shotton was again doing well alongside Tinson at the back. After a promising Alty move between Lawton and Senior had been halted by offside, it was the Alty captain who broke up York's next slick attack. But there was little goalmouth incident as the game drifted past the half hour mark towards half time, with the visitors still enjoying more of the ball.

Five minutes before the break York won a corner which was half cleared by Alty to Panther and Coburn was fortunate that his shot was straight at him and the keeper held it on the line (41 mins). But then Alty did well at the other end, through O'Neill's efforts. He found Senior and from his pass Little forced a decent save from the York keeper, to his right (41 mins). Son afterwards, Alty threatened again when Little and Senior exchanged passes. The ball came back to Little but his attempted volley went well wide, but it was difficult chance for the Alty striker (42 mins). However, Altrincham were fortunate to survive without conceding a goal a minute before the end of the first half. Farrell got behind Tinson, with Shotton out of position but the York striker missed the target at the near post (44 mins). In the one added minute Sedgemore had a shot which went comfortably wide, leaving the game goalless at the interval.

York came out several minutes early for the second half and received a rousing welcome from their travelling fans. Alty then emerged to kick off and the home side had a half chance soon afterwards when Senior had a shot blocked and the ball came out to O'Neill, but his ambitious curling shot went high and wide (50 mins). The first corner of the second half was awarded to York though Stuart Coburn felt it should have been a goalkick. Though Coburn did not catch the corner cleanly, he then gathered it safely (53 mins). Next Senior got into the box from Little's feed and the ball came to O'Neill but he shot wide (54 mins). It was to be a decisive moment as moments later York took the lead. A neat passing move took York up the pitch and culminated in an exchange between Panther and Farrell to the right of goal.. The ball was half cleared to Farrell who powered a low shot past Coburn to give City the lead (56 mins).

Altrincham now wobbled and Farrell soon had another firm crack at goal but Coburn held the shot well. Alty was now making unforced errors whilst the visitors continued to find their men with passes to feet. It was not long before they doubled their lead. Once again the goal came from an advance up the York right channel, this time after Senior had lost the ball at the other end. Farrell’s well-hit shot was well beaten out by Coburn but it was Lloyd who responded the most quickly, driving the rebound past the keeper to make it 2-0 (62 mins). As has happened several times this season, once Alty have conceded a single goal, a second soon follows. The Altrincham errors continued though Shotton did his best to stem the tide with another fine tackle followed by composed use of the ball. The young defender then made a vital tackle in the box on Panther as he threatened to get in a shot (66 mins).

Alty now made a change as Logan replaced O'Neill (68 mins). Sedgemore now started to limp after making a challenge as Alty now adopted a three-strong front line. Lloyd was now finding space on the left as York looked more likely to score again than Alty did to retrieve the game. Gareth Whalley now replaced the ailing Jake Sedgemore (71 mins). A couple of minutes later Whalley started a move which ended with Little threading the ball through for Senior who was checked by McGurk as he reached the edge of the box. The York defender was booked and Alty given a freekick 25 yards out in the right/centre of the field. Peyton curled the kick left-footed into the centre of the box where Little superbly volleyed it into the net to make it 1-2 (74 mins).

Alty were fortunate soon after this when Lloyd again found himself in oceans of unmarked space on the Alty right but the cross from the York right went straight to Coburn's arms. Alty now were lifted by their goal and went for a leveller. Senior had a shot blocked and then Whalley fired over from 22 yards. At this point York made a double change as the former Barnsley midfielder Nicky Wroe and Chris Beardsley replaced Purkiss and Sodje (78 mins). Woolford now moved to the left but Alty's pressure continued and a foul on Lawton gave the home side a freekick in almost the same spot from which Alty's goal had come. This time Peyton's kick came off a defender for an Alty corner.

From Peyton's corner Tinson headed on across goal to Shotton whose header landed on the roof of the net (81 mins). York then won a corner which came to nothing. Alty now pushed Shotton into midfield and a good Alty move prompted by Whalley ended with Logan's cross which keeper Evans caught (85 mins). But York wrapped the game up in the 87th minute when Panther and Elliott exchanged passes and the ball came to Wroe who drove the ball past Coburn from the edge of the box as he drifted from right to left. Alty did not give up and McGurk had to do well to stop Senior inside the York box (89 mins). Three minutes of added time were announced presumably as a consequence of substitutions as there had barely been a stoppage otherwise. In the second added minute York won a corner from which Elliott shot wide. The final whistle arrived to confirm Alty's exit from the FA Trophy. Alty's Ryan Shotton was named the home side's Man of the Match whilst Panther took the award for the Minstermen.