Match Report

On an overcast and far from warm summer evening, the first shot of the game came from Warren Peyton, who forced a save from Read in the fourth minute. Even at this early stage, Street and Doughty were beginning to make their mark in midfield and at left-back respectively. Indeed Doughty soon had a shot blocked before a Street effort forced a corner on the Alty left (5 mins). But Trafford then went close when Winter hit the top of the bar with a fine shot from 25 yards. However, the Robins continued to show their attacking intent as a Johnson effort just cleared the bar (12 mins).

Altrincham's positive attitude paid off in the 15th minute when a Doughty throw from the left found Johnson and he did very well to turn his man inside the box and get in a low cross, from left of goal, which Little finished off from close quarters. Soon afterwards, following a trip on Little, the striker's freekick was nodded over the bar by Young with Johnson in close attendance. As Kevin Street continued to orchestrate the midfield both vocally and by example, it was Natt kerr, starting tonight at right back, who came close in the 22nd minute, nodding narrowly wide from Little's cross at the back post.

A superb run by the mobile Johnson gave Peyton a shot, which Read saved well, before a foul on Chris Denham, playing on the Alty right, yielded a freekick which Little put narrowly wide. Although the visitors were dominating play, Trafford nevertheless were playing some neat football though they were not seriously troubling Stuart Coburn at this stage. But they now won a corner when a superb ball over the defence from McKay found Barlow whose shot was blocked from left of goal. On the half-hour mark, Alty responded with a corner themselves, taken by Doughty and, soon after this, Little scored an offside goal (33 mins).

Read then saved well from a Johnson shot for another Alty corner, which was immediately followed by a second flag-kick, from which the keeper this time saved Street's effort. The home side won themselves a corner after 38 minutes and then enjoyed a couple of minutes pressing the Alty defence. But Alty transformed defence into attack superbly thanks to a stunning run up the right by Denham whose low cross was converted by Little at the near post as both Johnson and a defender came in behind him (41 mins). Trafford keeper Tom Read collided with his defensive team-mate and needed lengthy treatment to a head injury before having to be taken off and replaced by Andrew Jones, who was last season's Alty youth goalkeeper. Poor Read does not enjoy much luck against his former club, having been injured in last season's corresponding fixture.

In added time before the break, Denham was the victim of the worst challenge of the game but he survived unscathed. The interval arrived with Altrincham having looked very impressive going forward and also solid at the back underthe leadership of Young.

Altrincham made four changes at the break. Coates replaced Coburn in goal, whilst Senior, Danylyk and Allen came on for Lawton, Kerr and Peyton. Trafford brought on Coppin, Barker and Kisseh.

Danylyk soon fired narrowly wide before Denham earned Alty a corner, followed a minute later by another. Two more Altrincham corners brought the tally to four in the opening eight minutes of the half. The last corner led to a wild volley over the bar from Senior before Trafford's Coppin fired narrowly wide at the other end (53 mins). More player-changes occured as Horrocks and Battersby came on for Street and Johnson (55 mins). More impressive work from Denham saw him clip the goal goalwards over Jones only for a covering defender to clear at the cost of a corner. Following the corner the ball was played back to Senior whose fine shot from outside the box curled into the net off the far post to make it 3-0 (59 mins).

By now Josh Mitten had come on for Trafford and Allen had moved to midfield for Altrincham having started the second half at right-back. Three Alty corners soon followed before the midway point of the second half. Danylyk was doing well in midfield and, after he had fed Horrocks on the left, the winger got in an excellent cross which Little headed firmly into the net to make it 4-0 to the visitors (69 mins). Two minutes later Little was taken off in favour of Charlie Weir from last season's youth team (71 mins).

A minute later trialist Ben McHugh, an ex-Crewe player, came on to replace Denham. McHugh went to right-back as Battersby moved into midfield. Trafford's no.14 then headed over when he might have hit the target and then Coppin got past McHugh but Lane covered well (80 mins). Alty won a corner (83 mins) before Horrocks fed Weir and his pass was met by a stretching Danylyk whose shot cleared the bar (88 mins). But Trafford had the last real chance of the game when Barker fed Mitten who was unable to get in a shot as Coates advanced to block him (89 mins).

So, Alty recorded their second successive away win, having scored nine goals in the process. The side is bearing out manager Graham Heathcote's promise to play positive football this season and two good victories have been achieved. But, obviously, there is a gap between pre-season friendlies and the cut and thrust of the Blue Square Premier. Alty's next test is at Moss Lane on Saturday against a Manchester united XI. For their part, Trafford showed that they should certainly hold their own if not do better in the uniBond next season.