Match Report

Right: Paul Tierney and Colin Little in second-half action against Salisbury.

Salisbury kicked off towards the Golf Road end and, after a quiet opening, the first excitement came as Bittner made a hash of a back pass but the keeper recovered to gather the ball (4 mins). For Alty Dale Johnson was soon winning more than his fair share of headers but no one was managing to feed off him. Play continued fairly evenly with no goalmouth action of note. Then Alty's keeper, Coburn, caused a bit of excitement when he came out to deal with a through ball but it bounced forward off his thigh and he had to pursue it out to the touchline, 40 yards from goal to get rid of it (13 mins). Defences continued to dominate until Alty gained a free kick 28 yards out which Peyton drove at goal, the ball deflecting narrowly wide of goal off a defender for the game's first corner. Peyton's corner was caught by Bittner (20 mins).

Play continued uneventfully between two evenly matched sides until Turk fouled Lawton and compounded his offence by picking up the ball and delaying the free kick but he escaped any punishment. Battersby's free kick from half way was cleared to Danylyk, who fed Denham who shot wide from 18 yards (25 mins). There was then a curious incident as Cook came to the touchline where the physio gave him 2 tablets and a drink of water! Little was then given offside not for the first or last time in the match. But soon afterwards, after another good headed flick on from Johnson, Battersby managed to get the ball to the right to Little, who sent a low drive across goal (29 mins). Following the resulting goal kick from Bittner, Denham made a great run, beating two defenders and getting into the box before poking his shot just wide in the best move of the game so far (29 mins). Bartlett injured himself trying to stop Denham and had to be substituted by Clarke (30 mins).

Altrincham were now edging the game and almost went ahead after 33 minutes when their most lively attacker, Denham, got onto another good Johnson nod-on and from the right by-line crossed firmly into the goalmouth, where Johnson, who was barely two yards out, saw the ball hit his legs and rebound agonizingly wide of the net for a goal-kick. After Little had again strayed offside a long punt from Coburn almost found the Alty striker but it span off his boot for a goal kick (37 mins). Salisbury were looking anything but the league leaders at this stage but they now won their first corner of three. The second of these corners arose when Sandell's firm shot from the right was well beaten out by Coburn for the flag-kick (41 mins). The third corner came after Alty had again been caught offside. As Altrincham had all eleven men back in their own area, when the ball broke to Lawton he had little option but to keep running and he made a fine 60 yard dash towards the left corner being pulled down around the shoulders by Herring who was rightly booked.

With the game now well into its added one minute, Battersby's free kick from the left was half cleared and came to Denham whose fine cross from the right was met by a goalbound header from Little which Bittner did very well to claw away for a corner (45+2 mins). And from the corner, Young rose well but his header just cleared the bar. So the interval arrived with the game goalless but Altrincham having had more and better chances than the visitors.

Altrincham kicked off the second half attacking the Golf Road end and were almost immediately stopped as Little was caught offside (46 mins). As in the first half there was little in the way of goalmouth action in the early stages until the referee gave Salisbury a handball decision against Danylyk to the left of the Alty goal, with Graham Heathcote expressing the view that "I wish you'd been the ref at Histon", an allusion to the Tuesday night's game in which the winning goal came after a handball which the referee did not spot. After this Alty were lucky when very slack marking allowed Salisbury's Sandell to feed the unmarked Clarke, to the right of goal but his cross was cleared by Lane.

Despite his success in the air, Alty withdrew Johnson after 56 minutes, with Meechan replacing him. This promoted Denham to move up from alongside Little as Meechan slotted into the right flank position (56 mins). Denham continued to look Alty's greatest attacking threat as his cross aimed for Little was just gathered ahead of the Alty striker by Bittner. Next, the best chance of the half fell to Denham who won the ball well near the half way line on the left flank. he hared towards the penalty area but his shot was blocked by the advancing Bittner, with Alex Meechan, completely unmarked to his right, inside the box, screaming for a pass (59 mins).

Soon Young had to get in a fine tackle at the back for Alty as Tubbs threatened and this gave Salisbury a corner, followed immediately by a second flag kick. From this, Fowler powered a header just over the Alty bar (62 mins). Alty then went to sleep at the back leaving Clarke in space to the right of goal and from his low cross Sandell's shot was deflected wide but the referee gave Alty the goal kick instead of a corner (63 mins). A misplaced back-pass from Meechan then gave Salisbury possession but after Tubbs had fed Feeney, the ball came to Coburn.

After Denylyk's 30-yard effort had been held by Bittner, Denham was soon penalised for foot up. This prompted a spat from a Salisbury defender but after consulting his linesman, the referee curiously booked Bittner (68 mins). Alty were then annoyed as Peyton did well to get past a defender up the left touchline only for the linesman, in the other half of the pitch to flag wrongly for a Salisbury throw. After Lane seemed to be barged over by Feeney, City were awarded a corner. The corner was cleared but as Alty had everyone back, possession was immediately lost. This led to Tubbs's cross from the right which gave Sandell a free header which forced Coburn into a full-length save (70 mins).

Altrincham now brought on Tierney for his home debut on the left flank, with right-back Battersby being the man withdrawn. So, Lane moved to right-back, as Peyton slotted in on the left of the back four and Young moved to centre-back (71 mins). Salisbury now enjoyed the better of the play but when Young's clearance fell to Sandell, the Whites' striker shot wide (75 mins). Now Alty brought on Street for Danylyk in midfield (75 mins) and a minute later Salisbury brought on their big striker Matthews for Sandell. After a Salisbury corner had been caught by Coburn, City made another change with their second big striker, Griffin, replacing Tubbs (78 mins). Alty were not seriously threatening a goal at this stage, with Little’s blocked effort their best shot, as the game went into the final ten minutes.

Salisbury had a better chance soon afterwards when Griffin got clear but Clarke put his shot wide. An overhead effort from Meechan which landed on the roof of the net was Alty's next effort (87 mins). Salisbury won a late corner which again Alty could not clear properly, as no one was upfield, before the fourth official displayed a time added board showing 30 minutes, but in fact it was only three. Alty were twice caught offside in added time but the final whistle signalled the home side's fourth home game without a win but their first clean sheet of the campaign. Warren Peyton was a worthy Man of the Match, though Chris Denham, Mark McGregor and Anthony Danylyk must also have been on the judges' shortlist.