Match Report

Alty kicked off, but only after Setanta TV had allowed the ref to blow his whistle to coincide with their schedules. The opening minutes, though well-contested, were lacking in quality but then Rushden won a corner as Coburn blocked Clare's effort. This action was followed by a cross from the Rushden right which was deflected to Burgess but he shot wide at the back post. Rushden now enjoyed some pressure with the lively Knight leading Doughty to concede a freekick. A Rushden corner arrived soon after (12 mins) but the Alty back line held firm, with Elam getting back well to help out. Knight and Tomlin were causing Alty the most trouble but led by the steady McGregor, the Alty backline held firm. Another Rushden corner was seen off (19 mins) but, now after some 10 minutes of home pressure, Alty came back into the game well.

Indeed, Alty's best chance, so far, now arrived as Little set Lawton free up the right and his cross was met by Elam but to no avail. Nevertheless, the visitors were now more than matching the Diamonds. But, on the break, it took a fine tackle from Lane to stop Clare (31 mins) and, soon afterwards, Tomlin shot wide from the right (34 mins). Alty were receiving great vocal support from their supporters who despite the awkward scheduling of this match on a Monday night, had travelled in reasonable numbers. Soon, the visiting fans all applauded Lawton, as the captain's tenacious harrying saw off another home attack.

However, Alty now threatened with a freekick, but Danylyk drove this over the bar before Elam did well, right of goal, feeding Little in front of goal but he took a touch, rather than immediately shooting and he had to settle for a corner (38 mins). Woodhouse was then lectured for a foul on the hard-working Danylyk as the visitors were now setting the pace. Next Corcoran was lectured for a foul on Densmore. From Lane's freekick, Marriott fumbled the ball, which epitomised the keeper's unconvincing performance throughout the evening (42 mins).

When Osano threatened to surge up the middle, Young made a fine tackle, the ball coming to Elam. He got past Gulliver to the by-line, left of goal, from where he laid the ball back into the path of Little, whose shot rose into the roof of the net (44 mins). This was Colin's first ever goal against Rushden and his fourth of this season in the BSP. Half-time arrived after a single added minute, leaving Alty with a goal lead as reward for an increasingly effective team performance. Apart from ten minutes of early pressure, Rushden had not looked like the champions that they aspire to be.

Once Setanta had finished interviewing Garry Hill on the touchline they allowed the game to re-start. Soon Elam was chasing down Marriott, who mis-kicked to Lawton; his snap shot curled narrowly wide. But Rushden now won a corner, to start a period of pressure. A freekick, for hands against Lane, followed as the visitors were penned back in their own half. Eventually Senior relieved the pressure by winning a corner, at which point Phillips replaced Wolleaston for the Diamonds. The home side now adopted a 4-3-3 formation as Corcoran moved into midfield and Phillips supplemented the attack.

Alty then survived a penalty appeal and, soon afterwards, Coburn punched clear, catching Phillips in the process but he soon recovered. With Alty working hard, Senior again gained some respite by winning another corner (61 mins). Following this, Little had a shot blocked. Alty then attacked again through Elam, who fed Doughty, whose cross was toe-ended over the bar by Little (63 mins).

Next, Senior forced a decent save before Doughty's freekick went dangerously across the home goalmouth (65 mins). As in the first half, Alty seemed to have weathered the Rushden storm and, indeed, were beginning to look a threat themselves on the break. For their part, the Rushden crowd was growing restless at its side's unforced errors. Alty now brought on Denham for Senior (70 mins), the winger having made his peace with Graham Heathcote, who had omitted him from the last two games.

Denham's first few touches reflected his recent lack of action but he should have received a freekick when Corcoran manhandled him in front of the strangely unseeing linesman. Former Alty trialist, Michael Rankine now replaced Daryl Clare (73 mins). The big striker immediately won a freekick from which a corner and then a freekick followed. A free header from Hope went over the Altrincham bar from the latter. Now, Peyton replaced Elam on the left (75 mins).

A Rushden corner soon followed, on their left. The deep corner-kick was headed at the back post by Corcoran and Knight put it in the net, though there was a suspicion of a foul on Coburn as the ball came across the goalmouth (77 mins). Two more Rushden corners followed but it was Alty who were to finish the game in Rushden's half. Next, however, play was briefly suspended when the ref collided with Danylyk and was floored, but he soon recovered. Diamonds' defence looked jittery as Gulliver sliced the ball behind him in his own box and Marriott was glad to see the spinning ball go out for a corner as he fell over.

The keeper then dropped Doughty's corner but Peyton could not force the ball home (88 mins). Osano then coolly dribbled out of defence as Peyton threatened. Alty were going forward for most of the four added minutes as their full-time opponents seemed to have given up hopes of winning. Indeed, Peyton had a half-opening but passed to Lawton, who sliced well wide (90+1 mins). Bizarrely the referee, who otherwise had a good game, chose to make the game's only booking in the fourth added minute, Corcoran seeing yellow.

This was another fine showing from Alty, replicating that against Mansfield last week. It took them up a place to nineteenth.