Match Report

Alty started well and almost took an early lead as, following a throw, Elam dribbled in from the right but from a sharp angle, his shot drifted across goal (2 mins). But then Salisbury threatened with a fierce 20-yarder which Coburn beat out well for the game's first corner (6 mins). Sandell fell over, to the amusement of the home as well as the away fans, as he tried to control the overhit corner-ball and play was then halted as referee Bennett needed treatment for a leg injury but he resumed, with a limp (9 mins).

Chris Lane probably wished the ref had not returned as, a minute later, he booked the Alty defender for a lunge. Soon, from Coburn's kick, Danylyk headed the ball forward setting Senior running up the middle where, on the edge of the box, he was clearly hauled down by Bass, who was sent off, as he was the last defender (12 mins). Doughty then fired over, following a freekick before Senior got on the end of a Coburn punt but his volley was well saved by Bittner, who conceded a corner (16 mins). Another Altrincham chance went begging as Little turned superbly in the box but Bittner again saved well from his shot (17 mins). Elam was looking lively on the left but without finding a decisive end product as Alty continued to create chances without converting them. The pattern continued as Doughty lashed an Elam corner over the bar (29 mins). Sandell was then booked for flattening Danylyk (32 mins).

Following the sending-off, the referee was still upsetting the home crowd with some of his decisions, not least when Elam was awarded an unlikely freekick. Then he upset Alty by giving a goalkick when it was clearly a corner. However, an Alty corner did soon come, and go, but then Young had to make a fine tackle to stop the pacy Feeney (37 mins). Despite their one-man deficit, Salisbury now finished the half in the ascendant. Firstly, Alty saw off a corner and when Coburn miskicked to Turk, soon afterwards, the keeper was pleased to see Tubbs put the resulting shot wide (44 mins). In the two added minutes, Tubbs got in a header at Coburn, before Elam fired wildly over at the other end. So half-time arrived without Altrincham having capitalized on their numerical advantage.

During the break a huge cheer went up from the home fans, still blaming the ref quite unfairly for dismissing Bass, as the tannoy asked for a qualified match official to come forward with the unstated implication being that Mr Bennett was unable to carry on. Indeed, it was one of the assistants who emerged to officiate the second half. But any Salisbury optimism at Mr Bennett's disappearance was immediately forgotten as Alty scored just 18 seconds after kicking-off towards their own fans. Whereas Chris Senior had netted from Colin Little's pass just 11 seconds into the first half against Mansfield recently, this time the roles were reversed as Senior got clear up the right to feed Little who scored neatly with a low shot (46 mins). But Salisbury responded by going at the visitors, with Feeney's pace their main useful weapon.

On the break, Senior made a fine run to feed Lawton, but his shot was blocked (54 mins). Salisbury continued to press forward but Alty's defence held firm before Senior shot wide from Elam's feed at the other end. When Sandell then committed his second significant foul since his booking, he seemed fortunate to escape further punishment from the referee but he then failed to retreat quickly enough to satisfy the new ref and with the freekick for his foul having been blocked by him, he was shown a second yellow and dismissed, to the anger of the home fans (62 mins). When Alty won a freekick then a corner against the nine-men Whites, things looked promising for them but they failed to exploit their two-man advantage and with captain Robbie Lawton hobbling, they were put under some pressure themselves by City, who now brought on two big men, Dutton in midfield and Griffin up front (68 mins).

At last, Alty got forward again as Elam made an interception, feeding Little for a shot, which Bittner saved well (70 mins). Overall, however, City were still going forward and to maintain their impetus they now brought on Matthews, with Feeney surprisingly the man withdrawn to accommodate him (76 mins).

After Coburn had adventurously dribbled clear, his clearing kick found Senior but the half-opening disappeared. Next, a great cross from the right by Densmore was taken off Little's head by a defender, for a corner, at which point Dale Johnson came on for Senior up front for Alty (78 mins). Alty now began to impose themselves a bit more but their narrow lead still looked fragile. However, they now got themselves the vital second goal. Bittner's clearance from a back pass went to Densmore, about 35 yards out on the right. He quickly got it forward to Johnson who tucked a shot, low, across Bittner's right hand, into the bottom corner (85 mins).

Unfortunately Johnson got himself unnecessarily booked for his celebration with the visitng fans of his first goal for Alty. Now, Meechan replaced Elam on the left (86 mins). But then Lawton also picked up an unnecessary booking for failing to retreat at a freekick in the Salisbury left-back position. Next, Joe O'Neill came on for Little (89 mins).

Alty were now completely in control - or so it seemed. After O'Neill had won a corner following a multi-pass move, the game went into four added minutes of play. But Alty then defended too deeply, allowing Griffin to drive home a fine goal from just outside the box to set up a potentially tense ending to the game (90+4 mins). However, Alty immediately killed off any fears of a repeat of last season's late comeback by Salisbury by winning a penalty.

This came when Densmore surged into the front-right of the box and was tripped; Joe O'Neill converted confidently from the spot, with the referee then immediately blowing the final whistle on a 3-1 win which moved Alty up to 14th in the table. The Salisbury dismissals obviously had an effect on the game but Alty had started well and went on to carve out plenty of openings before securing the points in the closing stages.

Tubbs was named the home side's Man of the Match when the performance of goalkeeper Bittner was probably more deserving.