Match Report

Arriving from sunny Manchester, Altrincham found York enjoying dull and wet weather and it was the visitors who also started the game the brighter, having the better of the opening 15 minutes. Indeed, Johnson won a corner inside 20 seconds and Alty also benefitted from several early freekicks conceded by the hosts. With Johnson impressing up front and Young excelling at the back, it was not until the 15th minute that York threatened when Russell was allowed a shot, which hit a defender. Then, Young had to do well to clear the ball, with Coburn stranded. York now pressed forward but a fine Danylyk tackle saw off the danger. Most of York's attacks were coming up the left, with Smith, their loan player from Gainsborough looking their most effective player when in possession.

Alty's James Smith pulled up with what looked like a hamstring injury but hobbled on for a few minutes. Before the right-back could be subbed, Brodie got in a downward header, which Alty's keeper, Coburn, fielded. Then Colin Little replaced the limping James Smith, with Densmore moving to right-back (29 mins).

From a York cross, from the right, Brodie, rather than the ball, ended up in the net (30 mins). Next, Adam Smith cut in and was brought down by Densmore on the front line of the penalty area. Mr Eltringham gave City a freekick just outside the box. Brodie drove this at goal but it deflected wickedly off the wall and into the net (32 mins). Alty almost responded well as Johnson got free but he underhit his shot to Ingham. York applied more pressure and were aided by the linesman's failure to keep up with play as Adam Smith was allowed to threaten, despite being yards offside (37 mins). Despite their lead, the home crowd was very quiet as half-time approached. Altrincham increased their apprehension as they now won two successive corners but, after these, Lane had to make a fine tackle to see off a York probe. Although Alty threatened again before the half-time whistle sounded, the interval arrived leaving the visitors a goal behind.

Just as in the first half, Johnson won a corner within 20 seconds of the kick-off. Soon after this, Johnson fired wildly over from 20 yards (48 mins). York replied with a fine 25-yarder from Smith, which Coburn saved. Alty now had switched Lane to right-back, with Doughty on the left.

Next, Senior got a lecture when he slid into keeper Ingham on the greasy surface. But the Alty man was soon rejoicing as Densmore exchanged passes with Little before surging to the right by-line. He did really well to keep the ball in play and cross it to the back post, where Senior chested it into the net from close range (53 mins).

Two minutes later, Peyton tackled the lively Russell to concede a corner and another soon followed. But relief came as Altrincham won two corners. After 63 minutes, McBreen replaced Sodje, who disappointingly had today foresaken the bizarre hair-do he had sported at Burton recently. But it was Alty who now set the pace against their full-time opponents. Firstly, a Doughty pile-driver hit a defender and, then a superb back-heel from Johnson fed Danylyk inside the Box. The Alty midfielder was brought down but the ref gave no penalty - though another corner resulted (65 mins).

Altrincham were now playing very well and forced another corner which Densmore unfortunately miskicked over the bar. At the other end, Brodie shot well wide before Wilkinson came on for York's Russell (69 mins). Alty soon reasserted themselves, as Senior chased down Ingham to win a throw. A fine Danylyk tackle now won the ball for Little to get in a shot, but he underhit this to Ingham. McWilliams was then booked for fouling Densmore, giving Altrincham a freekick from almost the same spot from which Brodie had scored York's goal. This time, the referee failed to get the wall back more than seven yards, so Peyton's kick predictably hit the defensive wall (72 mins).

Lane then suffered a knock but played on before Johnson soon excelled again, winning another corner (77 mins). At the other end, Wilkinson spooned a shot over the bar but was then guilty of a very poor challenge for which he was booked but this was no consolation to his victim, Danylyk, who needed lengthy treatment before being stretchered off in a leg brace. It was later feared that he had suffered ankle ligament damage. A small section of the York crowd disgracefully jeered as the Alty midfielder, injured by their own player's foul, was carried off (82 mins). Now Elam replaced Senior and Meechan came on for Danylyk (83 mins).

Altrincham did not allow the injury to disrupt them from their task and soon Johnson again got the better of his marker to fire in a drive from right of goal which Ingham beat out for a corner. But then York mounted an attack which ended with Wilkinson, the man who had fouled Danylyk, firing wide when he should have done better (87 mins). When Dale Johnson chased a ball out on the left wing, he seemed second favourite but his determination saw him dispossess the dawdling defender, McGurk, cut in and fire a fine, curling shot into the far corner past Ingham's dive, to give Alty a 2-1 lead (89 mins). It was no more than the Alty striker deserved after another Man of the Match performance.

But Altrincham still had eight minutes of added time to negotiate, which included a longer than four-minute stoppage for Danylyk's treatment. In the first of the eight minutes, York brought on Boyes for the former Northwich midfielder, Rusk. York now pressed for an equalizer and should have done better five minutes into added time with a header wide from a right-wing cross. They then won three corners in the remaining time, with goalkeeper Ingham even going up for a couple of them, but Altrincham defended these resolutely to run out deserved winners of an entertaining game.

This was Altrincham's second win over Christmas and their fifth away win of the season. It lifted them to eleventh in the table.