Match Report

REFEREE: Mr. R. Merchant

With Alex Meechan having left the club, James Smith suspended and Chris Senior, Chris Denham and Kevin Street all injured, Alty included two new faces on the bench. Danny Heffernan made his first appearance on the bench for a BSP game and new loan signing Ben Wilkinson joined him there. The only change from Monday's CSC Final win was that Michael welch came in at the back with midfielder Warren Peyton dropping to the bench in a 4-4-2 formation in which Greg Young played at left-back.

Crawley were without Thomas Pinault.

BACKGROUND:

After a good performance in midweek to win the Cheshire Senior Cup, Alty were loking to get their league form back on track after last Saturday's traumatic second half against Forest Green when five goals were conceded. Crwaley were looking to consolidate their claim to a play-off place, whilst Alty needed only a handful of points to secure their stay in the BSP for another season.

LINE-UPS

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Stuart COBURN, 2.Chris LANE, 4. Mark McGREGOR, 5. Greg YOUNG, 21. Shaun DENSMORE, 7. Robbie LAWTON (capt), 3. Matt DOUGHTY, 16. Anthony DANYLYK, 18. Michael WELCH, 14. Dale JOHNSON, 9. Colin LITTLE. SUBS: 23 Richard ACTON, 12. Joe O'NEILL, 17. Ben WILKINSON, 11. Warren PEYTON, 20. Danny HEFFERNAN.

CRAWLEY TOWN (Blue shirts, shorts and socks): - 1. Simon RAYNER, 3. Sam RENTS, 4. Simon WEATHERSTONE, 5. Chris GILES, 6. Jake WRIGHT, 8. Dannie BULMAN, 9. Robbie MATTHEWS, 16. Glenn WILSON, 17. Isaiah RANKIN, 21. Adam QUINN, 25. Michael MALCOLM. SUBS: 2. SANTOS GAIA, 7. Danny FORREST, 11. Jamie COOK, 14. Lewis KILLEEN, 24. Jon SHAW.

On a cold and blustery, but dry, afternoon, Crawley kicked off towards the Golf Road end. For Alty, Michael Welch started well, winning a couple of headers. The first goal-threat came in the fourth minute when Johnson got into the Crawley box and laid the ball back but Danylyk shot over the bar. Play was pretty even in the opening period but Alty threatened again in the eighth minute when Little fed Doughty and the left-back's cross ran across the goalmouth but just behind Dale Johnson. However, it was the visitors who gained the match's first corner, which Matthews gained off Chris Lane. There was a spell of head tennis in and around the Alty box after the corner had come in from the Crawley left but eventually Alty cleared their lines. The home side continued to create the better chances but Welch fired a 25-yard freekick over the bar from a promising central position (15 mins).

After Densmore had been put in a difficult situation by Lane's underhit pass in midfield, Crawley broke up the left and gained a corner through Malcolm (16 mins). The former Salisbury striker, Matthews, went close for Crawley when he volleyed across the face of goal and Alty had another scare when, just inside the Alty box, Welch seemed to lose the flight of a freekick from half way by Rents which dropped on to the defender’s hand but no penalty resulted. When Rents flattened Densmore the left back was fortunate not to be booked, especially as it was not his first offence.

Ex-Weymouth midfielder, Weatherstone, then saw his shot hit McGregor and he steered the follow-up only narrowly wide (22 mins). Danylyk was working hard in the Alty midfield and he also got back well to cover when Malcolm, another ex-Weymouth player, threatened. When Matthews was penalised for handball about ten yards inside the Alty half, the quick-thinking Welch saw Rayner off his line and from at least sixty yards fired a superb looping freekick over his head and into the net to put Altrincham ahead in remarkable fashion (27 mins). It was only the second league start for the on-loan Northwich defender, who had scored in the first-minute of his only other start for Alty.

Moments after the restart Mark McGregor was penalised 30 yards out as Rankin threatened to get away from him. Mr Merchant produced a yellow card for the Alty defender, who was not booked once in the first 28 league games of the season but in his last nine BSP matches has seen yellow four times (28 mins). Crawley boss Steve Evans lost his rag at this decision,seemingly expecting the Alty man to see a red card. However, his mood changed soon afterwards when a freekick 40 yards out by Rents was nodded on and Rankin put the ball into the Alty net to level the scores (31 mins).

The game now turned distinctly niggly as Rents conceded another freekick (33 mins). Lane was then penalised for foot up against Malcolm. Crawley then went close after a slip by McGregor which allowed Rankin, Malcolm and Rents to combine to gain a corner on their left (38 mins). Matthews then went down dramatically to gain a freekick much to Graham Heathcote’s annoyance. Rents again committed a foul, holding Johnson, but again escaped without a card. From the freekick Densmore got on the end of a rehearsed routine but collided with Rents and needed treatment (41 mins).

In the second of the three added minutes at the end of the first half, Quinn, one of five former Halifax Town players in the Crawley squad today, was booked after taking exception to a challenge by Doughty that left him in a heap by the advertising hoardings. The half ended with a blocked shot by Little. The conditions had made play difficult but 1-1 was a reasonably fair reflection of the game so far.

Anthony Danylyk kicked off for Altrincham but they immediately lost possession, as they attacked the Golf Road end. There was an early stoppage for treatment to Johnson who appeared to get a kick on the back of his leg and soon afterwards a late challenge on Young yielded an Alty freekick. When Lane fouled Malcolm, Weymouth won a freekick which led to a corner, from which Coburn held Matthews's header well (52 mins). Alty then were awarded a freekick 40 yards out, which Doughty took but Rayner caught this. Alty were now playing well and Little had a shot blocked before he and Lawton combined. From the left of the box, Lawton's cross was tipped weakly away by the big goalkeeper only for the incoming Densmore to lash it back past him to give Alty a 2-1 lead (57 mins). Altrincham continued to have the upper hand as Johnson won his side a corner. After this, Little sliced an effort wide from 35 yards (65 mins).

At the other end Rankin got the better of McGregor before firing wildly well over the bar (67 mins). However, at the other end Little fed Densmore and his cross was caught as he went over the by-line by Rayner and an Alty corner was awarded, which Densmore wasted. After a Crawley corner had been dealt with, the visitors made a double change in the 73rd minute with Forrest and Cook replacing Rents and Weatherstone. Soon after this Rankin was booked for dissent.

As time ticked by Altrincham looked reasonably comfortable with their lead and they won a corner in the 77th minute. But then Stuart Coburn produced an excellent save from Rankin to give Crawley the first of two corners in as many minutes, the second being conceded by some fine tracking back from Danylyk. In between, Doughty was booked, following a foul by Welch. Crawley were now pressing hard and Alty were penned back but play went into the final five minutes with the Robins' lead intact.

With Crawley pressing still, Welch did well to head out a dangerous cross for a corner and with Alty bringing everyone back to defend, they were having difficulty clearing their lines for any length of time. The pressure finally told in the 88th minute when Giles fed Bulman on the right. His cross evaded McGregor and fell for Wilson who steered it low, past Coburn's right hand into the far corner of the net to make it 2-2. Almost immediately play had to stop as Welch went down following a challenge for the ball in the air with Matthews, The Alty defender appeared to fall awkwardly and immediately on arrival at the scene, Alty physio Sean Riley signalled for a stretcher (90 mins). The big defender had a cushion splint placed on his lower right leg before being carried off, with Warren Peyton replacing him and Matt Doughty moving to left back (90+3 mins).

Yet, despite the adverse circumstances, it was Altrincham who finished strongly, as Young forced a good save from Rayner from the right of goal (90+4 mins). Four minutes of added time had been announced just as Welch was injured so play was now extended to cover his treatment time. Ben Wilkinson came on for what must be one of the latest debuts in Alty history, arriving on the pitch in the sixth minute of added time. Crawley won a corner in the seventh added minute but Alty held on into the eighth added-minute when the whistle finally sounded.

Though the late equalising goal was a disappointment to Alty, this had been a good performance against play-off hopefuls but the loss of Welch was another serious blow, coming hard on the heels of the injuries to Senior and Denham and the suspension of Smith. Alty now travel to Ebbsfleet on Tuesday with their small squad looking to continue the good form shown here today.