Match Report

REFEREE: Mr K Yeo (Essex)

ATTENDANCE: 337

Michael Welch had surprisingly recovered from his injury of last weekend and he came back into the side in a 3-4-3 formation, with Young and McGregor the other components of the back line. Chris Lane moved to right midfield, with Doughty on the left. James Smith was serving the final game of his three-match suspension. Ben Wilkinson dropped to the bench with Warren Peyton and he being the only fit substitutes amongst the five named.

BACKGROUND:

Lewes were seeking to avoid an unwelcome record, having suffered 18 straight defeats in the BSP. For their part Alty had faltered badly in recent weeks after coming within touching distance of securing enough points to secure their place in the league for next season.

LINE-UPS

LEWES (Red & black shirts, black shorts and socks): 1. Rikki Banks; 22. Josh Jirbandey, 23. Ryan Storrie, 7. Michael Standing, 4. Danny Cullip, 6. Chris Breach, 31. Sam Fisk, 19. David Wheeler, 8. Joe Keehan, 10. Luke Rooney, 24. Tim Rivers. SUBS: 14. Ross Sutton, 20. Andy Wilkinson, 21. Fred Foreman, 29. Oliver Barton, 34. Grant Hall.

ALTRINCHAM (Yellow shirts, blue shorts and yellow socks): 1. Stuart COBURN; 18. Michael WELCH, 4. Mark McGREGOR, 5. Greg YOUNG; 2.Chris LANE, 21. Shaun DENSMORE, 16. Anthony DANYLYK, 3. Matt DOUGHTY; 14. Dale JOHNSON, 9. Colin LITTLE, 12. Joe O'NEILL. SUBS: 11. Warren PEYTON, 10. Chris DENHAM, 7. Robbie LAWTON, 17. Ben WILKINSON, 19. Chris SENIOR.

Altrincham, playing 3-4-3, kicked off towards their own supporters who had brought a wide selection of flags with them to wave in the bright sunshine. It soon became clear that the pitch was hard and very bobbly but it was the visitors who started the better as the home team made unforced errors. Early play was very scrappy with too much head-tennis, as well as misplaced passes and offsides against the visitors. Altrincham won the game's first corner, following which O'Neill had an effort held by the keeper (4 mins). The Alty striker soon had a better chance when Densmore played the ball forward. O'Neill had his shot saved then seemed to hesitate, perhaps expecting offside against him, allowing Banks and the defence to get the loose ball clear (6 mins).

The head-tennis continued as did Altrincham getting caught offside by Lewes, who were deploying a 4-5-1 formation. Alty won another corner which came to nothing before Densmore fed Johnson for a shot which rose over the bar (15 mins). Altrincham were tending to send aimless balls forward rather than building up passing moves but, even so, it seemed they were comfortably in control and it appeared likely that they would eventually score. How wrong an impression that was to prove to be.

Another half-chance came and went when Banks spilt the ball as he came out to the edge of his box but, though O'Neill got a foot to it, the keeper recovered possession (20 mins). As Graham Heathcote pointed out to his side that they had already been caught offside five times, Altrincham continued to press forward but without much guile. When a balloon blew onto the pitch and drifted into Stuart Coburn's net the home supporters' cheered and chanted "one-nil, one-nil" as if their side had really scored. Just sixty seconds later they actually had. Lewes had scored just ten home goals this season but number eleven arrived in the 25th minute of this game. It arrived as McGregor slipped up about 25 yards out and allowed Wheeler to get free inside the right side of the box. The England schoolboy international made no mistake, driving his shot firmly past Coburn to give Lewes the lead with virtually their first shot on goal.

The goal immediately lifted the young home side and they won themselves a corner. Alty replied with two successive corners themselves, the second arriving after Banks had to rely on Rooney to kick the ball over his own bar. Altrincham had a great chance to level the scores in the 31st minute when Coburn's kick was flicked on cleverly by Johnson, setting Little free. The striker ran at the keeper but Banks saved the shot.

The pace of Wheeler on the Lewes right was causing Alty some problems but it was Alty who went close again when Welch fired narrowly over when a Densmore freekick came out to him (36 mins). Another half-chance came and went when O'Neill chased down Banks but the ball was cleared by a defender. When wheeler threatened again, Young had to do well to cover and concede a corner on the Lewes right. From the corner, Keehan rose unmarked towards the back post to head Lewes into a 2-0 lead (41 mins).

After the restart, Little won a corner, which came to nothing. Following this Lewes also won a flag kick as two minutes added time were announced. From this corner, Alty's marking was again poor as Breach - one of the smaller players - was allowed a free header which dropped onto the top of the net (45+1 mins). Though Altrincham won a corner in the third of the two added minutes, half-time arrived with Lewes's young side cheered off the pitch as a rare win looked to be in sight.

Altrincham brought on Wilkinson for McGregor at the interval which prompted a reshuffle as Young took over as captain and Lane dropped back into defence. Things did not improve much at first for Alty as a Doughty clearance allowed Rooney a shot which went narowly wide (49 mins).

Alty hearts were in their mouths when Coburn came to collect a ball on the edge of the box and, for fear of handling outside the penalty area, the keeper had to head the ball past an opponent and then dribble it clear (52 mins). Doughty then fed Wilkinson who made space well before firing just wide of the post (53 mins). Lewes continued to try and play the ball to feet and from one such move Keehan fired over from 25 yards (57 mins). Rivers was then caught marginally offside as Altrincham looked unlikely to get back into the game at the hour mark.

But things improved a bit as Altrincham gained two corners, the first arriving after Little's cross from the right was headed goalwards at the back post by Wilkinson, only for Banks to tip it over the bar. Alty now enjoyed some pressure but when half a chance arrived, Danylyk committed an airshot and the opening went.

Rooney became the game's first booking for a foul on Doughty (67 mins). Then Lewes brought on Andy Wilkinson for Storrie (67 mins). From Lane's freekick, Banks again fumbled and the ball came out to Little but his shot hit a player in the crowded penalty box. Alty were now enjoying their best spell of the game and, when Johnson's flick set Little free, the Alty leading scorer forced a good save from left of goal. The Alty pressure led to Cullip being booked for a foul on Densmore but the Alty man's reaction also earned him a yellow card (70 mins).

Little then forced another good save from Banks at the cost of a corner (71 mins) but a goal just would not come for Altrincham. Yet, when Johnson forced a save soon afterwards the Alty cause did not yet seem totally lost (72 mins). Each side now made a change, Sutton replacing Rivers for Lewes, followed by Peyton coming on for O'Neill (74 mins). Alty had a scare soon afterwards when a fine cross from Wheeler led to a Lewes team-mate ending up in the net amidst appeals for a penalty.

At the other end, Welch lashed a shot 20 yards over the bar. But, for all Alty's pressing, the minutes were ticking away (76 mins). Foreman now came on for Lewes's Standing (79 mins). Johnson then won an Alty corner on the right but this and further pressure failed to produce an opening. In fact, Alty were leaving themselves open at the back as Lewes's Wilkinson almost got free on the left. Doughty then went close with a curling right-foot shot just over the bar (87 mins). Moments later Johnson was almost throttled by the Lewes keeper and brought down in the goalmouth but, remarkably, no penalty resulted (88 mins).

But Coburn then had to make a decent save as Lewes's Wilkinson got free at the other end (89 mins). As the game went into added time, Welch was brought down in the box but, again ,Mr Yeo disregarded the penalty appeals. But, in truth, it was all too late for Alty, who looked fated not to score today. In the second of what turned out to be more than five added minutes a spat between Danylyk and Wilkinson witnessed the referee book both players. Within a minute of his booking, Danylyk saw another yellow for deliberate handball and he was duly sent off for the second time this season and will now erve a two-match ban (90+3 mins). So, Alty's threadbare squad will be further depleted as they face their final half-dozen games, still uncertain of their status for next season.

March had been a disappointing month for Altrincham and April got off to an even worse start today. To lose to an already relegated side who had not won a point in any of their last 18 games will hopefully prove to be the lowest point of Altrincham's season.