Match Report

REFEREE: Mr M Brown

ATTENDANCE: 1,142 (236 in away end)

Altrincham were again very short of fit players with Anthony Danylyk still suspended. Of their serious pre-match doubts, through injury, Michael Welch, Robbie Lawton and Chris Denham were all involved today but Chris Senior's season is now over after a midweek setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury. There was no place for Peyton in the squad, though he was involved in the warm-up, whilst Johnson had been ill during the week so was dropped to the bench. Replacing these two were Robbie Lawton, who started after missing recent games with a back spasm, and Mark McGregor. Although they had four strikers and a goalkeeper on their bench, Alty opted to start with defender Michael Welch up front alongside Colin Little.

The Harriers were without suspended defender Paul Baker and striker Justin Richards, whilst their heavy fixture schedule meant rotation of their players as Matthew Barnes-Homer and Mark Creighton started on the bench allowing Andy Ferrell and Brian Smikle to come back into the side.

BACKGROUND:

At kick off Altrincham were still seeking the elusive few points to ensure their place in next year's BSP, having won just once in their previous ten games. For their part, Kidderminster were in the play-off places, after 11 unbeaten games but they had drawn their last two games, having three players sent off during them.

LINE-UPS

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Stuart COBURN, 2.Chris LANE, 22. James SMITH, 4. Mark McGREGOR, 5. Greg YOUNG, 21. Shaun DENSMORE, 7. Robbie LAWTON, 17. Ben WILKINSON, 3. Matt DOUGHTY, 9. Colin LITTLE, 18. Michael WELCH. SUBS: 10. Chris DENHAM, 12. Joe O'NEILL, 23. Richard ACTON, 26. Rod THORNLEY, 14. Dale JOHNSON

KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS (Yellow shirts, blue shorts and socks): 1. Adam BARTLETT, 21. Keith LOWE, 6. Luke JONES, 18. Martin RILEY, 15. Craig ARMSTRONG, 16. Martin BRITTAIN, 4. Andy FERRELL, 10. Russell PENN, 14. Brian SMIKLE. 7. Stefan MOORE, 26. Chris McPHEE. SUBS 5. Mark CREIGHTON, 25. Michael CARR, 8. Darryl KNIGHTS, 9. Matthew BARNES-HOMER, 17. David McDERMOTT.

Kidderminster kicked off attacking the end where their own supporters were gathered. Soon Densmore was caught badly, and late, by Ferrell on the touchline in front of the Popular Side. The referee chose to ignore this poor tackle and play continued with Densmore having treatment off the pitch (3 mins). Otherwise, the visitors started impressively, applying pressure on the Alty defence which yielded a corner after 6 minutes. From this a header from Moore was goalbound but struck Matt Doughty on the line. Then Smith was beaten on the Alty left by McPhee and his low cross went dangerously across the face of the Altrincham goal (7 mins). Altrincham remained under pressure, conceding three of the next four freekicks, the last of which earned a booking for Ben Wilkinson, Alty's loanee from York City (14 mins). Lowe's well-hit freekick was saved, above his head, by Coburn. "We've got to step this up", shouted Alty boss Graham Heathcote to his players, a as the home side continued to be second best.

More Kidderminster pressure produced a corner in the 22nd minute but Young cleared. But then after barely threatening the Kidderminster goal, Altrincham should have taken the lead and it immediately followed a change of formation. Graham Heathcote instructed Chris Lane to move to left back, Greg Young into the centre and James Smith to right-back. Densmore played the ball forward setting Lawton free, behind the Kidderminster defence. As Bartlett came out to meet him, Alty’s captain lifted the ball over Bartlett but also comfortably over the cross bar (26 mins). But Alty were now beginning to get back into the game and they won their first corner in the 29th minute, from which Young nodded a header over the bar from Doughty’s flag kick (30 mins).

Following this, the lively Smikle volleyed comfortably over the Altrincham bar (33 mins) before the already-booked Ben Wilkinson could count himself fortunate when he fouled Penn near half-way but escaped with no more censure than a freekick (35 mins). When Doughty then sent a thirty-yard freekick into the Harriers' box, Bartlett seemed to dive too early and the former Blyth Spartans' custodian was fortunate to escape with no more than a corner award against him. But Densmore wasted the corner with a poor effort from the right which failed to get beyond the first defender. When McGregor conceded a foul soon after this, the Alty boss remonstrated with his team for conceding so many freekicks. But he was soon a much happier man when, from Little's pass, Densmore fed the ball into the box where the retreating Riley poked the ball as Bartlett came out and the ball ran for Welch to nod it into the unguarded net to give Alty the lead against the overall pattern of the game (38 mins).

Wilkinson then did well to get in a shot but his effort cleared the bar, before Young made two good clearances at the other end (40 mins). As half-time approached, Jones headed a Brittain corner wide (45 mins). But after one minute of added play, the interval arrived with Altrincham one goal to the good.

Matt Doughty kicked off the second half but the visitors started the half the brighter. Alty got themselves into a mess when Coburn came out to the edge of the box and had to head clear but then handled the ball to concede a freekick and a yellow card, his sixth of the season. Altrincham paid a high price for this offence as Brittain expertly drove the ball into the net to the keeper's left to make it 1-1 (49 mins).

Altrincham were now on the back foot once more as Moore shot narrowly wide, but was given offside (52 mins). Welch then went down injured but Kidderminster kept the ball and played on before Young cleared the danger. Alty then made a double change as Johnson replaced McGregor (56 mins) before Thornley came on for Wilkinson (57 mins). Almost immediately from a Johnson feed, Little forced Bartlett to make a good tip over the bar for a corner (60 mins). When, not long after this, Johnson chased a 50-50 ball as it ran towards Bartlett, the visitors' keeper took exception and succeeded in getting both himself and Johnson booked for a challenge which the referee otherwise was not going to penalize (61 mins).

Now, Barnes-Homer came on for Kidderminster's Moore (62 mins). Play was now fairly even and Altrincham won the next corner through Thornley. The next change saw Creighton replace Armstrong who had collided with his own team-mate as they both went for a Little cross and he came out of it with blood trickling down his right temple (69 mins). A pivotal moment arrived as a neat Altrincham move ended with Little feeding Thornley who found the corner of the net, only to be ruled offside (72 mins). From Bartlett’s freekick for this, Brittain crossed into the Alty box from the right where Barnes-Homer rose to head the ball past Coburn and give the Harriers the lead (73 mins).

From the restart Thornley had a chance to restore the lead but failed to connect with Bartlett out of his goal. Now former Northwich man, Michael Carr came on for the Harriers' Brittain (74 mins). Young was then harshly booked for a challenge (76 mins) as Mr Brown showed little leniency. A Kiddy corner came and went before Densmore was lectured for a foul on Ferrell. Chris Denham now came on after his injury lay-off, replacing Chris Lane. Almost immediately Denham got free on the right and his low cross to Thornley was allowed to run by the Ashton United striker, who recently signed Conference forms for Alty. But instead of the ball running to Little, it was cleared by a defender.

A Densmore freekick yielded an Alty corner which Young nodded over the bar (80 mins). Next Barnes-Homer fired narrowly over from right of the Alty goal. As the minutes ticked away a fine shot from Little from the edge of the box was well tipped over the bar by Bartlett for a corner (87 mins). Jones of Kidderminster was then booked, giving Alty a freekick 22 yards out.This was cleared before Lawton unnecessarily got himself booked for mouthing off after committing a foul; it was his tenth booking of the season (90+2 mins). When Barnes Homer then kicked the ball into the net well after the offside whistle, Mr Brown chose to ignore this breach of the rules. Next a Doughty freekick was caught by Bartlett as the game seemed to be drifting to its end (90+3 mins).

But then Alty won a corner and from Doughty's kick from the left, Thornley was pushed over by Carr in the outer reaches of the box. It was a clear penalty and it fell to Colin Little to take it. His last spot kick had been unconvincingly converted with his right foot. This time, contrary to his usual practice at spot-kicks, he used his left foot and cunningly beat Bartlett to stun the visiting support which moments before had been taunting the Alty supporters with cries of "Easy!" (90+4 mins). So Alty recorded their second 2-2 home draw of the season but extended their run to just one win in their last eleven league games. With Grays and Woking winning and Barrow getting a point, it was vital that Altrincham took something from this game. But it is all heading up to a vital home match at Moss Lane next Saturday when Grays are the visitors.