Match Report

REFEREE: ...

ATTENDANCE: 369

Altrincham started with just five of last season's players (Doughty, Smith, Young, Little and Senior) plus Danny Heffernan who has been on the fringe of the first-team squad. Making up the starting eleven were five trialists, four of whom had featured last Saturday at Abbey Hey. The only completely new face was former Manchester United player Ben Muirhead who, after substantial League experience at Bradford City and Rochdale, had more recently played for Alfreton Town. Alfreton had released him after he had needed an operation and eight months out of the game.

Robbie Lawton was sidelined with a groin injury but should be fit for Tuesday's game, whilst Chris Denham, Mark McGregor, Shaun Densmore and Dale Johnson were variously unavailable or rested ahead of a week which includes three more friendlies. Stuart Coburn remains on the recovery road after his knee operation. Danny Heffernan started in an unaccustomed right-back position whilst the Altrincham bench comprised three trialists in strikers David Owens and Paul McManus and central defender Robbie Williams.

Following an injury in midweek to their only available keeper, Colwyn Bay brought in teenager James Astbury from Stockport County. Playing at centre-back for the Seagulls was former Alty Youth defender Danny Jarrett. A surprise starter for the Welshmen was ex-Forest Green and Morecambe striker Antonio Rigoglioso, though it is understood that he was playing to retain match fitness rather than with a view to joing the Bay on a permanent basis.

BACKGROUND:

Altrincham's last league game at Llanelian Road had been in August 2001 when the visitors ran out 5-2 winners with goals from Steve Hawes and Ian Craney and a hat-trick from Rod Thornley. Colwyn Bay now play in the UniBond First Division and it had been hoped that several ex-Alty players would have been involved today. But Steve Aspinall and Gary Scott (the latter a trialist at Colwyn Bay) were absent at Steve's stag weekend whilst Alex Hay, who had played as a loanee at Alty in 2000-01, was also not available.

Despite more than an inch of rain in the previous 24 hours, the Llanelian Road pitch was in excellent condition. Seats had been installed along the length of the pitch since our last visit.

LINE-UPS

COLWYN BAY (Claret and blue shirts, blue shorts and socks): 1. James ASTBURY, 2. Matthew HOLT, 3. Lewis CORRIGAN, 4. Tim BRANDRETH, 5. Danny JARRETT, 6.Carl CLAMPITT, 7. Eddie JEBB, 8. Jimmy KELLY (capt), 9. Rob HOPLEY, 10. Antonio RIGOGLIOSO, 11. Lee DAVEY. Subs: 12. Lee HAMMOND, 14. Anthony SHEEHAN, 15. Tom McGILL, 16. Robbie WILLIAMS, 17. SHERIDAN, 18. Luke DENSON.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Russell SAUNDERS, 2. Danny HEFFERNAN, 3. Matt DOUGHTY, 4. James SMITH, 5. Greg YOUNG, 6. Eddie STAMFORD, 7. Ben MUIRHEAD, 8. Aaron CHALMERS, 9. Colin LITTLE, 10. Chris SENIOR, 11. Matty CROWELL. Subs: 12. David OWENS, 14. Paul McMANUS, 15. Robbie WILLIAMS

Right: Paul McManus.

Altrincham started the brighter and in the first minute, Muirhead, playing on the left wing, forced a save from Astbury. The first corner arrived in the seventh minute, won by the pace of Muirhead and, from this, Greg Young's header was cleared by a defender in the goalmouth. Next, Stamford lashed a fierce left-footed shot into the side netting from right of goal (9 mins).

However, Bay then came close to scoring, after they had won a corner from a cross whch was deflected onto the roof of Saunders's net. The threat came when Hopley got the better of Young and forced a fine save from Saunders which the keeper parried away. Smith covered smartly to prevent Rigoglioso getting the loose ball before Saunders gained possession. Chalmers had a shot saved before Muirhead won another corner as Alty held the upper hand in the opening stages (18 mins). Hopley then tested Doughty as the home side refused to be overawed by the Conference side, but the striker's cross from the right was struck far too hard to find a team-mate (21 mins).

After Davey had headed an effort over the bar for Bay, the home side won a corner, following which Saunders had to do well to block an effort with his legs (26 mins). Saunders then survived a strong appeal by the crowd for handling outside his box but, as the half hour passed, Altrincham had created little in the way of goalscoring opportunities. However, two corners followed (34 and 38 mins), in between which a fierce volley from Senior was beaten out by the Bay keeper.

But Saunders had to make an equally good save at the other end, parrying away a shot from Hopley as the home side continued to carve out the clearer chances. Saunders made an even better stop in the 41st minute when he denied Kelly after a neat build up from the Welsh side. But then, in the dying seconds of the first 45 minutes and out of nothing, a pinpoint cross from left-centre by Crowell was well converted by Colin Little's flicked, looping header into the far corner of the net. Though the tannoy credited the goal to Senior, Colin afterwards told Graham Rowley that it had been his own "brilliant glancing header" which had opened the scoring!

There were no Alty changes at the break but Bay replaced Rigoglioso by McGill up front. Chalmers then played a fine one-two with Senior, to his right, but the midfielder was not quite able to get on the end of Senior's cross from the right at the back post (49 mins). Bay now brought on Sheehan for Jebb, the latter one of several former Cammell Laird players in the Colwyn side. After 50 minutes Altrincham made a double change, bringing on Robbie Williams in central defence and Paul McManus up front on the left, to replace Heffernan and Stamford and going to 4-3-3. Heffernan had a sound game despite not playing in his normal role.

Colin Little made 2-0 in the 55th minute when he got free behind the defence and went on to slot the ball coolly past Astbury for his third goal of pre-season. Bay now brought on Sheridan for Davey and soon afterwards, Denson replaced defender Brandreth (59 mins). An Alty corner soon followed, from the left. The ball was worked from this to McManus who drove a low shot past the keeper from left of goal, making it 3-0 (61 mins).

Altrincham were now well in control and a feed from Chalmers gave Muirhead a chance from left of goal, His well-hit shot was beaten out by the keeper but Muirhead was able to tuck away the rebound, leaving the score at 4-0 with 66 minutes played. Immediately Muirhead was withdrawn and Owens, another trialist (ex-Wigan Athletic), replaced him (66 mins). Williams then did well at the back for Alty, seeing off a threat to goal with a back pass to Saunders. Saunders was soon in action again as a cross from the right struck the outside of his left post but the young keeper was well behind the ball had it crept inside the upright.

Each side had a corner in the next few minutes but from Colwyn Bay's flag-kick a goal resulted as McGill headed home (72 mins). With the score now 4-1 to the visitors, Danny Heffernan came back in to replace Smith in defence (73 mins).

Any thoughts of a home revival were extinguished when McManus again showed his clinical finishing skills. Following an advance on the left by Senior, he scored, though keeper Astbury had done well to beat out his initial effort from left of goal (80 mins). There was time for Stamford to come back on in place of Crowell (83 mins) and for Bay to go close to a goal when Jarrett's header was saved well by Saunders, following a corner (85 mins). But the game ended soon afterwards with a comfortable win for Altrincham who had improved markedly on an unexceptional first-half performance, thanks in no small way to excellent finishing from Little and McManus.