Match Report

REFEREE: Mr R Jones

ATTENDANCE: 250

Chris Senior returned after his ban but both Tom Kearney and James Smith were out, suspended. However, Chris Denham returned from injury. In his original plans, Graham Heathcote was set to give first starts of the season to Russell Saunders, Andrew Pearson and Michael Welch as well as allowing Antonio Bryan a second start for the club. But the former Manchester United man declared himself unavailable at lunchtime on matchday whilst Saunders, who has patiently understudied Stuart Coburn all season, injured his groin in the warm up and had to drop out.

Witton had Clegg in goal despite his having suffered a head injury in Witton's last match. Amongst the familiar faces in their side were the experienced Carl Ruffer and former Droylsden and Manchester City man, Jamie Tandy.

BACKGROUND:

Altrincham had not played for ten days and were on a run of four successive defeats, a sequence not helped by four recent suspensions and the injuries to Dale Johnson and Chris Denham. The game was played in drizzly, cool conditions but the pitch had stood up well to the recent sequence of wet weather.

LINE-UPS

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Stuart COBURN, 21. Andrew PEARSON, 18. Michael WELCH, 5. Greg YOUNG, 3. Matt DOUGHTY, 10. Chris DENHAM, 16. Anthony DANYLYK, 7. Robbie LAWTON, 11. Nicky CLEE, 9. Colin LITTLE, 19. Chris SENIOR. Subs: 13. Russell SAUNDERS, 12. Robbie WILLIAMS, 6. Shaun DENSMORE, 25. Aaron BURNS, 20. John BENNETT.

WITTON ALBION (All yellow): 1. Joe CLEGG, 2. Paul BOOTH, 3. Lee NEVILLE, 4. Stuart RUDD (capt), 5. Carl RUFFER, 6. Paul HENRY, 7. Jamie TANDY, 8. Ryan BROADHEAD, 9. John McALISKEY, 10. Peter HELER. 11. Brad MAYLETT. Subs: 12. Steve FOSTER, 14. Mike MOSELEY, 15. Brian PRITCHARD.

Witton got in the first shot of the night as Maylett forced a decent save from Coburn after a good feed from Heler to the right of centre (2 mins). The referee allowed two wild tackles to go without cautions; firstly Welch scythed down McAliskey from behind (10 mins) before a similar challenge by Witton on Doughty. Alty had won the game's first corner when Danylyk’s 30-yard shot was deflected out of play (12 mins). But, in truth, there was nothing much to get excited about in the opening stages of the match.

After Coburn had again had to save smartly, this time from McAliskey, a neat lay off from McAliskey then allowed Maylett a shot, which went wide, when the former Swansea City man should have hit the target(20 mins). Witton continued to have the better of the game as Alty's unaccustomed line-up struggled to string passes together. Two Witton corners now came in as many minutes. The first came when Pearson headed out Maylett's cross and from the corner Maylett was left unmarked and it took a block by Welch to stop his shot, at the cost of the second flag-kick (23 mins).

On the half hour, Denham forced a save from Clegg, low down, before Colin Little hit the side netting with an effort from right of goal, a minute later. Alty were now improving a bit and won a corner off a sliced clearance. After this, another Denham shot, to the near post, was stopped by Clegg but the ball ran loose for Senior to hook into the net to give Alty a lead which they scarcely deserved (36 mins). But the goal lifted the Robins and from a Denham cross Little soon got in a header but it went over the bar. Next, Young headed wide before a magnificent volley from Denham, the pick of Alty's players, was stopped by Clegg (39 mins).

Denham then got in another shot before a poor kick by Coburn led to Witton putting the ball into the Alty net but the effort was ruled out for offside (43 mins). Next, Clee did well on the right and from his cross another excellent volley from Denham was goal-bound till Clegg did well to tip it over the bar (45 mins). The resulting corner was unproductive so half-time arrived with Altrincham 1-0 ahead and with their form improving, they looked set to build on their lead in the second period.

Witton came out early for the second half but, just before the game was scheduled to resume, the floodlights on the Carole Nash stand side of the ground went out. A year ago, the then newly installed lights had failed a couple of times and expensive remedial work to the electricity supply had been carried out. This time the fault appeared to be traced to a faulty bulb which tripped the power supply. After four failed attempts to get the lights back on, success came with the fifth, with the offending bulb isolated.

The twenty-minute delay to the start of the second half seemed to disrupt Alty more than the visitors who took just four minutes to score an equalizer. However, before that, Alty had won an early corner from which a Denham shot was spilt but regathered by Clegg. Witton's goal came when Danylyk seemed to be bundled off the ball in midfield and Witton played it forward to Heler, who advanced on the exposed Coburn to score.

Pearson then made a fine 30-yard run upfield before a Senior shot went narrowly wide. Clee was then withdrawn as Burns came on for Altrincham (53 mins). Three of the next four corners went to Witton as Altrincham continued to give away possession. One of the Witton corners arose when McAliskey was deemed to have beaten the offside trap and Coburn had to produce a fine save to keep out his shot (64 mins). Heler then had a great chance for Witton as he, too, got behind the Alty defence but he lifted his shot over the advancing keeper and the bar (65 mins).

Alty attempted to shake things up as Densmore replaced Denham (66 mins) and Williams came on for Welch a minute later. Burns then saw a shot deflected for a corner before Coburn rushed out at the other end to the far touchline. There, he almost lost possession but Witton could not capitalise. An Alty corner came and went but Witton were still playing the more polished football as the game went into the final quarter of an hour.

It appeared to be all over for Alty, eight minutes from time when Williams’s rash challenge on Maylett, left of goal, gave the Albion a penalty. But Tandy's spot kick was well saved by Coburn, his third penalty stop this season, the previous two being against Crawley and Oxford (83 mins). Altrincham then almost snatched the tie when, from Densmore’s pass, Little saw his shot cleared off the line by Neville with Alty appealing that the ball had crossed the line (84 mins).

As the game approached added time, a Tandy cross went across the Alty goalmouth. With the game entering the fourth added minute, the visitors won the match when they got behind the Alty defence and though Coburn beat out the first attempt from McAliskey, Heler converted the rebound from close range to put Witton into Round Two.

And so, Alty's disappointing run continued; they have now lost their last five matches in league and cup. Admittedly tonight they had given starts to several players who were either recovering from injury or from a lack of recent action, but they could have no complaints about the outcome against a Witton team who demonstrated why they are doing well this season in the UniBond League.