Match Report

REFEREE: Mr R M Clark

ATTENDANCE: 1,546 (310 in away end)

Altrincham were again reduced to just sixteen fit players with Chris Denham not fit to play today. There were two changes to the line-up as Brown and McAliskey dropped to the bench allowing Colin Little to start in his last game for the club, and Peter Doran returned to midfield. Greg Young was captain, which may have had something to do with regular skipper Robbie Lawton having to arrive late at the ground due to his full-time job as a teacher meaning that he had a commitment in Nottingham before kick off. There are no such problems for full-time sides in this league!

BACKGROUND:

Cambridge started the game tenth and Alty were just two points behind in fourteenth despite a run of 16 games in which just two games had been won, culminating in the 4-1 defeat at Salisbury last Tuesday. The game was played on a warm and sunny afternoon, with plenty of children in attendance in response to an initiative allowing free entry for under 12s.

LINE-UPS

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. James SMITH, 12. Robbie WILLIAMS, 5. Greg YOUNG (capt), 6. Shaun DENSMORE,7. Robbie LAWTON, 16. Anthony DANYLYK, 21. Peter DORAN, 11. Nicky CLEE ; 19. Chris SENIOR, 9. Colin LITTLE, Subs: 27. Ryan BROWN, 18. Michael WELCH, 13. Russell SAUNDERS, 24. Adam CARDEN, 17. John McALISKEY

CAMBRIDGE UNITED (All yellow, with black sash on shirts): 30. Simon Brown, 2. Danny Gleeson, 3. Aiden Palmer, 5. Brian Saah, 4. Joshua Coulson, 10. Daniel Crow, 12. Rory McAuley, 15. Paul Carden (capt), 17. Simon Russell, 18. Scott Neilson, 27. Lee Phillips Subs: 1. Danny Potter, 14. Jai Reason, 22. Adam Marriott, 29. Calum Willock, 11. Robbie Wilmott

For Colin Little's final game for the Robins, Altrincham hoped to finish on a high note after a heavy defeat at Salisbury.Tuesday had been the low point of a difficult run-in which had seen the weary, depleted squad manage just two wins in their last sixteen games.

Cambridge won a corner within 17 seconds of kicking off towards the away end. But Alty then almost got in as Senior was just beaten to a pass from Colin Little (2 mins). Densmore then won Alty's first corner (4 mins) as the game started evenly. After just eight minutes the game's third corner arrived, for Cambridge, as Young cleared his lines. We then saw a flash of what made Colin Little such a fine striker when he perfectly executed a volley from 25 yards but saw Brown save it (9 mins).

Play continued fairly evenly past the quarter of an hour mark with no real chances at either end. Graham Heathcote demanded that his side "Step it up" but the visitors soon won another corner through Neilson. Cambridge then did well on the left with a cross from the left by-line giving Phillips a header which went wide (19 mins).

Lawton then needed treatment for a facial injury at which point the other players took a drinks break in the warm conditions (21 mins). The game was a bit lacklustre as it approached the half-hour mark but then Cambridge conceded a penalty. After a foul by Saah on Little, Densmore’s freekick from 35 yards, right of centre, drifted beyond the back post where Young stopped it going out of play on the by-line only for Saah to fell his opposite number in a position of little danger to Cambridge. It was as clear a penalty as you will see but, nevertheless, Gleeson talked himself into the book for protesting. After the delay for the booking, it was Colin Little who was given the chance to mark his departure with a goal from the spot. But Alty's leading scorer in the past five seasons hit his penalty to the left of Brown, at a comfortable height and the keeper saved it comfortably (29 mins).

After a few minutes of Cambridge enjoying more possession, Senior won Alty a corner which Brown punched clear from Clee’s kick (35 mins). Little then again showed some good skill lobbing Brown to put the ball in the net but he was given offside. A neat Cambridge move then forced a save by Coburn from Crow (38 mins), following which Senior threatened at the other end. Saah then did well to concede a corner to Alty but Clee overhit this flag kick (41 mins). Alty's defence got in a bit of a mix up but escaped any punishment as the game neared the end of the first 45 minutes and despite playing almost two added minutes, the game remained goalless at the break.

Alty kicked off the second half attacking the away end and created an early chance when Clee beat Neilson and found Senior who, in trying to create some space inside the box, was closed down (46 mins), Graham Heathcote was urging his men to show "A bit more urgency about the game" as play drifted on. Alty were having the better of things, however, as Densmore saw two shots blocked. A minute later Clee again advanced on the left and though Little sliced his effort it came to Doran to the right of goal With a clear sight of goal. Doran sliced it very wide (52 mins).

Alty continued to have the better of the game as Little won the ball near half way and advanced but he shot wide (55 mins). Cambridge got back into the game with a corner. From Russell's kick, Gleeson headed over at which point Altrincham brought on Adam Carden to face his brother, Cambridge's Paul. The player replaced was Danylyk (57 mins).

Alty soon won themselves a corner which came to nothing and then Cambridge brought on Willmott for his first game after injury, to replace Neilson (62 mins). Senior now had a shot saved from a Little feed as the home side continued to set the pace in the second half.

Just after a Cambridge corner, Phillips was replaced by Marriott up front for the visitors (68 mins). This prompted an improvement in the visitors' play. Smith got himself booked when the referee overruled the lineman to give the visitors a corner (68 mins). Altrincham continued to create half chances but failed to take them as Senior was put clear by Smith and saw Brown do well to beat out his shot. But Senior put the rebound well over the bar (70 mins).

Jai Reason now came on for Cambridge's McAuley (73 mins). Then, against the run of play United took the lead as a Smith clearance seemed to hit Densmore and fall for Cambridge. Marriott showed Alty how to finish to give his side a 1-0 lead (75 mins). The goal lifted the visitors and it took a quite superb one-handed save, low to his left, by Coburn to stop a Crow shot a minute or two after the goal.

A Doran surge helped to relieve the pressure but a minute or two later the young midfielder was guilty of missing a good chance when he sliced wide from right of goal following a good clearance by Williams (81 mins). Welch now came on as replacement for Lawton (81 mins). Immediately Welch did well to block a Cambridge shot, at the cost of a corner.

Williams was now pushed up front for Alty before Colin Little left the game and completed his Alty career, being subbed by John McAliskey (87 mins). Little left the pitch to deserved and prolonged applause for his great service to Altrincham. Cambridge pressed forward again and in the third minute of added time they got a second goal when Marriott again showed his class with a good finish

The score was flattering to Cambridge but underlined that the difference between the sides was that Cambridge converted their chances and Altrincham did not, a fact underlined by the Robins scoring just one goal in the last eight hours of this season. But despite finishing bottom of the form guide over the last six games of the season, Altrincham had a very successful season, achieving safety several weeks before the end of the season despite competing against well resourced full time teams with their own small part-time squad, which was seriously depleted by three season-ending injuries to key players in each department of the team - defender Matt Doughty, midfielder Tom Kearney and striker Dale Johnson. It was good to see all of them at this match and, hopefully, all will return next season to lift Alty to greater heights.

And, finally, Colin Little departs Moss Lane with a superb Alty career of 114 goals in 245+33 appearances, and the record of being top scorer for each of the past five seasons, a mantle now taken over by Chris Senior whose 17 goals in league and cup this season is itself a commendable achievement