Match Report

REFEREE: Mr Richard Clark

ATTENDANCE: 2,095, 110 in away end

Lawton and Doughty were joined on the injured list by Denham and Clee but the latter two should be OK for Monday's game. Danylyk and Densmore returned from injury whilst Crowell's long-delayed international clearance had finally arrived and this allowed him to make his first start.

BACKGROUND:

Neither side had won a game this season before today's clash; indeed, Alty started the game bottom of the table. They wore their new all-white away kit for the first time. Ex-Alty defender Greg Young was on the bench for York.

LINE-UPS

YORK CITY (Red and blue): 24. Michael Ingham, 6. Daniel Parslow, 5. David McGurk, 12. Djoumin Sangare, 3.James Meredith, 7. Alex Lawless, 14. Neil Barrett, 8. Peter Till, 11. Chris Carruthers, 9. Michael Gash, 16. Richard Brodie, Subs: 15. Michael Rankine, 22. David McDermott, 2. Duane Courtney, 4. Jonathan Smith, 18. Greg Young.

ALTRINCHAM (All white): 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. James SMITH, 5. Robbie WILLIAMS, 22. Michael WELCH, 4. Marc JOSEPH, 15. Ryan BROWN, 6. Shaun DENSMORE, 16. Anthony DANYLYK, 18. Matty CROWELL, 8. Damian REEVES, 12. Kevin HOLSGROVE, Subs: 21. James COATES, 17. Tom McCREADY, 19. Danny HOLMES, 9. Michael TWISS, 14. Dale JOHNSON.

A short shower fell just as the game got under way but most of the match was played in fairly bright but breezy conditions. After the two goalkeeper-captains had conducted the toss-up, York kicked off attacking the away end. Alty went close in the opening minutes when a superb effort, from all of 50 yards by Matty Crowell, forced Ingham to back-pedal anxiously before flapping the ball away. Then a Joseph long throw led to Reeves's shot being diverted towards goal by Williams's head but Ingham saved the effort. An even better header from Williams, soon afterwards, from a Welch freekick was also held by the busy York keeper. So Alty had had three efforts on target inside the opening eight minutes.

With Welch giving as good as he got against Brodie, the home crowd was fairly quiet. But the Minstermen began to get the upper hand as the 15 minute mark passed. Till, on the right, was giving Brown a difficult time but when his cross gave Brodie a chance, the big Geordie sliced his shot badly off target (16 mins).

York won their first corner after 19 minutes which Danylyk did well to glance clear with his head. York continued to go forward without creating any serious threat as Alty worked hard at the back to contain them. Play stopped when Holsgrove was involved in an off the ball incident but a lecture sufficed for the referee (25 mins). Densmore, too, got a talking to, from Mr Clark after play had resumed (27 mins). York pressed again and Till again was the threat but his cross was headed out for a corner by Joseph (29 mins).

The linesman's flag was already raised well before York put the ball in the net moments later but it soon took a fine tackle from Densmore to stop another York probe. Holsgrove then rode his luck, having already been spoken to, he needlessly upended an opponent as the York man shepherded the ball out of play. Again the ref decided a lecture was sufficient punishment (34 mins).

A bad miscue by Meredith gave Alty some relief as it went out for a corner. This was half cleared but the threat ended when Holsgrove fired over the bar. Following a throw, Alty put together a good move which ended with a firm low shot from Brown which Ingham held, low to his left (38 mins). Holsgrove then headed a Brown cross wide as Alty enjoyed a decent spell.

Stuart Coburn was fortunate when he let a York freekick from their left go past him and saw it come back off the angle of cross bar and upright at the back post (40 mins). More good work from Till now gave Brodie another chance but the out of sorts forward again sliced badly wide. As the 45 minutes ended, Alty won a corner and Williams’s header from Densmore's kick led to a penalty appeal for hands which wend unrewarded.

In the added minute of time at the end of the half, Smith did well to clear a melee in the Alty box.

After Alty had kicked off, Reeves had an early shot deflected to Ingham (46 mins). Soon, Coburn had to be out smartly to clear from Brodie before a fine long range effort from Sangare went narrowly wide of the post (51 mins). An excellent piece of covering by Joseph gave York a corner but Alty were not too seriously threatened before York made their first change. Former Alty trialist Michael Rankine replaced Carruthers (58 mins).

Almost immediately Rankine forced Coburn into action. Next, Brodie was off target with another shot before Alty brought on Johnson for Reeves up front (63 mins). Like Rankine, he almost had an immediate impact as he nearly fed Holsgrove inside the box. Brodie's unhappy afternoon continued as he was booked following a clash with Crowell from which the big forward emerged holding his head (67 mins).

When Dale Johnson lost possession just inside the York half, York advanced on the right through Rankine. He exchanged passes with Gash before lashing an impressive shot from the edge of the box past Coburn to give York the lead (71 mins). From the restart Alty won a corner. But the game was decided three minutes later when a ball drifted across the Alty box from the right. Joseph attempted to shepherd it out of play but Brodie challenged for it. The Alty defender needlessly made contact with the striker who went down on the by-line well left of goal. A penalty was the outcome, which Brodie himself drove past Coburn to make it 2-0 (75 mins).

Twiss now made his Alty debut, replacing Welch in an attacking change of formation, at which point Densmore was also booked for dissent (76 mins). Coburn soon had to be alert in dealing with a back pass by heading the ball before clearing with his feet. After 81 minutes McCready came on for Alty, replacing Danylyk. After this, an impressive surge up the middle by Lawless threatened Alty but a goalkick resulted.

Till had had a much quieter second half for York, and he was now replaced by Smith (82 mins). There was then bit of a skirmish between Johnson and the York player who had dragged him bodily off his feet but again no cards were produced by the patient Mr Clark. A fine block by Williams gave York a late corner (89 mins).

At the other end Twiss seemed to be obstructed but play continued with 3 added minutes being announced. In the last of these Gash fed Rankine, who turned well and, from left-centre, drove a shot past Coburn from the edge of the box, the ball going into the net just inside the keeper's right hand post (90+3 mins). There was just time for Alty to restart the game before the final whistle sounded. York deserved their win but having been held for 71 minutes, the 3-0 margin was harsh on Altrincham. Indeed, the ESPN match statistics show that Altrincham forced 10 saves from Ingham and had eight shots on target - one more than York acheived at the other end.

But, apart from the opening few minutes, Altrincham rarely looked like scoring and with injuries preventing the side from becoming a settled one, the Robins face a continuation of their difficult start to the campaign.