Match Report

REFEREE: Mr Nick Kinseley

ATTENDANCE: 274

Altrincham made one, enforced, change to their starting eleven with the injured James Smith replaced by Ryan Brown. Alty adopted a 4-2-3-1 formation with Twiss the lone striker.

BACKGROUND:

Mike Garnett's statistics reveal that Alty had played Hayes and Yeading twice previously, last season, winning 3-2 at Moss Lane and 2-1 at Church Road.

Before that, Alty met Hayes in the Conference four times - with Alty not winning any of the games. They did draw 1-1 at Church Road in 1999-2000 but lost all the other encounters. They were a 3-1 defeat at Hayes in 1996/97 and a 0-2 and 1-2 at Moss Lane in 1996/97 and 1999/2000 respectively.

LINE-UPS

HAYES & YEADING UNITED (Red & black) 1. Lee Harrison, 23. Lee Brown, 4. Tom Cadmore, 6. Adam Bygrave, 14. Jamie Hand, 2. Lewis Ferrell, 8. Peter Holmes (capt), 15. Bradley Pritchard, 17. Andy Yiadom, 9. Michael Malcolm, 25. Jake Hyde, Subs: 11. Ahmed Deen, 1. Daryl McLean, 21. Niki-Lee Bulmer, 22. Charlie Wassmer, 33. Nathan Webb

ALTRINCHAM (All White): 1. Stuart COBURN (capt), 5. Robbie WILLIAMS, 4. Marc JOSEPH, 6. Shaun DENSMORE, 25. Matt SOMNER, 20. Sam HEWSON, 27. Andrew MILNE, 15. Ryan BROWN, 11. Nicky CLEE, 17. Wes BAYNES, 9. Michael TWISS, Subs: 21. James COATES, 7. Robbie LAWTON, 8. Damian REEVES, 22. Michael WELCH. 16. Anthony DANYLYK.

Rain started to fall heavily just before Alty kicked off the game and, indeed, much of the first half was played in a mixture of rain and sunshine. The early period was littered with misplaced passes as the two sets of supporters tried to lift the quiet atmosphere engendered by a gate of just 274 with their respective vocal support.

The first real chance fell to the visitors and arrived when Twiss did well and found Baynes's head with a chip from the left, but the on-loan Wrexham man mustered a weak header which went disappointingly wide (11 mins). Baynes soon did much better with a freekick from the right which Somner headed, from outside the box, the ball having to be cleared off the line by Yiadom, amidst some claims for handball (12 mins).

At the other end, Lee Brown wasted a decent opening with a poor cross. The first corner of the game arrived in the 18th minute, for Hayes, after Williams had had to put the ball out of play. When a Yiadom shot was deflected soon afterwards, a second Hayes corner arrived. The homes side then went close with Malcolm firing just past the post into the side netting, though Coburn had the effort covered (21 mins).

After the ref had given Hayes a freekick, Baynes got himself unnecessarily booked by booting the ball away (24 mins). Clee looked Alty's greatest threat, on the left, but his good work was being undone by poor final balls. When Baynes was felled,he himself drove the resulting freekick wide from Joseph's lay-off (34 mins). Coburn then had to make a good save but needed Milne to clear after he was unable to hold the ball (35 mins).

Next, Joseph needed treatment after making an important block before Alty again went close. This chance again arose from a Baynes/Somner combination as the Wrexham loanee's freekick, which he had won himself, again found the Mansfield loanee's head. This time Somner's header landed on the roof of the net (41 mins).

In the two added minutes at the end of the half Alty survived a strong penalty appeal when Malcolm appeared to be tripped as he aimed to take advantage of defensive indecision, but the ball ran to Coburn. Half time arrived with the game goalless. Somner's two headers had been the closest to an Alty goal whilst, at the other end, Coburn had only been forced to make one serious save.

Hayes kicked off and won the half's first corner five minutes later. Alty responded with one of their own, which led to two more for the visitors in quick succession. The first of the trio, well taken by Baynes, led to another Hayes clearance off the line. After this, Robbie Lawton came on to replace Hewson, with the club captain assuming a more advanced position than his normal central midfield role (57 mins).

Hand's 25 yarder went straight to Coburn but, just after this, Altrincham had to make an unplanned change when Williams, Alty's only ever-present this season, went down injured and could not continue. Rather than a like for like replacement in the form of Welch, Ken McKenna sent on midfielder Anthony Danylyk to replace his stricken centre-back. This prompted Densmore to move back and Milne to move to central defensive duties (59 mins).

The game then went into a niggly phase as Densmore was booked for a foul and protested about it. Then Lawton was kicked by Yiadom in midfield and this prompted a brief melee involving a dozen or more players (61 mins). In the aftermath, Yiadom was booked. Brown then had to make a superb tackle to stop Yiadom as he shot at goal before Alty threatened as Lawton gained ground up the left but delivered a disappointing cross.

Clee then got to the by-line left of goal and his cross just needed a tap in but no team-mate was in the goalmouth. Alty were clearly getting the upper hand (65 mins). In fact, they now won five corners in succession but could not make any of them tell.

McLean now made his home debut for Hayes in place of the booked Yiadom and, at the same time, Reeves replaced Twiss (71 mins). After a brief respite for Hayes, during which Hand shot narrowly wide after getting the better of Joseph, Alty won two more corners, with another goal-line clearance needed to stop a goal after the second flag kick (74 mins).

Alty continued to dominate but Baynes then drove a freekick comfortably wide. Soon afterwards, Densmore was tripped as he surged over the half way line but, three minutes later, another Hayes trip, this time in the box, cost them a penalty. It came when Clee got into the left of the penalty area and was brought down by Bygrave (80 mins). Densmore's penalty only just beat the diving goalkeeper, Harrison, to give Altrincham a desreved lead (81 mins).

Hayes now went forward in search of an equalizer and gained two corners which were unproductive (85 mins). Alty successfully played out the next few minutes and might have doubled their lead on the counter attack when Reeves was put through but he screwed his shot well wide (90+1 mins). Alty succcessfully kept the ball at the Hayes end and won two late corners, which they used to wind down the clock.

The whistle finally arrived to record Alty's first away win of the season, indeed their first away win since last January. Though still bottom, they have now lost just one league game in the last seven and got themselves back to a position from which they can now catch teams above them.

This was a thoroughly deserved win, after Alty had had much the better of the second half.