Match Report

REFEREE: Mr McLaughlin (Bedfordshire)

ATTENDANCE: 1,341 (43 in away end plus at least 12 in Main Stand)

Alty lost their best player this season, James Smith, before kick off when he tweaked a hamstring in training.

BACKGROUND:

Mike Garnett's records tell us that the clubs had met 11 times previously, six times at Moss Lane and five times in Sussex. Alty have won just once, which was at Crawley, when Warren Peyton's goal secured a 1-0 win in September 2007.

LINE-UPS

CRAWLEY TOWN (Red and white) 1. Michel Kuipers, 22. Pablo Mills, 6. Daniel Hall, 23.Dean Howell, 15. Dannie Bulman, 11. Steven Masterton, 26. Scott Neilsen, 16. Glenn Wilson, 8. Sérgio Torres, 9. Matt Tubbs, 18. Jamie Cook, Subs: 7. Ben Smith 3. Sam Rents, 14. Craig McAllister, 29. Richard Brodie, 12. Nick Jordan,

ALTRINCHAM (All white): 1. Stuart COBURN, 27. Andrew MILNE, 4. Marc JOSEPH, 5. Robbie WILLIAMS, 15. Ryan BROWN, 6. Shaun DENSMORE, 25. Matt SOMNER, 7. Robbie LAWTON (capt), 17. Wes BAYNES, 9. Michael TWISS, 10. Chris DENHAM, Subs: 11. Nicky CLEE, 21. James COATES, 8. Damian REEVES, 20. Sam HEWSON, 16. Anthony DANYLYK

Altrincham arrived from a sunny Cheshire to dismal, overcast conditions in Sussex; and by the end the weather matched the visitors' mood.

Altrincham kicked off but six seconds later had hoofed the ball into touch to concede possession. After 25 seconds Williams conceded the game's first freekick. And it got no better as Crawley got behind Brown on the Alty left. As Alty attempted to clear the ball, it came out to a Crawley player whose strong shot hit Lawton's arm and Mr McLaughlin pointed to the spot. Lawton would have been hard pressed to get out of the way of the ball which was deflected onto him. Tubbs converted the penalty confortably (2 mins). It was hardly the start a bottom of the table Alty needed against big spending title aspirants and, to make it worse, Lawton got booked after the kick for his protestations.

Crawley were all over Alty in the early stages with the pace of Howell up the left a threat, along with the mobility of Torres. Crawley's second goal arrived in the 8th minute when Torres got the better of Milne and his cross allowed Neilson, unmarked, in the centre of the goalmouth, a well directed corner into the Altrincham net.

From a Howell cross in the 13th minute, Tubbs fluffed a good chance, scooping his shot badly wide from 10 yards. The whistle-happy ref then booked Densmore, who had been pulled up for alleged foot-up and responded by simulating how he believed his opponents had ducked towards the ball (14 mins).

Tubbs's tumble in the box failed to produce a third penalty as Crawley continued to impress and dominate the match. Tubbs almost got on the end of a cross. It was not until the 20th minute that Alty posed any threat at all and even then Denham, advancing into the box, was seen off comfortably.

Otherwise, Alty remained under the cosh, despite moving Milne to the centre and pulling back Densmore to supplement the back line. The visitors did now settle a bit but it took a last ditch block from Williams to stop a shot after Densmore's clearance had gone to Masterton (32 mins).

The pressure was converted into the third goal in the 35th minute after a Somner tackle gave Crawley a freekick just outside the front of the box. The Alty midfielder was also booked. Howell blasted the freekick, which Coburn did well to beat out but Tubbs was on hand to convert the loose ball into a goal (35 mins).

Brown became Alty's fourth cautioned player a minute later. In the 38th minute Mr McLaughlin again awarded a penalty when another Crawley shot was driven in and struck Somner's hand. As this was construed as deliberate handball, the on-loan midfielder should arguably have seen a second yellow. Tubbs again converted the spot kick with ease.

After a surprisingly long three added minutes half time arrived with Alty 4-0 down in goals but 4-0 up in cautions on a foul count which the BBC measured as 8-8. A steward prevented Ken McKenna from talking to the referee as he came off, even though the Alty manager was calmly standing on the touchline. Referee McLaughlin has had his moments with Alty before as he oversaw Alty's defeat by Torquay a couple of years ago when he awarded a contentious penalty against Stuart Coburn and also allowed a goal to stand after the ball appeared to have been kicked out of the keeper's hands.

There was no doubt, however, that Crawley had totally outplayed Alty in the first half.

Alty made a positive double swap at the interval as forwards Nicky Clee and top scorer Damian Reeves came on for Twiss and Baynes, both of whom had been rendered peripheral in the first half by Crawley's domination of possession. But the change had an impact as Alty enjoyed a spell in which they might have scored three times. The best of these chances came when Alty got a penalty; it was not awarded as Williams was being held in the box but as the ball moved on, Reeves was brought down and the referee did now point to the spot.

Shaun Densmore struck the kick too close to Kuipers who beat the ball out. Following up, Clee was only able to steer the loose ball over the bar of the vacant goal (50 mins). There are times when you know it is not your afternoon and this was one of those occasions for Altrincham.

This mood was underlined when Denham fed Reeves but he dragged his shot wide (53 mins). Crawley underlined the depth of their squad when Richard Brodie, their six-figure signing from York, came on as a substitute in the 57th minute, replacing Matt Tubbs. Almost immediately Brodie was on the deck, holding his head and writhing as if Marc Joseph had done him some serious mischief. After a referee-linesman consultation no foul was given and the by-now remarkably recovered striker was lectured along with the Alty defender.

Next, Torres was booked for a foul on Milne (63 mins). Crawley then survived an apparent back pass which Kuipers picked up before Hewson replaced Lawton, after which McAllister came on for Crawley. Then, for the second time Brodie was writhing on the deck but, again, no foul was given and there was no card for simulation.

Altrincham were still competing much better than they had in the first half. But it then needed a great save by Coburn from a deflected corner to keep out Crawley, who always looked dangerous when going forward. Play then stopped for lengthy treatment to Denham who had hurt his arm making a challenge in the Crawley half. He finally came back on after more treatment off the pitch.

Crawley continued to threaten as Brodie lashed a fierce shot from the left off the post (82 mins). Crawley made a change in the 86th minute as Rents replaced Neilson. Hall was then booked for a foul on Reeves but Hewson drove the resulting freekick into the wall (87 mins). Play switched to the other end as Howell fed Brodie and from the left by-line he laid the ball into the path of Torres who slid the ball home, as he arrived just before Clee got to it.

Four added minutes were announced. In the first of these Brodie made it 6-0 when a corner from the left was nodded back from the back post by Hall to the striker. Goal number seven arrived when Brodie got the ball in the box, dribbled past a couple of challenges and rolled the ball into the empty net (90+3 mins). Then to crown the afternoon, Clee was booked for a foul on Brodie (90+4 mins).

Altrincham were a well beaten side and, on this showing, Crawley were by some distance the best of the top three sides who have been Alty's last three opponents. But the referee's two first-half penalty decisions gave Alty an enormous hill to climb when even a level playing field would have been difficult for Altrincham against such quality opposition. Eight penalties have now been awarded against Altrincham this season.