Match Report

REFEREE: Mr S.M. Stockbridge

ATTENDANCE: 752 (70 in away end)

Carl Piergianni returned after suspension but James Smith remained banned. Chris Denham awaits an operation so was unavailable and Shaun Densmore had also been sidelined for several weeks by injury. But new loan signing from Fleetwood, Steve Connors, started, and Mark Beesley replaced Michael Twiss up front. Sam Hewson was injured so not in the squad.

The Popies were without long-term injured player Moses Ashikodi and Iyseden Christie, whilst recent signing Adam Cunnington was suspended. Danny Mills and Pat Noubissie came in to the starting eleven.

BACKGROUND:

Alty have a good record against Kettering at Moss Lane, with the visitors having won only three times in 27 visits. Mike Garnett's records show the following record against the Poppies:

LINE-UPS

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white stripes, black shorts, red socks): 30. Craig DOOTSON, 5. Robbie WILLIAMS, 4. Marc JOSEPH, 26. Carl PIERGIANNNI, 22. Greg YOUNG, 7. Robbie LAWTON (capt), 18. Steven CONNORS, 28. Sam WEDGBURY, 8. Damian REEVES, 11. Nicky CLEE, 19. Mark BEESLEY, Subs; 1. Stuart COBURN, 17. Wes BAYNES, 16. Anthony DANYLYK, 15. Ryan BROWN, 9. Michael TWISS,

KETTERING TOWN (Blue and yellow): 1. Willy Gueret, 5. Ian Roper, 12. Luke O'Neill, 19. Brett Solkhon, 3. Sol Davis, 23. Patrick Noubissie, 22. Nick McKoy, 11. Marcus Kelly, 18. Danny Mills, 10. Jean-Paul Marna, 15. Callum Wilson, Subs: 9. Paul Furlong, 17. Jon Challinor, 16. Jorrin John, 29. Romone McCrae, 8. Liam Macdonald.

REPORT

On a dull afternoon Kettering kicked off towards their 70 fans in the away end, but it was Alty's debutant, Connors, who was impressing early on as he beat two men before feeding Clee, who won the game's first corner (2 mins). Another Alty corner followed a couple of minutes later and then a long throw from Clee saw Wiliams win the ball but Kettering were awarded a freekick.

After just ten minutes, Kettering brought on Macrae for O'Neill, who was later declared to have been unwell. As Alty continued to enjoy the better of things, their first good chance came when a Clee cross from the left found Beesley unmarked but he failed to get his header on target but, moments later, following good work from Connors and Piergianni, Beesley's goalbound shot was deflected out by Roper's block for another Alty corner (16 mins).

Greg Young was then harshly booked for a sliding tackle near half way before Kettering's Kelly had to leave the field for treatment to a bleeding hand, though his wrist had been bandaged from before kick off. He resumed after treatment, wearing a "blood shirt". But before he got back on, Alty won a penalty when Connors and Clee got the ball to Piergianni who, as he entered the front of the opposition box, was clearly bowled over by McCrae. Reeves converted the penalty to give Alty the lead (22 mins).

Connors and Beesley then conspired to feed Reeves who was brilliantly dispossessed, as he seemed certain to score, by a fine tackle by McKoy (26 mins). Alty deserved their lead and things got worse for the Poppies as their defender, Roper, pulled up with a limp and signalled that he could not carry on. So, soon afterwards, Kettering has to deploy their second substitute as McDonald replaced Roper (30 mins).

The visitors now began to improve as Mills fired narrowly wide. But then they had Solkhon booked for diving in the box (35 mins). Altrincham almost scored again when a smart pass from Beesley set Reeves free but Gueret produced a fine save from close range as he came out to meet the attacker (37 mins).

But then Alty were rocked by two goals in three minutes from the visitors. The first came after a mistake by Joseph, a few yards outside the box, which allowed Marna to execute an impressive lob which left the stranded Dootson flat-footed (41 mins).

Alty almost responded in perfect fashion when Reeves fed Connors but, again, Gueret produced a fine block (42 mins). Alty were then stunned as, at one end, Wedgbury's advance was halted, only for the ball to be swept downfield by Noubissie to Wilson on the Kettering right. His cross was met brilliantly by Marna's first-time shot which again lobbed the Alty keeper to make it 2-1 to the Poppies.

For all their pressure, Alty were paying the price for not converting half-chances into goals, whilst Marna had given them a lesson in finishing. He had now hit five goals against Alty this season, having netted a hat-trick at Rockingham Road in late September in the 3-3 draw.

With the half deep into added time, Piergianni was booked for a foul (45+3 mins). So after dominating for half an hour, Alty went off at the interval, trailing 2-1.

Kettering started the second half the better but play was generally scrappy until Kettering's Wilson was booked for a foul. A Kettering corner soon followed, and soon afterwards, Alty were fortunate that Marna mishit a shot into the ground, which went wide (55 mins).

Marna now shot wide again after a goalbound Young header had been saved at the other end. But Alty were now labouring a little and a goalkick by Dootson straight into touch summed up Alty's faltering performance at this stage. On the hour mark, Wes Baynes replaced Marc Joseph before some fussy refereeing saw Mr Stockbridge oblige Alty to retake a throw-in. But when Baynes appeared to be flattened inside the box, the referee saw no offence (63 mins).

But in the 64th minute Alty equalised when, following a throw-in, Clee got to the by-line left of goal and laid the ball to Baynes, on the outer fringes of the box. He did well to drive a controlled low shot through a maze of legs into the net to make it 2-2. Reeves soon threatened inside the box but was eased off the ball by McKoy (65 mins). At the other end, Kelly then produced a good save from Dootson before Wedgbury broke impressively up the middle but put his shot well over the bar as he entered the box (67 mins).

Altrincham were now dominating and the visitors' keeper Gueret was reduced to blatant time-wasting, which the referee noted. After 75 minutes both sides made a change. Kettering brought on the veteran Furlong for Mills whilst Alty introduced Twiss in place of Beesley. Cheered on by their supporters, Alty continued to press forward, with Twiss nodding narrowly over from a Connors cross (77 mins).

Ketering then exerted some pressure as Alty had four attempts to clear an attack before relieving the pressure. With Gueret blatantly timewasting again, Alty continued to attack, but Baynes now shot wide (83 mins). Yet again Gueret took the Mickey as he dawdled over a goalkick. With the referee taking no action about this, Mr Stockbridge further irritated the home supporters when he decreed a foul throw against Clee.

Baynes now went close from a freekick as Alty continued to dominate but then the impressive Connors was injured and Danylyk was introduced (87 mins). Alty immediately won a corner and from Baynes's kick, the ball came back to him and from his cross, Young stooped to head home Alty's third goal at the near post, to the delight of the home support (88 mins).

With Piergianni announced as Man of the Match, the referee unbelievably booked Dootson for timewasting as he went to retrieve the ball - having studiously failed to punish the serial timewasting offender in the opposition goal. But Dootson had the final laugh when, after a Kettering player kindly placed the ball on the goalkick line for him a little later, the Alty keeper took the ball to the other side of the goal to take the kick.

Alty played out four added minutes without too many alarms to record a vital win which lifted them a place towards safety. Tuesday's clash with York City is a vital game in which to maintain the momentum. Carl Piergianni was named Man of the Match but also impressive was new loan midfielder, Steve Connors from Fleetwood Town, who gave an energetic display in midfield.