Match Report

REFEREE: Mr G Hart

ATTENDANCE: 652

Nicky Clee returned after suffering concussion at Harrogate in the second match of the season. Other changes saw loanee Jake Moult replace Paddy Lacey in midfield, and Ryan Brooke moved to the bench, allowing James Lawrie to partner Damian Reeves up front. Danny Mitchley and Sam Grimshaw were the two unlucky members of the squad to be excluded today.

Histon's two new loan signgings from Macclesfield started the game; Agombar and Yiadom Konadu. Nevertheless, they were only able to muster four players on the bench.

BACKGROUND:

Mike Garnett's statistics detail the previous encounters between Altrincham and today's opponents...

Altrincham started the game in 19th place having lost three of their first four games of the season. Histon had lost their opening brace, only to record two successive victories before their arrival at Moss Lane.

Alty were looking for first home win in eight league matches, a sequence stretching back to March against Stalybridge; and they had not kept a clean sheet since Bonfire Night in 2011.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red and white striped shirts, red shorts and socks) 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. Shaun DENSMORE (capt), 3. Matt DOUGHTY, 4.Carl RODGERS, 5. Gianluca HAVERN, 6. Danny HALL, 7. Duncan WATMORE, 8. Jake MOULT, 9. James LAWRIE, 10. Damian REEVES, 11. Nicky CLEE. Subs: 12. Scott LEATHER, 14. Patrick LACEY, 15. Ryan BROOKE, 16. Simon RICHMAN, 18. Adam REID (gk),

HISTON (All blue) 1. Joe MELLINGS, 2. Zak MILLS, 3. Harri HAWKINS, 4. James STEVENSON, 5. Danny FITZSIMONS, 6. Ian GAYLE, 7. Jack EADES, 8. Jay DOWIE, 9. Kaine SHEPPARD, 10. Charles YIADOM KONADU, 11. Harry AGOMBAR. Subs: 12. Grant ROBERTS, 14. Claudiu HOBAN, 15. George THOMSON, 16. Theo OLA. (Four subs only).

The game was kicked off by Histon, playing towards the small band of visiting supporters, in warm and bright sunshine.

After a couple of Clee throw-ins, the first meaningful action came when Lawrie curled a shot wide after an Altrincham counter attack, which had been started by Hall's good pass to Reeves who, in turn, fed the Northern Irishman for his shot.

In the 5th minute, Watmore won a corner on the right, woefully taken by Lawrie. But Alty had made a decent start before they allowed Histon's Sheppard to get free but he could only muster a weak shot to Coburn (6 mins). On his debut, Yiadom was looking useful for Histon whose right back, Mills, hobbled to the touchline to discuss his condition.

For Altrincham, Lawrie was looking to be enjoying his move back to a central striking position as he executed a good turn before hitting a fierce shot from 20 yards, which was held by the keeper. Histon responded when Eades won a corner.

Next, Clee fired over from 22 yards from a good Lawrie feed but at this stage neither defence had been carved open. The Alty crowd was beginning to get a little restless as their team’s build ups lacked sufficient pace or guile to cause the visitors any trouble.

With Clee now on corner-taking duties, his overhit kick was retrieved by Moult, who shot into the side netting when finding a team-mate might have been the better option. But, then, a superb long, diagonal pass from Moult set up Watmore for a threatening run.

At the other end, Alty stood off, allowing Yiadom a shot to win a corner off a deflection. From the corner, the ball came out to Dowie but the threat ended with his wild shot over bar. At this stage, the game was very low on quality. When Mills, who had seemed to be injured earlier, just sat down to get attention, referee Hart - probably the best official we have seen this season - made him go off, after which Roberts came on to replace him (26 mins).

As soon as play restarted, Watmore got to the by-line, right of goal, laid the ball back and Rodgers volleyed home impressively from the edge of the box to give Altrincham the deserved lead (27 mins). After this Alty initially allowed Histon to come at them for a few minutes before good play from Clee and Lawrie ended with an appeal for hands against Gayle in the Histon box. Next, goalkeeper Mellings produced a fine save from Moult's well-struck 25 yarder, before the ball was deflected out for a corner.

After this, Lawrie, Watmore, Moult and Densmore combined effectively but Reeves headed the final cross of the move wide. Nevertheless, Alty were on top before Moult, who was playing well, was fouled by Gayle, who was booked. More good work from Lawrie led to Watmore getting into the box but his progress was blocked off as the game was now one-way traffic towards Histon's goal. As the half neared its end, Clee's surge forward got the ball to Reeves but the striker uncharacteristically got the ball under his feet. However, a Histon defender almost poked the ball into his own net and was relieved to see a corner result. From this, Watmore fired over the bar and, soon, half-time arrived with Altrincham deservedly ahead but only by a single goal.

After just 16 seconds of the second half, Reeves won Alty a corner on their right. Following this, Clee advanced on goal and was fouled on the left edge of box. Lawrie's freekick from an acute angle, seemed to go through the keeper's hands into the net to make it 2-0 (47 mins).

Soon, Clee and Reeves fed Watmore, whose goalbound shot deflected off the keeper for a corner, after which Hall's cross was just too high for Reeves to direct his header at goal. There was now some desperate defending from Histon as Alty dominated proceedings. The pressure was maintained as a trademark Watmore run was finally halted in the Histon box.

More good play from Lawrie won a throw on the right, from which a fierce Densmore shot was fumbled out by Mellings at his near post for a corner. From this, a Hall header was headed off the Histon line. Next, Lawrie ran at goal but managed only a poor shot to the keeper, before Thomson came on for Histon (61 mins). When Roberts tripped Clee in full flight, the Histon substitute was booked. Another Histon sub now came on when Thomas replaced Dowie (63 mins).

From the freekick, the ball was briefly cleared but came back to Reeves, who recovered from a slip near the penalty spot to regain possession and score from close range, making it 3-0 (64 mins). Two minutes later it was 4-0 when Watmore picked up the ball 10 yards or so inside the Histon half and ran for goal, evading two fouls as he surged up the middle before laying the ball off to his right to Reeves, who scored with a rising shot from the edge of the box (66 mins).

The best shot by Histon this half, so far, was an effort miles off target by Hawkins as the game continued in a very one-sided fashion. Next, a Densmore shot cum cross from the right almost found the far top corner and then Clee's 35 yarder was tipped over for a corner (70 mins). Then Watmore won another corner before a Reeves breakaway fed Lawrie, who forced Mellings to tip his shot out for a corner, followed by a second one.

After 74 minutes Histon tried to stem the tide with a change as Hoban came on for Eades but an Alty corner soon followed. From this, Lawrie's ball came to Watmore who powered a shot into the net from the outer part of the box to make it 5-0 (76 mins). After 80 minutes Leather replaced Doughty for Alty and two minutes later Richman replaced Watmore, who received a fitting ovation (82 mins).

Histon rallied a little at the end and, five minutes from time, won a corner before a Moult shot won Altrincham a corner, in turn (86 mins). Now Brooke came on for Clee (87mins). Belatedly, Histon were now pressing and Hoban hit the outside of the post, though Coburn had the situation well covered (89 mins). After a foul by Leather, Histon's freekick from 22 yards out was tipped over by Coburn. In the three added minutes Histon and Alty each won a corner before a fierce shot by Hoban went past the post (90+2 mins).

But after their indifferent start to the game Altrincham had proved well deserved winners and at times totally dominated the second half. Perhaps even more satisfying than the five goals they scored was the clean sheet at the other end, the first in 32 league matches since Bonfire Night 2011.