Match Report

REFEREE: Mr Adrian Holmes

ATTENDANCE: 1,200

Alty were unchanged with Richman returning on the bench after serving his suspension.

BACKGROUND:

Altrincham were looking to extend an eight-game unbeaten run to earn a place in Round One of the FA Cup.

Alty's fans were corralled into a small area of backless wooden benches in a corner behind the goal. The game was played on a bright and sunny afternoon.

LINE-UPS:

BOSTON UNITED (Amber and black): 1. Dan Haystead; 2. Conor Marshall, 3. Gareth Jelleyman, 4. Ben Milnes, 5. Tom Ward, 6. Nathan Stainfield, 7. Ben Fairclough, 8. Ian Ross, 9. Mark Jones, 10. Marc Newsham, 11. Spencer Weir-Daley. Subs: 12. Kallum Smith, 14. Scott Dawson, 15. James Reed, Sam Craven, 16, Charley Sanders, 17. Korey Dyer-Stewart, 8. Jason Stokes, GK. Ricky Drury.

ALTRINCHAM (Aquamarine shirts, grey shorts & aquamarine 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. Simon RICHMAN, 16. Ryan BROOKE, 17. Danny MITCHLEY, 18. Jamie GREYGOOSE.

Alty kicked off towards the vocal away end and started quite positivley. But there was an early threat from Boston which required a magnifiecnt save by Coburn from a header and then Havern had to clear after a Watmore mispass led to the ball coming back from Boston. Next, Havern conceded the game's first corner on the Boston left.

Boston's bright spell continued as a counter attack after Watmore had been dispossessed led to the ball being hacked clear and another Boston corner soon followed, off Clee on the right. A Boston head met the corner but the ball went just over the bar (7 mins).

After Lawrie, Rodgers, Watmore and Reeves had combined, a throw-in led to a Clee cross which in turn led to a freekick to Alty, right of goal on the edge of the box. From this a Clee effort was blocked. The wingman was to prove Alty's most potent attacking threat in this game.

Densmore and Doughty, Alty's full-backs, were both getting forward and after the latter's advance Watmore was almost played in on goal. Boston now got forward and Jones had a shot blocked from left of goal but he was lucky to see the ball rebound off Havern into his path. The striker then drove the ball past Coburn to give The Pilgrims the lead (12 mins).

No sooner had the goal sunk in with the supporters than Boston found themselves down to ten men. A very late and crude challenge from Fairclough left Doughty in a heap and the referee showed the Boston man a red card (14 mins). He reluctantly exited the pitch, taking the long route across the pitch which delayed proceeedings as Doughty received treatment. Quite bizarrely, the victim, Doughty, was roundly booed every time he touched the ball for the rest of the game.

The resulting freekick was poorly taken by Lawrie. After the dismissal, goalkeeper Haystead blatantly wasted time at every opportunity. Alty now enjoyed a lot of possession but at this stage their patient build ups lacked the pace and incision to inflict any damage on Boston.

As the first half passed its midway point, an Alty throw led to a Doughty cross, which Reeves headed over the bar. In the 25th minute, great play by Clee on the left produced a cross which was met with a strike on goal by Reeves but Haystead produced a fine save.

Next, Moult fired narrowly wide from 20 yards before Boston won another corner, for which Ross strolled leisurely for 30 yards to take the kick. Coburn punched this clear before some excellent defensive work from Doughty led to another corner to Boston (27 mins).

As Altrincham continued to enjoy plenty of the ball, Lawrie fed Moult, who mishit his shot straight to the keeper. Following this, Watmore took an extra touch in the box but won a corner on the right, taken by Clee. After this Reeves supplied Hall to win another corner, which was taken short and ended with a Clee cross and a Hall header to the keeper.

Desnmore continued to get forward up the right and, from one cross, Rodgers headed wide. But Alty were unable get on level terms despite their possession. After another Densmore cross had yielded a corner on the left, Boston's Marshall headed it clear for a second corner; although a third corner immediately followed, Boston survived the onslaught.

More half chances followed as Moult had a shot blocked from Watmore's feed. Alty were playing well but their final balls were not effective.

As the game approached half time, a neat Altrincham move allowed Moult to shoot but he aimed too close to the keeper. With the game in the first of two added minutes, Nicky Clee was booked for tripping Marshall (45+1 mins).

With Alty ready to play the second half, Boston were allowed to complete a warm-up routine on the touchline before they kicked off. The home crowd was still mindlessly booing Doughty, who was soon the object of another foul, by Ross (48 mins).

A Densmore cross produced an early Alty corner on their right, followed by a second which located an unmarked Hall beyond the back post. But the Alty defender placed his header badly over the bar (50 mins). Lawrie was not having the best of games and from the next corner he failed to clear the nearest defender (52 mins).

An impressive Moult surge and cross ended in the keeper's hands before a Reeves shot was blocked following an impressive Clee run upfield, which had redeemed a poor pass from Lawrie. As Alty continued to give the ball away cheaply, Boston applied some pressure.

But, at last, Alty equalised when Clee and Lawrie combined well and got into the left of the box, from where Lawrie slotted the ball home to make it 1-1 (58 mins). Immediately, Richman came on for Rodgers.

On the hour mark Weir-Daley seemed to push his hand into the face of Moult who went to ground. The referee was again decisive and sent the offender off leaving Boston down to 9 men (61 mins). Before he departed Weir-Daley aimed a fist at Densmore to compound his offence. After this a Clee header was saved from a Doughty cross. The chances continued as, next, Reeves sidefooted narrowly wide from the edge of the box (66 mins).

The game now constituted one-way traffic but Altrincham could not break through against the nine men until the 70th minute when a poor clearance came to Moult, who is always keen to shoot from distance, and he hammered a shot into the net from 25 yards to put Alty ahead (70 mins).

The visitors continued to employ very patient build ups; on one occasion playing across the pitch and slowly advancing towards goal through 20 or more passes (73 mins). With 15 minutes left, Boston made a double switch as Dyer-Stewart came on for Jones and Sanders replaced Ross (75 mins).

Alty's fans were still singing chorus after chorus but Alty were still not applying a killer finish. They were stretching the nine men of Boston but not getting through their defences (78 mins).

With seven minutes remaining, Mitchley came on for Watmore. Just after this, a cross from the right evaded Reeves before Alty conceded a freekick, from which a corner followed for Boston. From this Sanders went narrowly wide with a shot. Alty continued to live a little dangerously as Richman lost the ball.

Belatedly Alty applied the final blow as Lawrie fed Nicky Clee, who scored with a well-struck rising shot from the edge of the box (89 mins). But he was soon taken off to allow Lacey on (90 mins). Three added minutes were played out with Sanders going close with a header in the closing seconds for Boston.

Altrincham showed great patience in wearing down Boston, whose indiscipline cost them any realistic chance of progressing in the competition.