Match Report

REFEREE: Mr Simon Barrow

ATTENDANCE: 782

Carl Rodgers was again out, after suffering hamstring trouble at Worcester and James Lawrie missed the game with a bruised instep. So Ryan Brooke made a rare start.

Boston dropped goalkeeper Haystead and brought in reserve custodian, Drury.

BACKGROUND:

This was Alty's second trip to York Street after the FA Cup had thrown the sides together, the Robins emerging 3-1 winners.

Mike Garnett advises us of the historical record between Altrincham and Boston United...

LINE-UPS:

On a cold afternoon Boston kicked off, playing with a low sun facing them. However, within 30 seconds Watmore and Clee conspired to win a corner, which Watmore took. From this, Moult skied a shot miles over the bar. Alty were setting the early pace as, next, a quick Clee throw found Reeves in the box but he was unable to control the ball (3 mins).

After a Doughty trip on Stokes, Ross's freekick was cleared but, soon afterwards, Silk tripped Brooke, 25 yards out, left of centre. Densmore's excellent freekick struck the top of the crossbar (7 mins).

The visitors continued to have the better of things but both sides were conceding possession too easily (15 mins). For Alty, a Brooke feed found Moult, who tried to place rather than blast his shot, but he put it wide of keeper and left post (16 mins).

Next, Reeves got past his man on the left but his cross was caught by the keeper. Havern and Reeves each conceded freekicks 40 yards out before Alty won a corner off a Moult shot after Watmore had done well to get to the right byline (20 mins). Following this, Havern shot over the bar from 22 yards.

After a stoppage for treatment to Watmore, Brooke was tripped and handled the ball but the referee saw the incident as a Boston freekick (24 mins). Boston looked a shadow of the side that had started the game well against Alty in the FA Trophy and their performance was summed up when Silk passed the ball, under no pressure, into touch.

On the half-hour mark, Brooke was tripped as he got clear of Stainfield, which earned the Boston man a booking. Though Alty continued to be the better side, their shooting was inaccurate as, now, Clee fired well wide from a Brooke feed. The half-chances continued as an impressive Watmore run up the right led to Brooke being in a good position but he could not control the ball (34 mins).

When Ward knocked over Brooke from a Clee cross, no penalty was given by the referee. After this Reeves was flagged narrowly offside from a Clee feed. Alty were daydreaming as Marshall was allowed yards of space on the right and his cross won a corner for the Pilgrims on their right (40 mins).

Half time duly arrived with Alty having been clearly the better side but, having said that, they had scarcely tested Boston's keeper, Drury.

With the York Street floodlights now on, the second half witnessed an early Pilgrims' corner, won off Moult's head. But Altrincham soon took the lead as Reeves found Brooke, who played a good ball forward for Watmore, whose shot was beaten out by Drury, only for Reeves to sweep the loose ball, left-footed, into the net (48 mins).

Just two minutes later Alty tamely surrendered their hard-won lead as the ball broke for Newsham to equalize from close range after being played-in by Ross's through ball (50 mins). The goal gave Boston a belief they had earlier lacked and it now took a fine Coburn save, low to his right, to keep out a Weir-Daley shot after an Alty defensive error (54 mins).

At the other end Clee, who spent much of the game in a central rather than wide position, found Reeves but he dragged his shot wide from 30 yards. Just after a Moult foul had given Boston a freekick, 20 yards out in a central position, which led to a poked effort over the bar, the Pilgrims brought on Smith for Stokes and Fairclough for Jones (57 mins).

Moments later a moment of Watmore brilliance on the right led to him flashing a cross-shot across the keeper which Reeves smartly glanced into the net with his head to restore Alty's lead (58 mins).

The game went into a quiet spell before Clee scored an impressive goal from 25 yards after a fine Moult ball up the right touchline had been relayed inside to the scorer by Brooke (65 mins). But, once again, Alty conceded a goal just after they had scored. This time, the referee ruled that an effort from close range by Smith had crossed the line despite Densmore's goal-line clearance.

With five goals scored in 19 second-half minutes, Alty now led 3-2.

Their second goal had lifted Boston again but when Alty won a freekick 25 yards out, Densmore's effort only just cleared the bar (71 mins). Next, the hardworking Richman won a corner, on the left, after which Clee hit the bar from 25 yards.

But, after a Boston corner, United went close themselves. Five minutes later, Boston's left-winger Smith won his side another corner, which Reeves cleared. Now Lacey came on for Brooke for the visitors (79 mins).

As Boston pressed, Havern conceded a freekick, which was taken quickly and caught Alty out, allowing Smith to strike the bar from left of goal (80 mins). After several minutes of Boston pressure, Nicky Clee shot just wide after a great Watmore run. However, the teenager was now withdrawn in favour of Mitchley (86 mins).

Alty successfully wound down the clock by winning four throws in succession deep in Boston territory, followed by a corner as the game went into the first of three added minutes. Altrincham now brought on Leather for Reeves (90+2 mins). There was a late potential danger as Boston won a freekick 20 yards out but Altrincham saw out the game to record a win which lifted them up to ninth place.

It was a well deserved win but the tendency to lose defensive concentration was seen again twice in this match and must still be a concern to the management. Going forward, it was good to see that Altrincham were still a recurrent threat, even without the injured James Lawrie.