Match Report

REFEREE: Mr Michael d'Aguilar

ATTENDANCE: 728

Carl Rodgers and James Lawrie were back after injury, but were named on the bench, where they were joined by Duncan Watmore as Alty opted for new loan signing Jordan Sinnott on the right and Patrick Lacey replacing Simon Richman in central midfield. Richman was suffering from complications from a throat infection. Centre-back Danny Hall was suspended and striker Danny Mitchley was unavailable as he had gone out on loan to Marine. So, Alty could muster only four names on the bench.

BACKGROUND:

This was Alty's first return league match of the season, with Altrincham having won the away game at the Northolme 4-2.

Mike Garnett advises us of the historical record between Altrincham and Gainsborough Trinity:

LINE-UPS:

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

GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY (All yellow): 1. Jan Budtz, 2. Dominic Roma, 3. Greg Young, 4. Luke Waterfall, 5. Daniel Hone, 6. Michael Leary, 7. Jonathan D'Laryea, 8. Craig Nelthorpe, 9. Dominic Knowles, 10. Darryn Stamp, 11. Jamie Yates. Subs: 14. Paul Connor, 13. Jason White, 15. Bradley Barraclough, 12. Johnathan Williams, 16. Linton Kazkach

With the floodlights on before kick off, Gainsborough kicked off after the inevitable delay caused by their team-bonding huddle. Two early Alty throws led to an impressive run and shot by Sinnott which could have been contender for quickest ever goal by an Alty debutant, had Budtz not saved his effort. The former Stalybridge keeper was to be the main reason his side won this game.

From another Alty throw, taken quickly by Clee, Reeves almost got clear inside the box. Trinity's first threat came when a cross from the left was met by the head of the giant Stamp and went just wide (4 mins). Height is a major characteristic of the Gainsborough side which plays a predominantly direct brand of football.

The first corner of the game was won by Alty from a Sinnott cross after seven minutes. Altrincham continued to set the pace as Brooke and Reeves almost combined successfully and then a 30-yarder from Densmore was saved by Budtz. The Celtic keeper was busy again soon afterwards as he just managed to gather a chip from Densmore after a good move. A Leather foul then gave Trinity a freekick 25 yards out, taken by Yates, but this was cleared before Brooke won Altrincham a corner (12 mins).

A smart Reeves flick set Sinnott running up the middle but the debutant midfielder was closed off. Next a wild shot by Lacey followed a good Clee run from a Reeves feed as Alty showed themselves to be the better side so far. After an impressive Leather tackle, a run by Brooke led to him electing to shoot wide when a pass to a team mate to his right would have been a better option.

Trinity won their first corner in the 19th minute off Havern, which came to nothing. Brooke again elected to shoot from distance soon afterwards and again was well off target, over the bar. But then Gainsborough should have taken the lead when Stamp missed the target badly from 15 yards (23 mins). Trinity now raised their game and enjoyed a good ten minutes as, first of all, Leary smacked a fine low shot against Coburn's right post from 27 yards or so (24 mins).

Two Trinity corners followed before Alty's Brooke got free but could not poke his shot past the advancing Budtz. As the half hour passed Brooke set Lacey free but his effort was blocked. After an uneventful few minutes, Brooke played in Sinnott but the keeper again won the battle, saving with his feet. Former Alty defender Waterfall was then booked after another foul on Reeves (38 mins).

Having ridden out Gainsborough's good spell, a Sinnott freekick won Altrincham a corner on their left. Budtz punched this clear but Lacey responded with a very wild shot over the bar into Golf Road from 25 yards. After a good Alty move had ended with Clee's cross and then, in added time, a Moult shot had been beaten away by Budtz, half time arrived with Altrincham having failed to capitalise on being the better side. Budtz had been by far the busier keeper and but for him and some wayward shooting from Altrincham, the home side would have been ahead.

Rain started to fall steadily during the interval and was to continue for the second half. After just 25 seconds, Jake Moult shot very wide of the target and then, after Young had fouled Brooke, 27 yards out in a central position, Densmore's freekick hit the defensive wall (47 mins). A foul led to a booking for Scott Leather (48 mins). The next five minutes were pretty uneventful as the two sides cancelled each other out.

Gainsborough were winning the foul count as, now, Leary was lectured. From the freekick the ball was headed into the side netting by Havern at the back post (55 mins). A Sinnott shot won a corner before Trinity made a swap as Barraclough came on for Nelthorpe (59 mins). Soon, Waterfall conceded a corner and then a Sinnott cross gained another corner, this time off Budtz.

Altrincham now introduced Watmore for Doughty, who had suffered a knock (66 mins), so Nicky Clee moved to left back, with Watmore taking up a right-flank position. The changes continued as Connor replaced Stamp for Gainsborough (68 mins). It did not take long for Watmore to make a mark as he embarked on a trademark run to the by-line. As in the first half, Alty were on top but without creating clear chances.

A foul on Brooke earned Leary a booking before Budtz's legs stopped Clee just as, in the first half, they had blocked Sinnott. Trinity counter attacked and Barraclough cleverly jinked past a couple of Alty players before beating Coburn and give Gainsborough the lead against the run of play (74 mins).

Immediately, Lawrie came on for Sinnott and Moult went off to be replaced by Rodgers (75 mins). Two minutes afterwards, Williams replaced Yates for the Lincolnshire side. Not for the first time, Reeves was manhandled without getting any response from the otherwise efficient referee. But Alty's poor shooting continued as, now, Lawrie shot very wide (80 mins).

Trinity's uncompromising approach continued with a Young foul, after which Lawrie was just wide with an impressive volley from the edge of the box. When D'Laryea scythed down Densmore, he became the visitors' next booking. Lawrie was making an impact and he now won a corner on the left; following which Watmore was unlucky to see his goalbound header strike a very fortunate keeper (85 mins).

Alty were pressing hard, with Trinity posing little threat of their own up front. Next, Clee was pushed over and Williams became the fourth man to see a yellow card for Gainsborough (88 mins). An excellent Lawrie freekick from the left found Lacey arriving at the back post and, as Budtz threw himself into the air, the goalbound header struck him and went out for a corner. Budtz was having the sort of game in which everything was going his way.

Next, Clee shot at goal and won a corner as Alty continued to dominate and just before added time of four minutes started, that man Budtz saved from Lawrie's effort. In added time Alty's central defenders each had a header which cleared the Trinity goal but there was still time for yet another chance in the final seconds. The ball fell to Lacey but from eight yards he could only poke a shot straight at Budtz. And so, despite playing the better football and having more chances by a country mile than the opposition, Gainsborough made away from Moss Lane with the points.

Not surprisingly, Budtz was named the Trinity Man of the Match, with Scott Leather a deserving winner for Altrincham. But five home defeats this season are indicative of where Altrincham's weakness lies. But this time, the defeat was not down to defensive lapses so much as poor finishing.