Match Report

REFEREE: Ms S Garratt

ATTENDANCE: 824

Altrincham were without the injured James Lawrie (foot). Matt Doughty was on the bench, as he had been suffering from flu, so Scott Leather started again at left back.

BACKGROUND:

Altrincham had won a Trophy game here 3-0 back in October but this was expected to be Alty's last visit to this ground before it is redeveloped. p> Mike Garnett's statistics tell us that the previous record between Altrincham and Worcester City was:

LINE-UPS:

WORCESTER CITY (Blue and white striped shirts, blue shorts and socks): 1. Glynn Thompson, 2. Tyler Weir, 3. Ellis Deeney, 4. Tom Thorley, 5. Stuart Whitehead, 6. Lee Ayres, 7. Kyle Patterson (Birley 70), 8. Rob Elvins, 9. Michael Symons (Taylor 79), 10. Danny Glover, 11.Greg Mills (Breeze 82). Subs 12. Michael Taylor, 14. Matthew Breeze, 15. Jacob Rowe, 16. Matt Birley, 17. Jason Dormand.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, red shorts & socks) 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. Shaun DENSMORE (capt), 3. Scott LEATHER, 4. Carl RODGERS, 5. Gianluca HAVERN, 6. Danny HALL, 7. Jordan SINNOTT (Doughty 89), 8. Jake MOULT, 9. Simon RICHMAN, 10. Damian REEVES, 11. Nicky CLEE (Watmore 52). Subs: 12. Matt DOUGHTY, 14. Patrick LACEY, 15. Ryan BROOKE, 16. Duncan WATMORE, 18. Adam REID (gk).

City won the toss and elected to change ends, allowing Altrincham to kick off on a cold but dry afternoon. The game started quietly and did not set the pulse racing throughout the first half. The soft pitch did not help fluent attacking movement as both defences remained on top.

The first significant event was when, following a Densmore foul on Mills, it took Alty several attempts before they successfully scrambled the ball clear (4 mins). But a pattern of throw ins, the odd freekick and little else of note continued as the ten-minute mark was passed.

The home side began to get the upper hand as Symons and Mills interchanged passes before the latter's shot from the edge of the box was saved by Coburn at the second attempt (12 mins). Then Glover won a City corner, after a long ball up the middle, had bounced over Danny Hall. From the right, the corner was headed over the bar by City (14 mins).

At the other end, Clee set up Sinnott, who got in two successive shots which were, respectively, beaten out by the keeper and blocked by a defender. Another promising move ended with Sinnott unable to find a team-mate before Moult's foul gave City a freekick from 30 yards left, which came to nothing.

City came back as Symons's good turn and shot from 22 yards forced a good save by Coburn. When Clee was harshly penalised for foot up as he went for a 50-50 ball, Worcester were awarded a freekick on the edge of the "D". But Thorley's freekick just cleared the bar (25 mins).

When Elvins fouled Rodgers, soon afterwards, it started a minor fracas, after which Elvins was booked. Next, Glover forced a Coburn save after a good move before Alty won themselves a corner following a throw. But Clee's corner was punched clear (30 mins).

Coburn was the busier of the keepers and he was again in action when the lively Mills spearheaded a counter-attack on the home side's left wing, as Densmore was caught upfield; Coburn saved Mills's effort well at the near post. For Alty, Rodgers was impressive in midfield but play was still pretty mundane overall.

After another Mills shot had been held by Coburn, an ambitious Leather shot, from long range, ran to the keeper. But Leather was soon going forward again and, this time, he won a corner on the Altrincham left.

As half-time approached, a Thorley cross from the left was drifting into the Alty goal at the back post but, at the last minute, it was well tipped away by Coburn (40 mins). Half-time arrived with the supporters hoping for better fare in the second period.

After City had kicked off, the entertainment level slowly improved. The first goal threat arose after Clee fouled Weir. From the freekick, 25 yards out on the right, the ball was cleared to Thorley, whose rising shot won a corner.

Soon after a Reeves shot had been blocked, Richman got into the box as Alty were now getting forward more. Nevertheless, they made a change after 52 minutes when Watmore replaced Clee, who seemed to wince with pain as he came off. The Alty sub was soon having an impact as, almost immediately, he was only just beaten to a long ball by the City keeper.

City were almost in trouble when Ayres inexplicably let the ball go and allowed Reeves to get behind him, left of goal. He fed Watmore, whose close-range flick at goal was held by Thompson (54 mins). Play switched to the other end where a brilliant block by Hall stopped Glover as he seemed certain to score.

Next, a Watmore run led to his cross from the left, which a stooping defender chested to his keeper. Altrincham were having more of the attacking momentum at this stage before Hall had to concede a corner from a Symons cross (67 mins).

After 70 minutes, Birley came on for Patterson, before a Reeves' effort looped to the City keeper. Watmore soon got into the box again but he was halted. Play was now end to end and it needed a fine tackle by Havern to halt Mills before Watmore won a corner on the right back at the other end.

With eleven minutes remaining, Taylor came on for Symons for City, followed, after 82 minutes by the hosts' replacement of Mills by Breeze.

Both sides went for a winner. For Altrincham, Watmore was seen off from a Reeves feed. Next, Reeves took the ball well, turned smartly and forced a fine save from Thompson which gave Altrincham a corner. Following this, Hall won a header which Reeves flicked at goal but a defender blocked his effort on the line (89 mins).

At this point Doughty came on for Sinnott. With the game in added time, Reeves almost got clear but slipped as he got into the box. After this Watmore was tripped as he got clear into the Worcester half, which gave Alty a freekick and Ayres a booking. But City themselves finished strongly as it took a well judged Leather tackle to halt Taylor in the Alty box.

So, the game ended goalless, the first league match for Alty without a goal since February 2011, but there could be satisfaction in gaining a hard-earned point. That point left Alty back in the play offs but closely pursued by four other teams within a point of them.