Match Report

SUMMARY

At the sixteenth attempt this season, Altrincham secured a home league win, despite having seven first-teamers out injured. The outcome was determined by a quick-fire start as Alty went a goal up inside ten seconds and scored again as the clock ticked into the thirteenth minute.

The opener was laid on by former Worcester striker Micah Evans, whose low cross was steered home by Elliott Newby. The second goal arrived from a Heathcote freekick from which Cyrus forced a defensive error and Lynch volleyed home from close range.

Worcester offered little in the first half but after the break, during which they made a double substitution, they were much improved for the opening fifteen minutes or so. But, with the Alty backline playing well, the visitors could not get back into the game before the hosts improved and saw the game out fairly comfortably.

• 10 seconds: EllioTT NEWBY (ALTRINCHAM 1 Worcester City 0)
• 13 mins: Chris LYNCH (ALTRINCHAM 2 Worcester City 0)

Alty were without seven first-teamers today as Jake Moult and Gary Jones joined Shaun Densmore, Sean Miller, Craig Hobson, Tom Hannigan and Andy Owens on the sidelines. Former City player Micah Evans faced his former club as did Simon Richman, another former Worcester player.

Worcester had Tyler Weir suspended and pre-match injury doubts over James Chambers, Andy Gallinagh, and Graham Hutchison saw the first two names occupying the bench.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks) 1. Tim DEASY, 2. Chris LYNCH (c), 3. Kyle BROWNHILL, 4. Sam HEATHCOTE, 5. John CYRUS 6. Laurence TAYLOR, 7. Elliott NEWBY, 8. Simon RICHMAN, 9. Micah EVANS, 10. James LAWRIE, 11. Nicky CLEE. Subs: 12. Sam PATTERSON, 14. Damian REEVES, 15. Alan GOODALL, 16. Andy McWILLIAMS, 17. Andrew JONES

WORCESTER CITY (All green) 1. Ethan Ross, 2. Jordan Keane, 3. Tom Sharpe, 4. Danny Jackman (c), 5. Samuel Oji, 6. Junior English, 7. Chekaine Steele. 8. Ebby Nelson-Addy, 9. Steven Craig, 10.Jordan Murphy, 11. Cieron Keane. Subs: 12. Andy Gallinagh, 13. Nathan Vaughan, 14. James Chambers, 15. Callum Devlin, 16 Tyreece Ruddock.

Mike Garnett's records summarise previous results between the clubs:

• Home: P11-W8-D1-L2-F27-A13
• Away 13-4-3-6-15-18
• All 24-12-4-8-42-31

Plenty of rain in the days before today's match left a damp but perfectly playable pitch. Alty's mascot today was a young lad with a guide dog for the blind, for which charity funds were being collected today.

Alty kicked off towards Golf Road and, within ten seconds, they had taken the lead. The ball was played superbly by Heathcote to Lawrie, (on the left) who smartly relayed it to Evans who, from left of goal, played in an excellent, low cross which the incoming Newby swept into the net.

Worcester, beset by financial worries which have impacted on the strength of their playing squad, responded as a Keane cross won a corner but, at the back, they continued to look shaky.

After an Evans shot had been blocked (4 mins), a Richman effort had to be blocked by keeper Ross's legs as Alty dominated the opening stages (9 mins).

When Heathcote took a freekick from near halfway, Cyrus went for the ball before defender Sharpe misheaded across his own box. The ball fell for Lynch who volleyed home from close range (13 mins).

After this, an Alty corner came and went before Sharpe fell over allowing Brownhill to get in a long shot which went to the keeper. At the other end, Clee lost the ball and Steele won City a corner (17 mins).

There was little of note before Craig fouled Heathcote and became the match's first booking (26 mins).

After some ten minutes more of endeavour, but not much in the way of fluid football, Steele was very late in tackling Clee, who stayed down as the Worcester man was booked (36 mins).

As half-time approached, Lawrie was inches wide with his shot after a fine ball forward from Taylor (42 mins). Soon after this, Lawrie again went close as his excellent chip just cleared the bar to land on the roof of the net (43 mins).

Half-time arrived with Alty in unaccustomed territory, holding a two-goal lead.

Worcester made a double change at the break as Gallinagh came on for Steele and Chambers for Murphy.

When Keane was fouled, Lynch became Altrincham's first booking (47 mins). City had started the second half with much more conviction than they had shown in the first-half and they soon won a corner.

Alty's indifferent start to the second period now witnessed a booking for Heathcote, for holding just outside the corner of their own box (49 mins). Assistant manager Robbie Lawton then expressed his annoyance at the team's slow start after the interval.

There was little goalmouth action before Richman scooped an effort over the bar (56 mins). City then got to the byline and Nelson-Addy won City a corner.

As the hour-mark approached, Evans, Lawrie and Clee combined to win Altrincham a corner but then, after Clee had lost the ball, Cyrus had to cover well at the back at the cost of a corner to City (62 mins).

When Lynch was caught late, Keane joined the names in the referee's book (65 mins). The stop-start sequence continued as Jackman committed a foot-up offence against Newby.

The game remained fairly scrappy before the visitors made their final change when Devlin replaced Craig (73 mins). And a further booking arrived as Oji tripped Lawrie on the edge of the box and he, too, was cautioned (75 mins).

Heathcote hit the resulting freekick superbly and Ross did well to tip it away for a corner, from which Heathcote himself headed Clee's ball over the bar (76 mins).

Cyrus continued to impress for Altrincham as Worcester were kept at arm's length. Next, McWilliams replaced Clee (80 mins).

From an Alty corner on their left, Cyrus's header was smartly tipped onto the bar by Ross (81 mins). Although Altrincham were finishing the game in the ascendant, now, a Lawrie volley came to nothing.

Altrincham brought on Reeves for Evans (84 mins) as they looked relatively comfortable with their lead. Another change came as Goodall replaced Taylor, who had enjoyed a steady game in midfield (88 mins).

Four added minutes did not alter the score, as Altrincham recorded their first home win of the season in the league, after fifteen previous attempts to secure a three-point haul at the J Davidson Stadium.