Altrincham secured their first away clean sheet in the league since August 2022 in this goalless draw.

The first half ended goalless with both sides having a couple of half-chances and Altrincham adopting a more circumspect attitude than in earlier games this season. The best opportunities for Alty in the first period were an Amaluzor shot which narrowly missed the top corner and an opening for Conn-Clarke which he did not convert.

In the second half the hosts had the better of things but a depleted Altrincham side had the odd half-chance too.

SCORERS:

• None

Injury ravaged Altrincham brought in Academy product Tom Jones for his first appearance in a league matchday squad. He was joined by two others who had yet to start aleague game this season, Justin Donawa and Matt Gould.

Into the starting eleven came Baines, Cooper and Donawa as Crankshaw and James Jones were injured and Roscoe moved to the bench.

In addition to the six players listed by the club as injured in midweek (Ollie Crankshaw, Regan Linney, George Wilson, James Jones, Liam Brockbank, Amaar Hussain), Matty Kosylo was also absent from the squad today with an injury which sill keep him out for a further two or more weeks.

Wealdstone's Micah Obiero was suspended after seeing red in his last outing so he was missng for this match. So, Kyle Smith made his debut whilst Charles and Kretzschmar returned to the squad.

LINE-UPS:

WEALDSTONE (Blue shirts and white shorts): 13. Jed Ward, 2. Jack Cook (c), 3. Charlie Barker, 23. Jaydn Mundle-Smith, 19. Charles Clayden, 8. Nathan Ferguson, 18. Kyle Smith, 22. Sam Bowen, 7. Tarryn Allarakhia, 20. Abdulsadur Abdulmalik, 29. Tahvon Campbell. Subs: 4. Ashley Charles, 6. Mason Barrett, 10. Max Kretzschmar, 11. Corie Andrews, 27. Sean Adarkwa

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 29. Ethan Ross, 2. Lewis Banks, 3. Eddy Jones, 4. Lewis Baines, 6. Elliot Osborne, 8. Isaac Marriott (c), 14. Dior Angus, 10. Chris Conn-Clarke, 11. Justin Amaluzor, 15. Jake Cooper, 17. Justin Donawa. Subs: 16. Sam Roscoe, 20. Tom Jones, 21. Matt Gould, 22. Joey Jones, 32. George Burroughs.

Part-time Wealdstone lay a point and a place above 12th-positioned Altrincham at kick-off.

Since the clubs had renewed acquaintance in 2021, Alty had lost all three games at Wealdstone and failed to score at all. However, in the opening two years of national non-League football, Alty had won 4-1 and 2-1 at Wealdstone in seasons 1979/80 and 1980/81, after which the Home Counties club had been relegated.

A much depleted Altrincham side took to the field at Grosvenor Vale. After an uneventful few minutes, Amaluzor won the first corner of the match for the visitors (8 mins).

The first chance of the afternoon for the hosts came five minutes later but Allarakhia blazed it over the bar.

When Jake Cooper got in a back-post header from an Eddy Jones cross, Ward made a save at the cost of another corner for Altrincham. Taken short by Osborne, it came to nothing (14 mins).

Osborne did better soon afterwards as he won possession and fed Angus whose well-hit shot was well saved by Ward (15 mins).

At the other end Eddy Jones halted a Clayden advance before the game went through an uneventful phase in which Wealdstone had the better of things without creating very much.

Alty responded as Amaluzor got the better of his marker but fired narrowly wide (23 mins). Just after Ross had collected a routine effort from Smth, Conn-Clarke earned Alty's third corner of the match (27 mins).

Amaluzor one again looked the visitors'main threat whilst Marriott and Cooper were also playing well.

It now took a smart save at the feet of Campbell by Ross to keep the match goalless (36 mins). Altrincham also had their moments as Angus forced a save from an Amaluzor feed following a Clayden error (39 mins).

Almost immedately, Campbell turned smartly but the Rochdale loanee cleared the bar with his shot.

Campbell now needed treatment for a second time in the game, his shoulder seeming to be the problematic limb. He was replaced by substitute Adarkwa (42 mins).

Conn-Clarke now wasted a good chance, after good work from Angus and Donawa, as the game remained scoreless (44 mins). Six added minutes were decreed which, combined with kick off which was three minutes late, ensured there would be a late finish to this game.

So the interval score was 0-0 after a more conservative first half from the injury ravaged visitors than was their customary style.

Wealdstone kicked off te second half and gradually got on top, though a shot which Ross saved comfortably was the best they could muster in the opening stages (52 mins).

Alty did manage a weak shot from Conn-Clarke to the keeper Ward (53 mins). Abdulmalik won a corner from a Ross save soon afterwards (55 mins) but there was no real threat of a goal before the hour mark.

Then Barker got himself booked for bringing down Donawa (62 mins) giving Conn-Clarke a freekick opportunity from 30 yards. This was routinely saved by Ward but the keeper surprisingly went down, injured, in the process but resumed after treatment (65 mins).

Baines, who had a solid game on his return to the side, soon had to concede a corner but this was cleared before Kretzchmar came on for Abdumalik for Wealdstone (72 mins).

A fierce drive from Smith drew a fine save from Ross at the cost of a corner (76 mins). As the hosts continued to have the better of things Ross got himself cautioned for timewasting, already his third booking of the season (81 mins).

After a routine Conn-Clarke effort had run to Ward, Barratt replaced Smith for Wealdstone (88 mins). Marriott was clearly struggling after a hardworking ninety minutes and, belatedly, Joey Jones replaced him in the fourth added minute, with Baines receiving the captain's armband in his place.

Play ended soon afterwards with the decimated Altrincham side having reasons to be proud of earning a point and keeping the club's first league clean sheet at an away ground since August 2022.

With so many players injured, Altrinchammust surely be looking for reinforcements to see them through the coming weeks with today's bench including three players yet to start a match this season.