For the third time in twenty days Altrincham suffered a red card as Matty Kosylo played up to his pantomime villain billing at former club FC Halifax Town and he could have no complaints at the decision to dismiss him for a second cautionable offence in the 56th minute.

To Alty's credit they have lost none of those three games in which they have been left for substantial periods playing with ten men. The three dismissals mean that Altrincham have played 142 minutes plus added time with ten men in three recent matches!

Here goalkeeper Ross was Altrinham's man of the match with a number of good saves in the second half.

In the first half, Linney missed the best chance that Alty created, battling into the box but as goalkeeper Johnson advanced he steered the ball wide. At the other end in the first half Halifax forced one good block from Ross and Senior put the ball wide after a good run into the box but generally the Shaymen were disappointing.

SCORERS:

• None

For Alty Regan Linney started in place of Marcus Dackers and the previously suspended duo of Elliot Osborne and Sam Roscoe returned to start. Justin Amaluzor was absent, ill and the three Joneses remained injured too. The fitness status of squad members Donawa, Burrows and Byrne remains unknown.

The Shaymen were without Alli, who was rumoured to be leaving the club imminently. Also out, injured, were Ryan Galvin, and Max Wright.

LINE-UPS:

FC HALIFAX TOWN (All blue): 1 Sam Johnson (c), 16 Jordan Keane, 7 Angelo Cappello, 2 Tylor Golden, 6 Jamie Stott, 5 Adam Senior, 8 Jack Hunter, 14 Kane Thompson-Sommers, 18 Florent Hoti, 22 Andrew Oluwabori 10 Jamie Cooke Subs: 9 Rob Harke, 20 Jimiel Chikukwa, 19 Aaron Cosgrave, 21 Tom Wilson, 30 Festus Arthur

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 29. Ethan Ross, 2. Lewis Banks, 15. Jake Cooper, 4. Lewis Baines, 16. Sam Roscoe, 6. Elliot Osborne, 8. Isaac Marriott (c), 7. Matty Kosylo, 30. Alex Newby, 10. Chris Conn-Clarke, 9. Regan Linney Subs: 12. Liam Brockbank, 14. Dior Angus, 19. George Wilson, 21. Matt Gould, 44. Dan Mooney

It was just a fortnight since Altrincham had knocked FC Halifax Town out of the FA Trophy at The Shay, on penalties, and the sides were due to meet for a third time at New Year 2024.

On a pitch which, like Moss Lane, had suffered with wave after wave of rain in recent weeks, and which had needed two pre-match inspections by the referee, Alty kicked off.

With two sides of the ground empty of spectators, Banks was soon having to into the stand to retrieve the match ball. The opening stages were uneventful with both sides committing midfield errors which their opponents were unable to capitalise on. However, when Osborne's crossfield ball went to Oluwabo, it needed a smart block by the onrushing Ross to keep out his shot (9 mins).

Linney then had a sniff of an opening at the the Halifax end as the game opened up a little. Alty went close to taking the lead when Kosylo got to the byline left of, and close to, goal. His attempted cross was blocked but rebounded to Linney who looked certain to score from close range. But his effort was blocked on the line by a defender's chest (14 mins).

And Altrincham again threatened soon afterwards when Newby and Baines were involved in a move on the left which ended with Conn-Clarke's shot from twenty yards forcing a good one-handed save from Johnson (17 mins).

Alty were on top at this stage but Fax responded when defender Senior weaved his way past half-hearted challenges into the box but his shot was dragged wide of the far post (21 mins). But it was Altrincham who next threatened to take the lead. Conn-Clarke did well and fed Linney who got past a defender in the outer-centre of the penalty area to face the exposed keeper Johnson.

But the striker, who was making his first league start since a long injury lay-off, side-footed disappointingly wide of the keeper's left post (22 mins).

Next an effort from Conn-Clarke earned Altrincham a corner which was taken by Newby but came to nothing (28 mins).

Halifax now enjoyed a better spell without threatening to score. Thompson-Sommers became the first player to be booked when he fouled Linney (38 mins) before the referee also booked Kosylo presumably for verbal dissent (39 mins).

~ Next, Newby shot wide (39 mins) as the game went through a distimctly mediocre phase. One added minute was announced in which Halifax won a corner on their left, which Alty got clear in less than totally convincing fashion.

Altrincham had had marginally the better of the half and had created the better chances but Linney had been unable to convert either of them.

Halifax started the second half brightly, soon forcing Ross to parry away an effort from Golden (47 mins).

With Altrincham largely on the back foot, they made a change with Brockbank coming on for Baines (54 mins).

The already booked Kosylo now fouled Thompson-Sommers as the hosts won a corner. The referee ignored the crowd's suggestion of a second yellow card and one would have hoped that the Alty man had realised that he was walking a disciplinary tightrope. But, no. The volatile winger almost immediately brought down Cappello and, this time, the second yellow and red were inevitable (56 mins).

Kosylo had let down his team-mates who now faced a third game in which they would have to play more than half an hour with ten men.

Following a foul on Marriott, a mellee ensued with Hoti finding himself in the referee's book. Why Ethan Ross needed to advance thirty yards to have his say was open to conjecture.

Just as had happened in the last fixture, it was Conn-Clarke who was the unfortunate player to be hauled off as Alty readjusted to the loss of Kosylo. The leading scorer threw down his gloves in disgust as he headed off the pitch and straight to the dressing room where he presumably encountered Kosylo, whose rash behaviour had brought about the preamture end to his team-mate's afternoon.

Wilson was the player brought on (59 mins). Despite their loss of a player the next few minutes passed uneventfully, apart from a home corner, from which Keane hooked the ball miles off target from six yards. Then Harker came on and replaced Olowabo (66 mins).

Halifax now started to dominate possession and a long ball into the box was headed at goal by Cooke, only for Ross to pull off an excellent save, tippimg the ball over the bar at the cost of a corner (67 mins). Ross punched away the corner and again got the follow-up away whilst winning a freekick.

Alty were on the backfoot now but when Cappello got into the box and dived, the referee did not fall for the ruse and booked the Halifax man (71 mins).

Angus now replaced Linney for Alty (72 mins) and soon afterwards Cosgrave came on for Golden (74 mins) as Altrincham continued to contain the Shaymen. A home corner now went to Ross as Halifax laboured to take advantage of their extra player.

> As time ticked away Brockbank was booked for a foul on Cappello just outside the box, right of goal (85 mins). Next Ross made another good save to keep out a Thompson-Sommers effort from which a corner resulted (88 mins). The Alty goalkeeper was then apparently booked for reasons which were unclear (89 mins)

Five added minutes were computed and, in the first of these, Wilson got into the Halifax box before Newby's thirty-yarder forced a rare save from Johnson (90+2 mins).

Cooke got himself needlessly booked for dissent (90+4 mins) as Altrincham rode out the closing moments to record another backs to the wall point with ten men, just as they had at Bromley before Christmas.

Altrincham were grateful to Ross for several important saves but the rest of the team also deserved credit for their hard work to compensate for Kosylo's folly.