Altrincham secured a creditable draw against League Two Salford City in a match which saw 45 players used by the two clubs!

Alty started with a strong eleven but The Ammies took a 25th minute lead when a neat move up the middle involving McAleny and Taylor led to Nmai being presented with a close-range opening which he exploited.

Alty equalised just five minutes later in bizarre circumstances when Salford keeper Jones attempted to dribble the ball when some 35 yards out of his goal. Possession was lost and Justin Amaluzor, with his back to goal, turned smartly and rolled the ball, low, into the unguarded net from that distance.

Salford had the better of the second half but, even when deploying a defence of trialists and Academy graduates in the final 27 minutes, Altrincham kept out the opposition impressively to secure a creditable draw.

Alty made 10 personnel changes after 63 minutes, having already substituted Amaluzor straight after his goal in the first half.

Although Altrincham remain unbeaten after five pre-season games, one concern is the lack of potency in front of goal. All of Alty's last three goals have been presents from the opposition, with the brace scored at Warrington on Saturday being, first, a defensive mix-up and then a penalty, before tonight's further gift from the opposition.

SCORERS:

• 25 mins: Kelly NMAI (ALTRINCHAM 0 Salford City 1)
• 30 mins: Justin AMALUZOR (ALTRINCHAM 1 Salford City 1)

Alty started with eleven of the first-team squad but Regan Linney was a notable omission with what was described by Phil PArkinsin as "a niggle". There was still no sign of Justin Donawa who had been invited back for pre-season, but has yet to be seen.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, white socks) STARTERS: 1. Ethan ROSS, 2. Lewis BANKS, 5. Jake COOPER, 4. Lewis BAINES (c), 3. Eddy JONES, 6. Elliot OSBORNE, 8. George WILSON, 10. Tom CRAWFORD, 7. Matty KOSYLO, 17. Alex NEWBY, 11. Justin AMALUZOR (sub. 23 Joe NUTTALL 31")

LAST 27 Mins: 20. Louie FALLON, 12. Trialist (Tylor Golden), 16. James JONES (capt), 15. Joel BAILEY, 21 Trialist (Damola Sotona), 14. Trialist (Ben Kershaw), 18. Owen GERMAN, No Number. Max HAYGARTH, 19. Lucas WEAVER, 23. Joe NUTTALL and 20. (Kahrel Reddin).

SALFORD CITY (White shirts, black shorts and socks) STARTERS: 1. Jamie Jones (c), 3. Kevin Berkoe, 6. Liam Humbles, 9. Cole Stockton, 10. Kelly Nmai, 11. Jon Taylor, 16. Curtis Tilt, 17. James Chester, 18. Conor McAleny, 28. Tosin Olopade.

LAST 18 MINS: 2. Tom Edwards, 7. Trialist, 8. Matthew Lund, 13. Matty Young, 14. Ben Woodburn, 15. Marcus Dackers, 20. Dan Chesters, 21. Jez Davies, 22. Junior Luamba, 24. Trialist, 27. Robbie Cleary. After 81 mins 56. Kyrell Malcolm replaced one of the above.

This was Altrincham's fifth pre-season game but the first against a higher-ranked club and the first at the J. Davidson Stadium this summer. The Robins had won three and drawn the other game in their four summer fixtures to date.

This game took place on a warm and dry but overcast night, with arguably more away fans than home supporters. The pitch was in excellent condition and was given a watering from the sprinklers before each half began.

The first of what were to be numerous petty fouls came inside ninety seconds when Amaluzor was on the receiving end but Mr Moss chose to ignore it though he was to have cause to blow his whistle with regularity later in the game as the visitors brought a "robustness" to the game which had been largely absent from previous opponents this summer.

Altrincham, without Linney, had Amaluzor the farthest forward in the early stages but there was a fluidity about the sharp end of the team with Kosylo and Newby also finding themselves the most advanced forward at times.

Following two fouls committed against Alty which were awarded as freekicks, it was Salford who gained the first corner through Taylor (7 mins). The Ammies were playing with speedy passing movements and were the better side in the opening stages. After an error by Wilson, the first shot on target went comfortably to the hands of Ross (9 mins).

Next, a crude challenge on Eddy Jones did not produce a yellow card but the left-back was able to carry on.

Around the 15-minute mark Alty were growing into the game but it was Salford who won the next corner (18 mins). However, there was no goalmouth action of note until McAleny's snap-shot from 30 yards flew narrowly wide of Ross's right upright (24 mins).

The next attack by Salford saw McAleny, Taylor and Nmai combine, leaving the last named close in on Ross's goal and he duly scored to give his side the lead (25 mins).

Altrincham got themselves level five minutes later in unusual fashion. Salford keeper Jones came well out of his box to deal with a long ball and he evaded one Alty challenge before overdoing things and attempting to dribble past another player only to lose possession. With Amaluzor not facing goal and only fiftenn yards or so from the right touchline, the Alty man swivelled and hit a low ball into the unguarded net from 35 yards or more (30 mins)

Immediately, with a wide grin on his face, Amaluzor went off to be replaced by Joe Nuttall in what was, presumably, a pre-planned move (31 mins). Amaluzor has had less game time than the majority of the squad this summer which suggests he may be being nursed back after an unspecified knock.

The players then took an impromptu drinks break and it was not until the 33rd minute that play resumed.

A foul on Nmai gave the visitors a freekick on the Alty "D" but McAleny's effort was held by Ross (35 mins).

As the interval approached a Humbles effort from 30 yard flew narrowly wide, after which Salford won their third corner of the half.

So the scores remained level at the interval. Alty had scarcely troubled the visitors' keeper whereas Salford had scored from open play, won three corners and gone close of several occasions at theother end.

With the floodlights on for the second half, Salford won another corner (48 mins) but, as in the first half, the game was littered with petty fouls in the early stages of the second period.

After Alty had lost possession and, for the third time in the match, a Salford effort flew narrowly wide of the Altrincham goal (52 mins).

Though Salford were having the better of things, neither keeper was being troubled as the game reached the hour mark but then a City shot from the right forced a fine save from Ross, which led to a fifth corner of the match for the visitors (61 mins).

Altrincham now brought on no fewer than ten substitutes (listed above), who joined first-half substitute Joe Nuttall in producing an entirely different eleven from that which had started the game. With this eleven comprising a mixture of four trialists, three Academy graduates and two new signings, James Jones and Max Haygarth were the only two players on the pitch with any National League experience in Alty's games last season.

Salford fluffed a great chance to regain the lead when one of their trialists surged up the right and crossed the ball only for his team-mate to make a hash of an attempted scissor kick (70 mins).

The Ammies now made mass changes of their own as they introduced virtually all of their named substitutes (72 mins). For Alty, Bailey played the ball of the match with a superb long diagonal ball out to the right wing for Reddin.

Moments later, Salford extended their lead in winning corners to six-nil (76 mins). Young keeper Fallon then made a fine save with his legs after Luamba had been allowed to get through three attampted challenges as he got into the box (77 mins). It then took a fine last ditch tackle from Bailey to keep Salford at bay (81 mins).

The corner count rose to 7-0 from which ex-Alty loanee Dackers rose well but he misdirected his clear header just wide of the near post (84 mins). Alty were being hemmed in but their mixture of trialists and youngsters was doing well to keep the visitors at bay.

In the closing stages, however, it was Alty who threatened. First. Reddin fed Nuttall, who breezed past challenges for a shot which went narrowly wide (88 mins).

Cleary then came on for the visitors (89 mins) before the final act of the night was a superb effot by Nuttall from near half way as he spotted the keeper off his line and very nearly lobbed him (90 mins).

So it had been a goodS result for Altrincam particularly as they played almost a third of the game with players unused to playing together and from a variety of backgrounds.