Altrincham and Bradford City played out a well-contested goalless draw in the final pre-season game for the hosts.

The Robins were without Linney, Baines and Kosylo as well as longstanding absentees Marriott and Crankshaw, as they faced the League Two men from Yorkshire.

Altrincham fielded a fairly strong side to start the afternoon but ended with probably only two or three players who can expect to start the league campaign next Saturday at home to Woking.

SCORERS:

• NONE

Regan Linney and Lewis Baines, as well as the long-term injured duo of Isaac Marriott and Ollie Crankshaw, all missed last Tuesday's friendly at Curzon Ashton and again sat out this game, with Matty Kosylo now joining them in the stands.

Alty started with eleven players who would be expected to be in the squad when the league season kicks off next Saturday. New signings, Reddin, Weaver and Golden were all on the bench, which included the unexpected name of Remi Thompson, who was presumably a trialist. He had started out at Fulham and Manchester United but more recently had been playing for Waterford in Ireland.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, white socks): 1. Ethan ROSS, 2. Lewis BANKS, 4. James JONES, 5. Jake COOPER, 3. Eddy JONES, 6. Elliot OSBORNE (c), 8. Tom CRAWFORD, 7. Alex NEWBY, 10. Max HAYGARTH, 11. Justin AMALUZOR, 23. Joe NUTTALL. Subs: 8. George WILSON, 12. Tylor GOLDEN, 14. Kahrel REDDIN, 15. Joel BAILEY, 22. Amaar HUSSAIN, 18. Owen GERMAN, 19. George WILSON, 20. Luke WEAVER, 20*. Louie FALLON (gk), 27. Remi THOMPSON (trialist).

BRADFORD CITY (Amber & crimson stripes, black shorts and socks): 1. Sam Walker, 2. Brad Halliday, 5. Neill Byrne, 7. Jamie Walker, 9. Andy Cook, 14. Tyler Smith, 16. Alex Pattison (c), 17. Tyreik Wright, 18. Ciaran Kelly, 23. Bobby Pointon. Subs: 3. Lewis Richards, 4. Sam Stubbs, 6. Richie Smallwood, 8. Calum Kavanagh, 10. Antni Sarcevic, 11. Alex Gilliead, 12. Clark Oduor, 12. Colin Doyle (gk), 19. Vadaine Oliver, 20. Jake Young, 24. Jack Shepherd, Trialist (gk).

This was the final pre-season game of 2024 for Altrincham but it was also only the second pre-season match at home. The Bantams finished ninth in EFL2 last season.

The visitors brought nearly 500 fans to populate the away end, whilst the home numbers were disappointing, the £12 entry charge putting off some season-ticket holders accustomed to decades of free entry to pre-season games.

The game kicked off some three minutes late on a warm and sunny afternoon, with Altrincham attacking the away end. The early stages were fairly even and uneventful before a foul on Haygarth earned a freekick on the right-edge of the box. Newby played this, short, to Haygarth whose shot was disaappointingly hit well over the bar (7 mins).

After fifteen minutes, a neat Altrincham build-up led to Amaluzor getting into the box and his effort came off Smith for a corner, but this came to nothing (15 mins).

At the other end, a clearing header from James Jones fell for Jamie Walker whose shot flew only narrowly wide (22 mins).

A Bradford corner arrived soon afterwards from which a Bantams' header looped comfortably to Ross's arms (24 mins).

The visitors then won a freekick, conceded by Cooper, for a foul on Wright as he advanced speedily up the middle. However, Jamie Walker put the freekick high into Golf Road (26 mins).

Osborne then brought the ball impressively out of defence starting a move which ended with Crawford seeming to win a corner but the referee thought otherwise (29 mins).

Mr Woods made another questionable decision moments later when a Cooper misheader went to Pointon who went down in the box amidst strong penalty appeals which went unhneard (30 mins).

The visitors were creating a bigger threat than Alty at this stage but Ross had been untroubled before brought into enaingful action by a fierce shot from Walker from the right, which he saved (32 mins).

However, play now switched to the other end where Alty won two corners in three minutes. The first was won by Eddy Jones at the end of a promising build-up and the second was won by Haygarth off keeper Walker (35 mins).

The last ten minutes of the half brought no serious threat of a goal and therefore the interval was reached goalless. The first half had been fairly even, though arguably the visitors had slightly edged the attacking momentum.

No personnel changes were made at the break. For Alty, Newby won an early corner (49 mins) after which Crawford had a shot blocked (50 mins) but play was fairly scrappy at this stage.

A slip by Osborne led to a Bradford corner from which the ball was recycled and crossed into the box where Cook headed comfortably over the bar (53 mins).

Around the hour mark, each side won a corner. Newby hit Alty's corner to the keeper whilst the visitors' flag-kick also came to nothing (62 mins).

Play was now to be disrupted by a succession of substitutions by both sides. The process started with Reddin and Golden replacing Nuttall and Eddy Jones for Alty (66 mins).

At the same time five of the visitors' substitutes came on, they were Richards, Smallwood, Kavanagh, Oliver and Shepherd, who replaced Halliday, Byrne, Jamie Walker, Cook, Smith and Pattison.

Three minutes later, Wilson replaced Osborne who passed the armband to James Jones (69 mins). The procession continued as new signing from Stockport, Sarcevic, replaced Jamie Walker for the Bantams (76 mins).

A further disruption to play arrived when Weaver and German came on in place of Amaluzor and Haygarth (77 mins). Weaver replaced Amaluzor who had moved to spearhead the attack when Nuttall had gone off.

Next it was the visitors' turn to make a change as Young replaced Pointon (79 mins).

Following an excellent block by James Jones the visitors won a corner, with six minutes of normal time remaining but this produced no danger.

The substitutions continued with the sixth such interruption in play in little more than a quarter of an hour as Newby was replaced by Thompson who was given just seven minutes of normal time to display his skills (83 mins).

Bradford enjoyed some pressure in the closing minutes before a seventh substitution break brought Hussain and Bailey onto the pitch in place of Banks and Cooper (87 mins)>

Three added minutes produced a Bradford corner but, in a game of very little action for both keepers, the match ended as a goalless draw.

Once again Altrincham looked to have little bite up front but were solid at the back.