In a match played in dreadful conditions, and of consequently low quality, Altrincham were unable to take advantage of playing againt ten men for three-quarters of the game. Without Tom Crawford, Eddy Jones, Lewis Baines and flu-victim James Jones, Alty's starting eleven laboured to master the strong wind and driving rain as well as their opponents.

A feisty Macclesfield side won few admirers amongst the home supporters and they had their captain Dawson sent off (23 mins) after Reddin and Osborne had been felled in quick succession and a melee had ensued in midfield in which Kosylo appeared to be elbowed.

With the game goalless at ninety minutes a penalty shoot-out took place at the Golf Road End. Macc saw their first effort saved by Ross and their fourth spot-kick hit the bar, allowing Regan Linney to despatch them with the home side's fourth successful conversion to win 4-2.

SCORERS:

• None in the game itself. For penalty shoot-out details, see end of match report

At kick-off, Altrincham were by no means at their strongest with James Jones, Eddy Jones, Joe Nuttall and Tom Crawford all missing from the squad entirely, as well as long-term absentees Amaluzor, Haygarth and Crankshaw. James Jones was said to have flu but the reasons for the absence of the others were unknown, although manager Parkinson had referred before the match to "niggles" picked up by some players in midweek.

So Alty were only able to muster five players on the bench.

Compared with the side that faced York City in their most recent league game, three changes were made. As mentioned James Jones was out, captain Lewis Baines was only named on the bench and Joe Nuttall was not involved, possibly because his parent club Oldham Athletic did not want him cup-tied.

Into the starting eleven came both of today's centre-backs; Jake Cooper and newly re-signed loanee Charlie Olson. Also joining the starters was Kahrel Reddin. In the absences from the starting line-up of sometime captains Baines, Marriott and James Jones, the armband was worn by Elliot Osborne.

Macclesfield named three players on their bench who had worn the Altrincham stripes; Sam Heathcote, Dontai Gabidon and Danny Whitehead, whilst assisting Head Coach Robbie Savage in the technical area were former Robins' stalwarts Peter Band and John McMahon.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and white socks): 1. Ethan ROSS, 2. Lewis BANKS, 15. Jake COOPER, 31. Charlie OLSON, 23. Tylor GOLDEN, 19. George WILSON, 6. Elliot OSBORNE (c), 14. Matty KOSYLO, 20. Kharel REDDIN. Subs: 4. Lewis BAINES 8. Isaac MARRIOTT, 15. Liam HUMBLES, 29. Jake BICKERSTAFF, 30 Harvey RANDLE (gk).

MACCLESFIELD FC (All blue) 1. Max Dearnley, 2. Tre Pemberton, 3. Neil Kengni, 4. John Rooney, 5. Laurent Mendy, 6. Paul Dawson (c), 7. Alex Curran, 8. James Edmondson, 9. D'Mani Mellor, 10. Dany Elliott, 11. Luke Duffy. Subs: 12. Lewis Fensome, 14. Brandon Lee, 15. Dontai Gabidon, 16. Danny Whitehead, 18. Justin Johnson, 19. Sam Heathcote, 20. Edy Maieco.

Storm Darragh was assaulting the country before and throughout this match. Despite the storm producing swirling rain, the pitch was to hold up well. The rain, combined with a strong and gusty wind, meant that the conditions were not only ruinous for the quality of the game but they also meant that the Silkmen's supporters were throroughly drenched in the uncovered away end.

Before the match, a presentation was made at pitch-side by co-chairman Bill Waterson to long-serving kitman John Skelhorn, who has now retired from his duties.

REPORT:

Macc kicked off with the wind and rain blowing into their faces as they attacked the Golf Road end.

The game's first corner was won by Altrincham (3 mins) and it was soon evident that the match would be riddled with mistakes given the difficulty in judging passes in the gusty conditions.

Soon after Linney had got to the bye-line, but had been shepherded out of play by Kengni, play switched and Macclesfield won their first corner (9 mins). They were to win a second corner (16 mins) as the game stumbled on in the rain and wind. Indeed, the visitors were giving at least as good as they got, winning a third corner after 30 minutes.

Ross missed the ball as this corner went across the box but he retrieved the situation with a smart block from a goalbound shot from the right. However, corner number four was the outcome as Alty were second best at this stage (21 mins).

When Mr Ricardo chose not to penalise a foul on Reddin near halfway, his inaction was followed immediately by Osborne being crudely chopped down just a few feet away from the prostrate Reddin. Mayhem ensued as players went for each other, an elbow being thrown at Kosylo in the melee. In the aftermath of the contratemps, the referee showed a red card to the Silkmen's captain Dawson who was reluctant to leave the pitch. Edmondson was also booked for his role in the episode (23 mins).

It took Robbie Savage and Peter Band several minutes to decide on how to react to the dismissal of their captain but they finally opted to replace the unfortunate Curran by Fensome (27 mins).

With the extra man, Alty enjoyed more possession and earned three corners before and after the half-hour mark, the latter two being dreadful efforts by Newby for which the wind was only a partial excuse. Between the first and second of the trio, Wilson did strike a firm shot from 25 yards which the keeper beat out.

Macc rsponded with a corner of their own, soon afterwards, as Alty laboured to make their extra man count. The hosts did win another corner before the break (42 mins) but this came to nothing. As the players left the field one of the Maccplayers gratuitously barged into the back of an Alty man and a minor fracas ensued in the tunnel.

It was now Altrincham's turn to play into the wind and rain, albeit with a man advantage. However, it was the visitors who won the half's first corner (50 mins).

Macc's belligerence continued when Golden saw the ball out for a goalkick only to be deliberately barged in the back afterwards by Pemberton. Even the otherwise laissez-faire referee saw fit to show a yellow card to the offender (54 mins).

Altrincham now enjoyed a spell on top, winning corners through Banks and then Reddin, but nothing came of these though the second did produce a looping header from Olson which clipped the top of the crossbar (61 mins).

Johnson then came on for Macclesfield in place of Elliott (62 mins).

Alty's frst substitution soon followed with Bickerstaff replacing Reddin (66 mins). Arguably the best and perhaps even the only real chance for Alty, so far, arrived on 70 minutes with a ball across the box from Linney on the left which Newby somehow contrived to fail to convert from close range.

When Marriott replaced Wilson (76 mins), the young midfielder looked less than happy as he stomped off the pitch. Alty were still labouring to impose themselves on the ten men though Banks should have done better to convert a cross at the back post before Kosylo earned an 83rd minute corner.

When a Macc effort cleared the bar and landed in the away end crowd, some kind visiting supporter deliberately threw the ball out of the ground into the Chequers housing estate (85 mins).

As the ninety-minute mark approached, the Silkmen got forward but it was Regan Linney who earned the game's next corner with a low shot from the left which Deaenley shovelled round his near post (89 mins).

And, in the final minute of the ninety, a Linney shot deflected off a defender onto the crossbar. As Alty pressed for a late winner Bickerstaff opted to allow a ball to run out for a corner when he might have been better served to play the ball to a team-mate in the goalmouth.

Three added minutes were played before the game thankfully went straight to penalties to spare the long-suffering spectators the misery of a further half hour of error-ridden football induced by the adverse weather.

Macclesfield had given a good account of themselves in terms of performance against higher-ranked Altrincham who, without several first-choice players, were not at their best. But the Silmen's indiscipline cost them dear and they might have been subject to further recriminations from a more strict referee.

The penalties were taken at the Golf Road end, with the visitors going first...

1. Ross saved the first spotkick by Whitehead 0-0
2. Elliot OSBORNE scored off the crossbar 1-0
3. Duffy netted for Macclesfield 1-1
4. Alex NEWBY scored confidently to the keeper's right 2-1
5. Mellor levelled with a shot into the upper reaches of the net 2-2
6. Lewis BANKS's effort was saved by the keeper, low to his left, but the ball squirmed out of his hands and over the line. Almost exactly the same had occurred when Banks converted a penalty against Blackburn Rovers PL2 earlier this season 3-2
7. Johnson struck the bar 3-2
8. Regan LINNEY clinched the tie 4-2