Despite telegraphing their view of the importance of the FA Trophy by making ten changes from their last league game, it was Barnet who deservedly led 1-0 at the interval. They had taken the lead in the 16th minute when Alty failed to clear their lines and Browne poked a shot into the net.

Alty were much better in the second half and soon levelled after the break when Newby advanced on the right and the ball found its way to Crawford, who swept a low shot into the net (51 mins).

It was Crawford, again, who put Alty ahead in the 70th minute. Goalkeeper Evans came out to punch the ball through a ruck of players only for the ball to drop to Crawford who netted again. In the process Olson was injured as the keeper came out and the centre-back needed treatment before he completed the match with a bandaged head.

Barely a minute after coming on as a substitute, Joe Nuttall had a simple task of netting the third goal after Crankshaw had advanced to his right through Newby (86 mins).

SCORERS:

• 16 mins: Rhys BROWNE (Altrincham 0 Barnet 1)
• 51 mins: Tom CRAWFORD (Altrincham 1 Barnet 1)
• 70 mins: Tom CRAWFORD (Altrincham 2 Barnet 1)
• 86 mins: Joe NUTTALL (Altrincham 3 Barnet 1)

Following their last game, Altrincham made two changes. One change was to replace the suspended Matty Kosylo and the other was to replace the presumably injured George Wilson.

In their places, James Bickerstaff and Isaac Marriott started. Ollie Crankshaw made a welcome return on the bench after injury where Kacper Pasiek was also named, having joined on loan from Preston North End.

Dropping out of the squad was Lucas Weaver as Joe Nuttall returned after his lay off.

Barnet made ten changes, a clear statement of their priorities this season, in which the FA Trophy ranks well behind thri goal of clinching a promotion place. Clifford was the sole survivor from their New Year's Day fixture.

The Bees named only six players on the bench as they opted to rest virtually all of their first-team squad.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, white socks): 1. Ethan ROSS, 2. Lewis BANKS, 4. Lewis BAINES (c), 31. Charlie OLSON, 23. Tylor GOLDEN, 8. Isaac MARRIOTT, 6. Elliot OSBORNE, 22. Tom CRAWFORD, 10. Alex NEWBY, 9. Regan LINNEY, 29. Jake BICKERSTAFF. Subs: 5. Jake COOPER, 7. Ollie CRANKSHAW, 16. James JONES, 20. Kahrel REDDIN, 24. Joe NUTTALL, 32. Kacper PASIEK, 30 Harvey RANDLE (gk).

BARNET (Purple & white shirts, white shorts, black socks) : 13. Owen EVANS, 2. Reece HALL-JOHNSON, 5. Joe RYE, 8. Rhys BROWNE, 9. Nicke KABAMBA, 11. Idris KANU, 19. Mark SHELTON, 21. Billy CLIFFORD, 23. Joe GRIMWOOD, 30. Joe KIZZI (c), 32. Jordan CROPPER. Subs: 6. Jerome OKIMO, 24. Patrick MATEJKO, 17. Zak BRUNT, 27. Shane MAROODZA, 34. Max RINDER, 36. Rohat MATYAR

Altrincham had endured a blank Boxing Day owing to Rochdale's waterlogged pitch. Howedver, Barnet had played and secured a draw at Eastleigh.

Altrincham's last four ties in the FA Trophy had produced just one Altrincham goal and each game had been decided by a penalty shootout!

• 2022-23: Semi-Final v FC Halifax Town (Home) 1-1... Altrincham lost 2-3 on pens after 9 spot-kicks
• 2023-24: Round 3: v FC Halifax Town (Away) 0-0... Altrincham won 6-5 on pens after 14 spot-kicks
• 2023-24: Round 4: v Kidderminster Harriers (Away) 0-0... Altrincham lost 2-4 on pens after 9 spot kicks
• 2024-25: Round 3: v Macclesfield FC (Home) 0-0... Altrincham won 4-2 on pens after 8 spot-kicks

REPORT:

Barnet kicked off towards Golf Road and inside 30 seconds a crude challenge by Kizzi on Linney earned the hosts a freekick. But it was Barnet who landed the first shot as Browne's effort went narrowly wide (3 mins).. Indeed it was Barnet who started the game the better, earning the match's forst corner through Cropper (9 mins).

For their part, Altrinchm's first corner was earned by Linney (13 mins). That, in turn, led to a second corner but a goalkick was the outcome (14 mins).

When the referee failed to award a freekick for a clear foul on Osborne just inside the visitors' half on the main stand side, the resulting move by Barnet, switching the ball to the right, culminated in a goal. In its making, Altrincham had two opportunites to clear from inside their own box but failed to do so and a lay-off gave Browne a simple goal to put his side ahead (16 mins).

Moments later it almost became 0-2 as Kabamba poked an effort narrowly wide, which earned a corner from a deflection (18 mins). In fact, this was to be the first of three Barnet corners in succession and a fourth was to follow sonn afterwards, this time off Olson (22 mins).

Alty responded with a well struck twenty-five yard effort from Golden which was pouched by Evans (24 mins).

The home side's improvement coninued with a trademark drift in from the left by Linney but, on this occasion, his fierce shot flew across the face of gosl rather than into the far corner of the net (29 mins). When Crawford was penalised for a challenge on Hall-Johnson it was Newby who, for some reason, picked up a yellow card, presumably for dissent (30 mins).

For Barnet, Kanu had been lively on the left and was combining well with Kabamba but now Altrincham were enjoying some prolonged possession and at the end of a multi-pass move, Golden fired narrowly wide (37 mins).

At the other end, Hall-Johnson went close from a Browne feed (38 mins). Two minutes later Newby completely miscued a shot very wide of the target (40 mins). But play switched again and when Kabamba got the better of Olson his shot from left of goal was well blocked, low at the near post by Ross, at the cost of a corner (41 mins).

The half ended with Altrincham winning two corners, one either side of the display of one added minute's play by the fourth official.

Barnet went off for the interval just about deserving their narrow lead, their performance having belied their selection as their club's "second string".

Altrincham kicked off towards their favoured Golf Road End. The sides traded forward momentum as Newby was seen off in the Barnet box, before Cropper got upfielded to cross a ball which Ross intercepted. Then an Alty freekick was cleared to Olson who, falling backwards, lifted his effort over the bar (49 mins).

Soon afterwards, Newby got into the right of the box and his lay-off presented Crawford with an opening, of which he took advantage to score with a low shot to make it 1-1 (51 mins).

There was brief concern when Ross dived ona low ball and was caught by an opponent's boot but the keeper soon recovered (54 mins).

An end to end spell included a booking for a Barnet player before, just after the hour mark, the Bees won a corner.

Throughout the game the Bees' newly signed goalkeeper, Evans on loan from Cheltanham, had shown a propensity to play confidently with his feet well outside his penalty area, now ended up trying to dribble the floor near his own corner flag and conceded a freekick for which he was booked (65 mins).

Next, after an apparent foul on Olson was decreed by Mr Bancroft merely to be a throw-in, Olson was booked poreumably for dissent (67 mins).

The first substitution of the game saw Linney surprisingly withdrawn in favour of Crankshaw who had made just 2(+5) appearances this season through injury (69 mins).

Moments later a ball lofted into the Barnet box saw Evans come out to punch clear in a nelee of players. But the ball fell for Crawford to convert with an excellent lob-shot which gave his side a 2-1 lead (70 mins). Olson had been pole-axed by the keeper's punch and needed several minutes' treatment to a head injury. Eventually he recovered to complete the game swathed in a head bandage

As Olson was treated, Barnet brought on Brunt for Browne (72 mins). Bizarrely the referee repeatedly signalled to the touchline to stop Olson returning to the game even though the statutory 30 seconds seemed to have ben well exceeded.

Alty withstood some moments of Barnet pressure before Maroodza replaced Cropper for the visitors (80 mins).

With six minutes remaining a cramped Marriott was replaced by Pasiek and Nuttall came on for Bickerstaff (84 mins).

Some ninety seconds later Nuttall was presented by Crankshaw with little more than a tap-in, which made it 3-1 (86 mins).

Evans, who had already been booked and had become a pantomime villain for his role in Olson's injury, now elicited the further disapproval of the Golf Road End as he ran across to the linesman to protest about the third goal

Brunt was then booked for a foul on Crankshaw as time ticked away (89 mins) and six added minutes were then announced. Alty wound down the clock with the help of two corners which allowed them to keep the ball upfield (94 mins).

So Altrincham progressed to Round Five of the FA Trophy with an ultimately deserved win after a much imprpved second-half showing.