An Altrincham squad, lacking seven first-teamers, took a twenty-fifth minute lead when an unnecessary foul by Fagan-Walcott led to Osborne's freekick from the left touch-line. Beyond the back post Baines nodded the ball from the freekick back across the goalmouth where it struck Stones and diverted into the net. So it was 0-1 at the interval.

York upped the tempo after the interval and equalised in the 49th minute when Hunt was allowed too much time and scored from twenty yards.

The home side then dominated for a spell but gave away a second goal to Altrincham when Osborne's ball into the box saw goalkeeper Male come out to gather, only to allow substitute Amaluzor to nip in ahead of him and guide the ball into the net, seemingly off his chest (75 mins).

After Alty had spurned a couple of decent chances, York had an effort cleared off the Alty line and hit the bar but the visitors generally defended competently to record an excellent win.

The win was achieved without Luke Weaver, presumably unfit, as well as five medium to long-term absentees (Crankshaw, Marriott, Ross, Olson and Wilson). In addition, loanee Kian Taylor who missed the weekend game through illness was also not involved here.

The result meant that Alty had now won nine and drawn one of their last ten matches against the Minstermen.

SCORERS:

• 25 mins: OWN GOAL (Stones) (York City 0 ALTRINCHAM 1)
• 49 mins: Alex HUNT (York City 1 ALTRINCHAM 1)
• 75 mins: Justin AMALUZOR (York City 1 ALTRINCHAM 2)

Luke Weaver was available after being cup-tied for Saturday's FA Trophy defeat but he was not in the squad again for this match, presumably injured. Alty were also without five medium to long-term casulaties (Crankshaw, Marriott, Ross, Olson and Wilson), as well as loanee Kian Taylor who missed the weekend game through illness and, again, was absent tonight.

Altrincham made three changes from their defeat at Rochdale as James Jones, Matty Kosylo and Justin Amaluzor were replaced in the starting eleven by Isaac Marriott, making his first appearance in eight league games, Jake Cooper and Joe Nuttall. Kosylo and Amaluzor were named on the bench, however.

For York, former Alty loanee Tyrese Sinclair, and former player Jeff King were in the squad; Sinclair started but King was on the bench.

LINE-UPS:

YORK CITY (Red shorts, blue shorts, white socks): 1. Harrison Male, 5. Callum Howe, 7. Tyrese Sinclair, 8. Alex Hunt, 10. Ollie Pearce, 15. Marvin Armstrong, 18. Daniel Batty, 21.Cameron John, 23. Joe Felix, 24. Josh Stones, 28. Malachi Fagan-Walcott. Subs: 16. Rory Watson, 14. Lenell John-Lewis, 17. Lewis Richardson, 19. Billy Chadwick, 20. Ricky Aguiar, 29. Junior Luamba, 31. Jeff King.

ALTRINCHAM (Aquamarine shirts and socks, white shorts): 26. Rob LAINTON, 2. Lewis BANKS, 5. Jake COOPER, 4. Lewis BAINES (c), 23. Tylor GOLDEN, 6. Elliot OSBORNE, 8. Isaac MARRIOTT, 22. Tom CRAWFORD, 9. Regan LINNEY, 10. Alex NEWBY, 24. Joe NUTTALL. Subs: 11. Justin AMALUZOR, 14. Matty KOSYLO, 20. Kahrel REDDIN, 15. Regan GRIFFITHS, 21. Caleb ANSEN (gk), 32. Kacper PASIEK. 29. Jake BICKERSTAFF

Altrincham arrived after two successive defeats; at home to AFC Fylde in the League and away at Rochdale in the FA Trophy. At kick-off in the LNER Stadium they were seventh and York lay second in the tbale.

Since losing at York in 2019, Alty had met the Minstermen six times, four of which had been away from home, and had won five times and drawn once in that sequence.

REPORT:

York got the game under way and, inside a minute, had the first shot, by Batty, but it did not trouble Lainton, who was making his Alty league debut, as the ball flew wide of his right upright.

Alty responded with Linney getting forward on the left and forcing Male to punch away his shot (2 mins). Five minutes later a Pearce cross was nodded to Lainton by Pearce, followed by another switch to the other end as Osborne's effort narrowly cleared the bar (8 mins).

Stones then delayed a freekick without sanction before the fairly lively opening settled into more mundane fare with City passing the ball, largely laterally, but making little meaningful progress up the field.

When Pearce now fed John, his shot from the left was on target but Lainton saved it, albeit punching the ball away rather than gathering it (13 mins).

A York corner followed but this came to nothing. However, York were dominating possession as Stones received a lecture for another indiscretion but Felix's long shot, which went wide, was the nearest to any goal threat (20 mins).

Having been largely playing in their own half, Altrincham won a freekick when Fagan-Wallcott heedlessly fouled Joe Nuttall, on the left touchline midway inside the York half. Osborne's freekick found Baines, just beyond the back post. His header back into the goalmouth diverted off Stones and into the corner of the net to give the visitors a 0-1 lead (25 mins).

As the game passed the half-hour mark, York were still often being ponderous in their build ups, playing the ball sideways repeatedly. More direct was Regan Linney who advanced, this time on the right, to win a corner (31 mins). However, from Osborne's corner, Crawford headed comfortably wide.

Next, Banks conceded a foul, 25 yards out, but Hunt's effort came to nothing (34 mins). Likewise a subsequent Alty corner from the left was unfruitful (37 mins).

As half-time approached, Lainton unsuccessfully tried to punch clear a York cross but collided with Cooper instead, with a goalkick the outcome (41 mins).

Next, Stones got himself a booking for repeated foul play (43 mins) before Altrincham rode out three added minutes despite twice giving the ball away in that additional time.

York were back on the pitch earlier than Altrincham and they also started the second half on the front foot, despite Alty having kicked off through Newby.

Showing an increased tempo compared with their first-half display, the Minstermen got an early reward when they levelled the score in the 49th minute. A ball was fed from the left to Hunt saw the York man allowed space by Marriott. This permitted him to turn and shoot firmly past Lainton into the upper reaches of the net, as the keeper dived to his left.

Alty gained some relief when a defender allowed the ball to go out of play expecting a goalkick, only for Mr O'Connor to award a corner from the left (54 mins).

Lainton was then almost closed down as he dallied on a clearance but the keeper soon did better by making a decent save from a Hunt freekick (56 mins).

John-Lewis now came on for Armsgtrong (57 mins). Next, following a corner, Hunt sliced wide from 20 yards.

York were on top, aided by Altrincham repeatedly losuing possession cheaply before Phil Parkinson made a change, withdrawing Marriott, who is returning to full fitness, in favour of Amaluzor (61 mis).

Alty then wasted a freekick from a promising position just outside the box as Osborne tried to feed Linney. A foul by John on Amaluzor now earned the York man a yellow card (63 mins).

Banks, and then Newby, both lost the ball cheaply before York made another swap with Luamba replacing ex-Alty loanee Sinclair, and former Alty man Jeff King coming on for Batty (66 mins).

After this, Altrincham survived an almighty scramble in their own box before Lainton finally gathered the ball (70 mins). On 72 minutes, Alty brought on Bickerstaff for Nuttall and Alty soon began to enjoy a little more momentum.

A little after Linney had released a shot from 22 yards, which Male had beaten out, Osborne played an excellent diagonal ball to his right into the box, as he spotted an astute diagonal run into the box by Amaluzor. Goalkeeper Male came out to gather but Amaluzor reached the ball just ahead of the York number one and the ball went into the net off the Altrincham winger's right-chest/shoulder area to restore Alty's lead (75 mins).

Almost immediately, there was a great chance to make it 1-3 when Amaluzor fed Bickerstaff but a combination of a miskick and a closing defender saw the opening disappear (78 mins). At the other end, King fired high and wide (79 mins) before Lainton was harshly booked for timewasting at the resulting goalkick.

Linney then won the ball but was unable to capitalise on this before York's Pearce got forward and Cooper had to clear off the line, with a corner following (81 mins). Alty now took off Linney and broyught on left-back Pasiek (81 mins). From the corner, York hit the bar with Lainton beaten (83 mins).

Osborne picked up a yellow card (85 mins) before Alty got forward to keep York at arm's length as the clock headed to the 90-minute mark.

Five added minutes included a dangerous ball across the goalmouth by Pearce (90+2 mins) and a shot over the bar from Stones (90+4 mins) as Altrincham rode out the closing stages to secure a win and York endured their tenth successive failure to beat Altrincham at home or away.