Altrincham fell behind in the fourteenth minute when Lainton, who was having a nervy game, conceded from a corner, the unmarked Golding being the scorer.

The Alty keeper redeemed himself with two excellent saves before Bonne made it 2-0 after a Banks slip (38 mins).

Half-time found Alty still trailing 2-0 after a very disappointing showing in the first 45 minutes.

Alty started the second half in much improved fashion and won four corners in six minutes.

Altrincham then pulled a goal back on the hour mark when Linney finished well before Southend quelled the revival by the visitors. But Golding's error gave Linney a late chance which he fluffed, his effort clearing the bar (88 mins).

Despite seven added minutes, in which Altrincham applied pressure, they could not get an equaliser with Linney missing a good chance.

SCORERS:

• 14 mins: James GOLDING (Southend United 1 ALTRINCHAM 0)
• 38 mins: Macauley BONNE (Southend United 2 ALTRINCHAM 0)
• 60 mins: Regan LINNEY (Southend United 2 ALTRINCHAM 1)

Altrincham made one change to the starting eleven and also made a single alteration on the bench.

Into the starting eleven came Justin Amaluzor, at the expense of Joe Nuttall, who moved to the bench. A surprise on the bench was the inclusion of George Wilson who had missed the previous nine league fixtures with injury. Out of the squad went Regan Griffiths. Luke Weaver remained an absentee from the squad.

Alty were also without four known casulaties (Crankshaw, Ross, Olson, James Jones) as well as Luke Weaver whose absence is for unknown reasons.

Southend United made three changes and named only six substitutes, owing to injuries. Into the first eleven came Gubbins, Parillon and Hopper, replacing Bridge, Walker and Goodliffe.

LINE-UPS:

SOUTHEND UNITED (Dark blue shirts and shorts, with yellow trim, and white socks) 1. Nick Hayes, 2. Gus Scott-Morriss, 16. Harry Taylor, 18. James Golding, 15. Joe Gubbins, 19. Leon Chambers-Parillon, 21. Tom Hopper, 22. Kenan Appiah-Forson, 23. James Morton, 24. Charley Kendall, 9. Macauley Bonne. Subs: 4. George Wind, 8. Noor Husin, 10. Danny Waldron, 32. Anssi Jaakkola (gk), 7. Jack Bridge, 11. Josh Walker.

ALTRINCHAM (Red and white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 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, 19. George WILSON, 21. Caleb ANSEN (gk), 32. Kacper PASIEK. 29. Jake BICKERSTAFF

This was Altrincham's fifth away game in their last six league fixtures, with another game away from home to follow in midweek.

REPORT:

After Altrincham had kicked off, the game got off to a quiet start before Linney won the game's first corner, off Taylor (6 mins). After this, Newby glanced a header wide from a Marriott ball (7 mins).

When Lainton almost got stranded out of his goal, Appiah-Forson put an effort high over the bar, fortunately for the visitors (10 mins)

Alty had another scare when Lainton was unable to get to a cross with Hopper threatening (12 mins). The Alty keeper's uncertain start continued as a Southend shot was deflected wide with him flat-footed, a corner resulting (13 mins).

The corner proved costly as an unmarked Golding headed in unchallenged at the back post to make it 1-0 (14 mins).

Altrincham did not react well to falling behind as Southend applied pressure on their goal. The hosts threatened again two minutes after taking the lead and when Osborne lost possession, Bonne hit the sidenetting (23 mins).

Another Osborne error led to another Bonne effort, which also went wide (25 mins).

Soon after this, Lainton redeemed himself with a good save from Hopper, albeit a corner resulting (26 mins). Then Banks was closed down and Kendall got into the box to win a corner (28 mins).

Lainton soon made another good save at the cost of Southend's third corner in a four-minute spell (30 mins).

Altrincham remained on the back foot before a foul on Golden relieved the pressure and allowed Newby a pot at goal from 27 yards. But Newby's freekick effort cleared the bar (37 mins).

Play immediately switched to the other end as Hayes's long goalkick allowed an unchallenged Bonne to score from the left at Lainton's near post to make it 2-0 (38 mins).

Altrincham almost immediately got forward as Golden fed Linney whose shot hit the crossbar (39 mins).

As the interval approached a foul on Amaluzor earned Hopper a booking (44 mins). Then, Osborne lost possession once again, in added time, which led to a Shrimpers freekick. But the score remained 2-0 at the interval with Altrincham having been very much second-best.

After, no doubt, a stern talking-to at the interval, Altrincham started the second half much better and with an increased tempo. They won four corners in the opening six minutes though Amaluzor picked up a card in the middle of that sequence for a foul on Appiah-Forson (49 mins).

After the fourth corner, Newby fired disappointingly over the bar. On 56 minutes the visitor brought on Wilson for Marriott in midfield, as one player returning from injury replaced another.

As the hour mark approached Linney steered a fine left-footed shot from the right into the upper reaches of the far corner of the net to give Altrincham a lifeline at 2-1 (60 mins).

Next, from a corner, a Baines header forced a save (63 mins). At the midway point of the half Scott-Moriss abd Linney clashed with the Southend man having to be restrained by his team-mates with Linney seeming to be accused of throwing an elbow at the Southend man (67 mins).

However, the referee saw no foul and play briefy resumed before Kevin Maher made a double change for his side. Wind and Husin were brought on for Gubbins and Kendall (69 mins).

By now the impetus shown by Alty since half-time had largely dissipated and they were grateful to see Bonne spurn a good opening (72 mins).

Linney was clearly wound-up and it looked as if his current nine yellow cards were about to be converted into a suspension-inducing tenth. The home crowd were on his case following his earlier run-in with Scott-Morriss.

Altrincham made a double change now, with Reddin and Bickerstaff replacing the out of sorts Osborne, and also Amaluzor (75 mins).

The changes meant that Linney moved to the left where the home crowd could bait him more intensely.

Play was now wound down by the hosts as they made two changes separated by a couple of minutes. The changes brought on, first, Waldron in attack (79 mins) before Walker came on for Parillon (81 mins).

Then Altrincham made a change of their own with Kosylo taking over from Newby (84 mins).

Altrincham had a great chance to make it 2-2 when Golding's error let in Bickerstaff who laid the ball off to Linney but he fired wastefully over the bar (88 nins).

George Wilson was doing his best to prompt a late equaliser as seven added minutes were announced.

Southend survived claims for a penalty when Golden went down (90+2 mins) and a corner won by Reddin increased the pressure on the home side (90+3 mins).

Baines won a late corner (90+4 mins) but the visitors were incapable of snatching a late equaliser in a game which had been lost by their poor first-half performance.