With their three first-choice centre-backs (Baines, Cooper and Sass-Davies) all out injured, Altrincham were forced to field two trialists at the heart of their defence for this match. And when they found themselves three down after barely half an hour it seemed they could be in for a drubbing.

But despite numerous changes of personnel during the game, they steadied the ship and kept the score down to 1-3.

Alty fell behind after six minutes when a defensive mistake by Drysdale allowed Berry to advance on goal and smash the ball past Hutchinson in the home goal.

An error by Crankshaw allowed Sillah to get into the box where he was bundled over to win a penalty. Berry beat Hutchinson from the spot so it was 0-2 after 16 minutes.

Then, trialist centre-back Drysdale was outmuscled by Sillah but managed to divert his shot over the bar for a corner. Following the corner, on the right, the ball came back out to the taker, Powell. His shot from right of goal was well saved by Hutchinson but the ball ran for Hanks to make it 0-3 (31 mins).

Just before half time Altrincham got a goal back as Osborne scored a fine gosl from 20 yards, leaving the half-time score 1-3.

And so it remained at the final whistle.

SCORERS:

• 6 min: Adam BERRY (ALTRINCHAM 0 Nottingham Forest "B" 1)
• 16 min: Adam BERRY (penalty) (ALTRINCHAM 0 Nottingham Forest "B" 2)
• 31 min: Justin HANKS (ALTRINCHAM 0 Nottingham Forest "B" 3)
• 45 min: Elliot OSBORNE (ALTRINCHAM 1 Nottingham Forest "B" 3)

REFEREE: Mr Mike Crusham

ATTENDANCE: 934

TEAM NEWS:

Altrincham were without their trio of first-choice centre-backs (Baines, Cooper and Sass-Davies), so were obliged to start with two trialist centre-halves. One was Declan Drysdale who had started the previous two friendlies and tthe other was identified by supporters as 19 year-old Ben Lomax of Port Vale.

Also missing from Alty's squad today was Kahrel Reddin, though he was present at the game.

So the three changes from Tuesday night were the inclusion of trialist Lomax for Baines at left-sided centre-back; Kirk for Reddin and Osborne for Crawford.

Osborne took over as captain and Weaver returned to the squad.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Black shirts with yellow diagonals, yellow shorts and black socks): 1. Luke Hutchinson, 2. Lewis Banks, 4. Ben Lomax (trialist), 5. Declan Drysdale (trialist), 23. Tylor Golden, 6. Elliot Osborne (c), 8. Isaac Marriott, 24. Olly Crankshaw, 7. Charlie Kirk, 10. Keaton Ward, 9. James Gale. Subs: 21. Louie Fallon, 3. Sam Reed, 14. Tom Crawford, 11. Jimmy Knowles 12. Remi Raymond, 15. Joel Bailey, 17. Lucas Weaver, 18. Matty Kosylo.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST "B" (Red shirts and socks, white shorts): 1. Keehan Willows, 2. Jimmy Sinclair, 3. Josh Powell, 4. Justin Hanks, 5. Jack Thompson (c), 6. Ben Hammond, 7. Krostian Clarke, 8. Archie Whitehall, 9. Lamine Sillah, 10. Adam Berry, 11. Jamie Newton. Subs: 1. Luke Campbell, 14. Cherif Baba Yaya, 15. Esapa Osong, 16. Cormac Daly, 17. Shae Cahill, 18. David Modupe, 19. Frank Djamma, 20. Alfie Bradshaw.

This was Altrincham's sixth and final pre-season game but just their second outing at home, after two wins and two defeats on the road, followed by a home draw the previous Tuesday. Both defeats had been against National North clubs.

Altrincham wore their new away kit, whilst Forest appeared in their traditional red shirts. The "B" side is the group which plays the club's PL2 fixtures. They finished 15th in the 26-strong PL2 last season.

Forest's "B" team is managed by Warren Joyce, once a familiar figure at Moss Lane when he was with Manchester United whose junior teams played at the venue.

REPORT:

After the teams had changed ends, Altrincham kicked off towards Golf Road on a sunny afternoon with a gentle breeze.

Forest boss Warren Joyce was vocal from the start whilst his counterpart Phil Parkinson was much less animated in his technical area, roles which were to be largely reversed in the second half.

The visitors took a sixth-minute lead when trialist Drysdale, some 25 yards out, miskicked an apparent pass back to his keeper only for Forest's Berry to be left unmarked and advancing into the left of the box before scoring comfortably past Hutchinson.

Altrincham remained largely penned in their own half before things got worse for Altrincham.

Next, Crankshaw lost possession some 25 yards out and the bustling Sillah advanced into the box before going down under a challenge inside the box.

The referee did not immediately award a penalty and seemed to seek guidance from his assistant before signalling a spot-kick. Hutchinson dived the right way but Berry's shot beat him to make it 0-2 (16 mins).

At last, Altrincham created a decent chance but, when Gale turned and got in his shot, it went low and wide of the keeper's right upright (18 mins).

After a Nottingham corner had come to nothing, Whitehall tripped Gale 25 yards from the visitors' goal.

Osborne laid off the freekick to the nearby Ward who hit a superb shot towards the top corner of the net where Willows impressively tipped the ball away and a corner resulted, Alty's first of the match (23 mins).

When Lomax lost possession near halfway the visitors advanced into the Altrincham box but the danger was halted (26 mins)> Alty's improvement continued as Gale fed Marriott who was brought down very close to the right side of the penalty area (28 mins). The freekick did lead to a corner but no threat to the Forest goal.

But there wa soon danger at the other end asSillah got the better of Drysdale and shot at goal, winning a corner on the process. From the right, Powell's corner came back to him and he fired at goal. Hutchinson made a fine save, diving to his right, but the loose ball found Hanks who made it 0-3 (31 mins).

Altrincham responded as a swerving Gale thunderbolt from 18 yards was beaten out by Willows (36 mins).

Newton's poor challenge on Banks, who was dependable as ever, was followed by a Kirk cross which Drysdale headed at keeper Willows (39 mins).

At the other end, a mis-pass by Crankshaw allowed Whitehall a shot at goal from 25 yards (42 mins).

In the final minute of the first half Altrincham got a goal back as Osborne curled in a fine shot from the edge of the box to make it 1-3 (45 mins).

Alty made two interval changes as Knowles replaced Osborne and Knowles came on for Gale. Banks assumed the captaincy as a consequence. Manager Phil Parkinson was now vocal in his technical area but, before the hour mark, there was nothing much in the way of goal threats.

However, a bad foul on Crankshaw by Hanks earned the Forest number four a deserved card (60 mins).

Alty were now making more of a game of it than in the first half and when Lomax fed Ward he dragged his shot disappointingly wide (62 mins).

Lomax then did well, again, with a fine tackle on Sillah as he threatened to get free inside the Altrincham box.

On 65 minutes Weaver replaced Kirk and a minute later Forest brought on Osong and Modupe for Clarke and Sillah.

There was a further stoppage as Altrincham made another five changes (71 mins). Fallon replaced Hutchinson in goal, whilst other changes introduced Bailey (for Drysdale), Kosylo (for Marriott), Raymond (for Ward) and Reed (for Golden).

Two Alty corners soon followed and, from the second, Crawford, beyond the back post, fired a shot which hit the outside of the far upright (74 mins).

Forest now made a change in goal as Campbell replaced Willows, also Cahill replaced Sinclair and Yaya came on for Hanks (79 mins0.

Next a good run up the right by Weaver ended in a cross-cum-shot which had no end-product (80 mins).

Alty laboured for a second goal but it was not be be. The last change of personnel saw Forest's Djamma replace Hammond (86 mins).

A 3-1 home defeat and having to field a team shorn of three injured centre-backs did not sugur well for Alty's league season opener next Saturday. Hopefully there will be an upturn in player availability before the visit of Aldershot Town in seven days' time.