A much improved second-half performance from Altrincham saw them come back from a 0-1 deficit to earn a well-deserved victory against their visitors who find themselves with just a single win from eight outings this season.

The "U"s took the lead after 22 minutes. The goal came after Hutchinson had punched a cross comfortably clear only for the visitors to recycle it. With Banks policing the near post, there seemed little danger but Nadesan poked the ball into the far corner of the net.

After bringing on Crawford and Barnes at the interval, Altrincham largely dominated the second half and they equalised early on with Knowles's deft header from a recycled Osborne corner (52 mins).

The winner came after Reed had won possession and, via Knowles, Golden and Reddin, Crawford's deflected shot hit the bar but Gale was on hand to score a goal which he deserved for his tireless chasing of the ball throughout the match, though he should also have converted at least one of a couple of earlier chances (80 mins).

SCORERS:

• 22 mins: Ashley NADESAN (ALTRINCHAM 0 Sutton United 1)
• 52 mins: Jimmy KNOWLES (ALTRINCHAM 1 Sutton United 1)
• 80 mins: James GALE (ALTRINCHAM 2 Sutton United 1)

REFEREE: Mr Richard Aspinall

ATTENDANCE: 1,604 (77 in away section)

TEAM NEWS:

Altrincham were unchanged after their fine midweeek win at Gateshead. However, there were two changes on the bench as Crawford and Reed returned, replacing Kosylo and Raymond, the latter having gone on loan to Witton ALbion.

Sutton manager Steve Morison was serving a touchline ban today, whilst players Kane Crichlow and Dillon De Silva were unavailable due to international duty. However, Liam Vincent had completed his three-match ban.

So he and Aaron Jones came in to the eleven, replacing Eccleston and Njoku. Ogbonna also started but a late change, after the team sheets had been issued, saw Pruti replaced by Harris.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red shirts with white pinstripes, black shorts, white socks): 30 Luke Hutchinson, 2 Lewis Banks, 34. Dan Sassi, 4. Lewis Baines (c), 23, Tylor Golden, 6. Elliot Osborne, 8 Isaac Marriott, 11. Jimmy Knowles, 20 Kahrel Reddin, 10 Keaton Ward, 9 James Gale. Subs: 3. Sam Reed, 7. Olly Crankshaw, 22. Tom Crawford, 24. Sam Barnes, 17. Lucas Weaver, 27 Louie Fallon, 40. Charlie Kirk.

SUTTON UNITED (All yellow): 1. Jack Sims, 3. Liam Vincent, 23. Jayden Harris, 5. Harry Phipps, 17. Aaron Jones (c), 16. Jack Taylor, 24. Noa Boutin, 8. Lewis Simper, 20. Jack Wadham, 10. Ashley Nadesan, 18. David Ogbonna. Subs: 21. David Aziaya (gk), 6. Siju Odelusi, 31. Adam Reeves, 33. Mehmet Akay Halim, 26. Junior Eccleston, 34. Brandon Njoku, 14. Edon Pruti.

Altrincham had enjoyed an impressive midweek win at Gateshead whereas Sutton had allowed a lead to slip as they were defeated at home by Boreham Wood.

REPORT:

Altrincham kicked off towards the away end but the game started uneventfully and fairly evenly.

A Simper freekick earned the match's first corner, off Gale, but this came to nothing (8 mins).

Alty soon put together an excellent move which ended in a low cross from Reddin from a Banks feed, but the ball was fielded by keeper Sims (13 mins).

Two evenly matched sides were cancelling each other out before a fine through ball from Ward set Gale chasing towards goal but Sims slid out of his box to clear the ball (18 mins).

From a Sutton throw from their right, Hutchinson punched well clear but the visitors regained possession and the ball was worked to the left of the penalty area where Banks seemed to have the post covered. However, Nardesan managed to hook the ball across the keeper to find the far side of the net and give the "U"s the lead (22 mins).

Following the restart, Knowles turned smartly but, as he threatened to get clear, he was tripped by Jones, who was booked.

Ward's resulting freekick won his side a corner (25 mins). From this Osborne had a shot blocked after which Simper was allowed to run 60 yards and was only halted on the edge of the box.

Sims now sat down to prompt a tactical touchline conference for both sets of players (28 mins).

Reddin was looking Altrincham's most threatening outlet but, after Hutchinson had held a Boutin cross, it was Banks who fed Gale for a shot from the right which he hit well but the keeper held it at the near post (33 mins).

After Marriott had conceded a foul near halfway, Harris dawdled ridiculously and was warned by the referee. He then stupidly just tapped the ball a short distance instead of passing it to the waiting freekick taker and, quite rightly, the referee booked him for timewasting with some eight minutes still to elapse before half-time.

Harris's bizarre behaviour continued as he now left the pitch to change his boots whilst his team-mates dallied accommodatingly over taking a throw-in. If Sutton seriously thought they could wind down the clock for another hour of playing time, it was a questionable strategy.

Reddin was looking dangerous whenever he got the ball and, next, he won a freekick off Boutin.

A good Sutton move then won the visitors a corner off Baines as the visitors remained comfortable with their lead (42 mins). And the "U"s went on to win two more corners in added time as Altrincham struggled to create a serious threat of an equaliser.

Alty needed shaking up and manager Parkinson did just that, making two changes for the second half as Crawford and Barnes replaced Ward and Baines.

However, it was Sutton aho started the better with a snap shot from Harris which flew narrowly wide (46 mins).But Altrincham soon improved on their first half lethargy as Osborne, Banks and Reddin combined before the last named's cross was headed over the bar by Crawford (48 mins). Next Reddin won Alty a corner (51 mins)._

Taken by Osborne, the corner found its way back to him and his cross was smarlty headed home by Knowles to make it 1-1 (52 mins).

Reddin then won a freekick, being bowled over by Boutin as he advanced, the offender being booked (55 mins).

First Sims and, moments later, Vincent went down for treatment which prompted another tactical workshop for the players in the technical areas (60 mins). The second halves of games are becoming increasingly staccatto with stoppages every few minutes for substitutions and injuries, (real and simulated), not to mention the normal fare of stoppages for freekicks and throw-ins.

Altrincham were now on top but the next stoppage saw Banks, who had not missed a minute all season, being replaced by Reed (64 mins). So Golden shifted to right-back as Reed slotted in at left-back.

At the same time Harris was replaced by Njoku for the visitors.

Crawford then beat his man on the left, which led to Knowles having a shot which was blocked (69 mins). Gale, whose endeavour was not matched by his finishing, then wasted a great chance after Knowles had played an excellent ball to him (68 mins). Crawford's influence continued as he now won a corner (72 mins).

Ecclestone then replaced captain Jones for the "U"s, with Phipps assuming the captaincy (73 mins).

Alty continued on the front foot, gaining another corner (75 mins), whilst Hitchinson remained untroubled at the other end.

Next, Odelusi came on for Sutton's Ogbonna (77 mins) but after a scrappy passage of play, Reed advanced on the left and, via Knowles and Golden, the ball came to Reddin whose pass found Crawford. His effort was diverted by Sims onto the crossbar, from where it dropped for Gale to convert from close range and give Altrincham the lead (80 mins).

Soon after this, Crawford was tripped on the front edge of the box. However, Osborne's freekick was hit into the wall as Altrincham dominated (84 mins).

Reddin soon forced a save, after winning the ball (87 mins), before Alty made two very late changes with wingers Weaver and Kirk coming on for Reddin and Knowles (89 mins).

Eight added minutes were announced in which Reddin was deservedly announced as Man of the Match.

There was a curious incident when Reed and Ecclestone came together near halfway wth Mr Aspinall awarding the freekick to the visitors before consulting his fourth official, nearby, and reversing his decision and booking the Sutton substitute (90+2 mins).

Sutton applied some late pressure but they could find no way through for an equaliser as Altrincham ran out deserved winners, though it had taken a much improved performance after the interval to make this possible.

When the day's fixtures had been completed they found themselves in the play-offs in seventh palce. But this is arguably a false position given that six of the clubs below them have a gam or more in hand and can overtake them.