A third red card in three games cost Altrincham dear in a match where they deserved at least a point. And after the match a fourth red was shown.

Alty started the game brightly before the visitors got the upper hand and took the lead after 27 minutes when former Fylde man Nick Haughton struck a superb freekick into the net off the inside of the post from 20 yards.

But with Kahrel Reddin again excelling, they equalised five minutes later when the winger finished off a slick Alty move (32 mins).

Alty were more than a match for FGR up to the hour mark. Then, Golden was booked for a foul on McAllister (61 mins). However, before the freekick could be taken Golden was booked again; he was shown a red for reasons that were not immediately clear, and Altrincham were left with ten men.

They resisted FGR pressure with goalkeeper Hutchinson making several excellent stops before they conceded a 76th minute goal from a corner which Innis powered home with a header.

But after making substitutions Alty finished the game strongly, with substitute Reed excelling. But a second equaliser could not be found.

At the end, Robbie Savage's provocative and gratuitous fist-pumping as he faced the main stand was just the sort of facile behaviour opposition supporters have come to expect from him. Also after the final whistle it is believed that Reddin was shown a red card.

SCORERS:

• 27 mins: Nick HAUGHTON (ALTRINCHAM 0 Forest Green Rovers 1)
• 32 mins: Kahel REDDIN (ALTRINCHAM 1 Forest Green Rovers 1)
• 76 mins: Ryan INNISS (ALTRINCHAM 1 Forest Green Rovers 2)

REFEREE: Mr Aaron Jackson

ATTENDANCE: 1,529 (183 in away end)

TEAM NEWS:

Alty had two players unavailable through suspension following recent red cards; Lucas Weaver and Tom Crawford.

Lewis Baines returned to the starting eleven as captain, and Keaton Ward also rejoined the eleven.

As well as the missing Crawford, Sam Reed dropped to the bench. On the bench in came Owen German, recently recalled from his loan at Alfreton. It was the eighth time over three seasons that Owen had been named on the bench in the National League but he had yet to get on the pitch.

For FGR Kanu and Cardwell dropped out of the squad. In the starting eleven, Taylor-Moore returned as captain and ex-Fylde man Nick Haughton came in as well

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red shirts with white pinstripes, black shorts and white socks): 30 Luke Hutchinson, 23. Tylor Golden, 2 Lewis Banks, 34. Dan Sassi, 4. Lewis Baines, 6. Elliot Osborne (c), 10. Keaton Ward, 8 Isaac Marriott, 7. Olly Crankshaw, 20 Kahrel Reddin, 11. Jimmy Knowles. Subs: 3. Sam Reed, 5. Jake Cooper, 14. Matty Kosylo, 40. Charlie Kirk, 27 Louie Fallon, 9. James Gale, 18. Owen German

FOREST GREEN ROVERS (Lime green shirts with white sleeves and black leopard print, pale green shorts and socks) 1. Luke McNicholas, 11. Tom Knowles, 5. Ryan Inniss, 21. Tre Pemberton, 15. Jordan Taylor-Moore (c), 25. Harry Whitwell, 6. Laurent Mendy, 7. Kyle McAllister, 8. Nick Haughton, 18. Isaac Moore, 29. Kairo Mitchell. Subs: 26. James Balagizi, 3. Neil Kengni, 12. Fiachra Pagel (gk), 14. Jayden Clarke, 16. Harvey Bunker, 27. Adriel Walker, 37. Jose Marquez.

Having lost to now second-placed Carlisle United on Saturday, Altrincham next faced the unbeaten league leaders at the J. Davidson Stadium.

After suffering more than two and a half inches on Saturday the pitch had recovered and was in excellent condition.

REPORT:

Altrincham kicked off attacking the away end and, within 30 seconds, Kahrel Reddin had been brought down for an Alty freekick.

He recovered and, following the freekick, he got to the bye-line but his cross was blocked (2 mins).

Indeed, Altrincham started very brightly and, soon a move on the left culminated in a shot over the bar from Crankshaw (4 mins). Then, another impressive Altrincham move saw Crankshaw, Golden and Reddin involved in setting up the inoming Banks for another shot which went over the bar (6 mins).

More slick build-up play from Alty followed but, this time, Crankshaw's miscontrol ended the move. Soon Reddin was fouled again, a recurent thme of the game. This time it was by Knowles, well after the ball had gone, but play-on was permitted and Crankshaw got in a shot which wa saved (12 mins).

It had been an excellent flowing start to the game from Altrincham but, next, FGR's Knowles got past Reddin and Marriott to win a corner on the left (13 mins). Following this a stoppage ensued as a FGR shot had hit Golden on the head.

After awarding a freekick on the left for a foul on Whitwell by Marriott, the referee spoke to both captains before coming to the technical area to address the managers. It was unclear what had happened but it later emerged that there had been an inappropriate comment made, presumably by a spectator.

When play resumed FGR won another corner as they began to get the upper hand after being largely on the defensive from kick-off (19 mins).

Then, Sass-Davies lost possession and Haughton played a one-two before forcing a good save from Hutchinson who shovelled the shot away (22 mins).

Moments later, Haughton threatened again as he hit a powerful shot from just outside the left corner of the box which Hutchinson did brilliantly to divert under his crossbar (23 mins).

The visitors' pressure continued as McAllister gained a corner, a throw-in and finally a dubious freekick awrded on the front endge of the box. Not to be denied a third time, Haughton hit this freekick superbly into the net off the inside of Hutchinson's left post to give his side the lead (27 mins).

The Rovers players had to be summoned back to the restart of the game, having decamped en masse to the technical area in the interim.

Osborne played a superb long ball to Crankshaw, on the left, and he laid the ball off for the overlapping Golden to feed the ball in from the left for Reddin to finish comfortably from close range (32 mins).

FGR responded with a header over the bar from a corner won by Knowles (36 mins). Another foul by Knowles on Reddin, off the ball, again went unpunished with the card it deserved (40 mins).

As half-time approached Alty laid pressure on the visitors as Reddin won a corner (42 mins).

In the last of the three added minutes Crankshaw, from a Reddin feed, forced a decent save from McNicholas. So ended as good a forty-five minutes of football seen at Moss Lane so far this season.

At the interval, Moore was subbed by Clarke for the visitors.

Rovers threatened first with Mitchell prompting a superb one-handed save from Hutchinson at the cost of a corner (48 mins).

Altrincham then created a chance of their own with another run by Reddin but his cross was mis-controlled by Knowles (51 mins). It was Reddin, yet again, who started the next move, which ended with Golden winning Alty a corner three minutes later.

Altrincham were more than holding their own against the league leaders as Reddin got in another unconverted cross.

The first booking of the match came for Osborne for a foul (59 mins). Then, when Golden fouled McAllister a couple of minutes later he, too, was cautioned.

Before the freekick could be taken, some 30 yards from Alty's goal, on the FGR right, Golden was shown a red card for reasons that were not clear (61 mins). It was the third successive match in which Alty had suffered a dismissal (61 mins).

Alty readjusted by bringing on Reed to occupy Golden's vacated left-back position, with Ward the man withdrawn (65 mins).

It took a brilliant save, low down, by Hutchinson to prevent what looked like a certain goal for Mitchell as FGR dominated at this stage (68 mins).

Altrincham now replaced Crankshaw, with Knowles moving from striker, where he had got little change, to left wing (69 mins).

Pemberton was booked (70 mins) before Whitwell forced another fine save from Hutchinson which led to a corner (72 mins). This was followed by another corner before Rovers made a double change as Kengni and Marques replaced Pemberton and McAllister (75 mins).

From the left-sided corner Inniss powered home an unchallenged header to give Rovers the lead (76 mins)

The goal had been coming but ten-man Altrincham responde positively with Reed, in particular, making an impression with several skilful runs up the left. From one of these, he fed Knowles who was taken out by Whitwell who was booked (78 mins).

When Reddin was fouled yet again, this time by Haughton, the ex-Fylde man escaped a card (80 mins). Following Osborne's freekick, Knowles's cross found Gale at the near post but, from close range, he could only put the ball over the bar (80 mins).

Bunker now joined the game in place of Haughton (82 mins). Four minutes later Altrincham made a triple swap as Kirk, Kosylo and German (making his league debut) replaced Reed, Marriott and Osborne (86 mins).

When Knowles tripped Gale, he too escaped a card (87 mins) before five added minutes were announced. FGR survived a strong handball appeal in their box as Alty's ten men powered forward. A corner was won but wasted (90+2 mins) before Rovers made a late change with Balagizi replacing Mitchell (90+4 mins).

A deflected Reed shot, saved by McNicholas, signalled the end of Altrincham's resistance (90+6 mins).

Before the sending-offof Golden Alty had looked well set to take something from the game but a third red card in ten days was a burden too much to overcome. Seemingly, Reddin was also shown a red card after the final whistle, details of which were unclear but which added to Altrincham's woe.

Manager Robbie Savage's gratuitous goading of the home crowd after the whistle was unedifying if not out of character.