Depleted Altrincham started well at Yeovil, winning four corners in the opening ten minutes, but Yeovil grew into the game and took a 33rd minute lead when Oluwabori's cross was headed in by defender Williams, with the aid of a deflection off Sassi.

It remained one-nil to The Glovers at the interval.

Despite seeing plenty of the ball, Altrincham could not find an equaliser whilst the hosts relied on the occasional counter-attack. So the Robins dropped to eighteenth in the table after four successive defeats.

SCORERS:

• 33 mins: Morgan WILLIAMS (Yeovil Town 1 ALTRINCHAM 0)

REFEREE: Mr Wayne Cartmel

ATTENDANCE: 2,607 (64 in away section)

TEAM NEWS:

Already depleted before arrival in Somerset by three suspensions (Weaver, Golden and Reddin), Alty found themselves further weakened by the absences of Crankshaw (personal matters), Barnes (injured) and Gale (ill). With Cooper seemingly still not deemed fit to start, Billy Sass-Davies yet to be fit enough to be in a squad, they could name just four substitutes. The only bright spot was the return of Crawford from suspension.

As well as Crawford, into the eleven came Reed, Kirk and,for his first start of the season, Kosylo, whilst Osborne dropped to the bench for unknown reasons. Osborne was the only substitute to have started a league match this season whilst the other three had just one substitute appearance of four minutes (plus added time) between them this season.

In contrast, a buoyant Yeovil were unchanged for their starting eleven after a 4-1 win in midweek at Aldershot. Kyle Ferguson faced his former team, playing at the heart of the Glovers' defence, whilst Matt Gould was on the bench.

LINE-UPS:

YEOVIL TOWN (Green & white hooped shirts, white shorts and green socks) : 1. Jed Ward, 6. Jake Wannell (c), 26. Kyle Ferguson, 4. Morgan Williams, 18. James Plant, 8. Luke McCormick, 5. Finn Cousin-Dawson, 17. Andrew Oluwabori, 19. Josh Sims, 7. Junior Morias, 29. Tahvon Campbell. Subs: 22. Matt Gould, 21. Harvey Greenslade, 2. Byron Pendleton, 3. Alex Whittle, 9. Aaron Jarvis, 10. Ben Wodskou, 14. Brett McGavin

ALTRINCHAM (Black shirts with yellow diagonals, yellow shorts and socks): 30 Luke Hutchinson, 2. Lewis Banks, 34. Dan Sassi, 4. Lewis Baines, 3. Sam Reed, 22. Tom Crawford, 10. Keaton Ward, 8 Isaac Marriott, 14. Matty Kosylo, 40. Charlie Kirk, 11. Jimmy Knowles. Subs: 5. Jake Cooper, 6. Elliot Osborne, 27. Louie Fallon, 18. Owen German

Altrincham had suffered four red cards in their previous three games, all of which had been defeats, albeit all to clubs in the play-offs or top place. Yeovil started three places higher in 13th after a 4-1 away win in midweek at Aldershot.

REPORT:

Altrincham belied their depleted personnel resources by starting brightly and winning four corners and a couple of throw-ins inside the first ten minutes. From the first corner, the home keeper, Ward, was forced into a save and from the fourth corner, Knowles volleyed wide from 18 yards.

Yeovil responded with two corners of their own (12 mins), with Baines heading the latter clear.

The Glovers then went close to taking the lead as Oluwabori hit the Altrincham bar (17 mins) after a good move started at the back by Ward.

Next, a Baines foul gave the hosts a freekick and earned Altrincham's captain a second booking of the campaign (20 mins). However, McCormick could only hit the Alty wall from his freekick.

After Alty's bright start, Yeovil were now getting the upper hand and it took an impressive block by Sassi to halt Morias (27 mins).

The Glovers soon won a corner (31 mins), followed by a throw but nothing came of these. Afterwards, Oluwabori put in a cross from the right which was glanced home by the head of Morgan Williams via a slight defelection of Sassi which wrong-footed Hutchinson (33 mins).

Yeovil won three more corners before the interval as they finished the half having been the better side overall, despite their slow start. However, Alty did win a corner themselves in the 43rd minute from which Sassi shot narrowly wide. As the 45th minute ticked by, Kosylo was booked for a high foot which had caught Campbell's head (45 mins).

Five minutes of added time did not alter the 1-0 scoreline.

If Alty had started the first half the better, it was Yeovil who set the early pace after the interval. Alty survived a scramble after Hutchinson had made a fine save when Banks had to clear off the line with a header (49 mins). Yeovil then won a corner but their priority seemed to be to retain their lead rather than add to it as Morias was booked for timewasting (54 mins).

However, Altrincham then enjoyed a better spell, though Reed's shot went high over the bar before a Kosylo cross did better and earned a corner (63 mins).

Midway through the half, Yeovil responded to their own loss of impetus by making a change as striker Jarvis replaced Campbell and Worrell was replaced by Whittle (67 mins).

For Alty, Kirk was beginning to show a little of the form that had induced Phil Parkinson to sign him in the summer and it was his cross which now won a corner (69 mins). From this, Banks got a free header at the back post but Ward made a fine reactive save.

Another home change now took place, with McGavin replacing Morias, whilst for Altrincham Osborne came on for Kosylo (70 mins)

Whilst not looking particularly dangerous, Altrincham were still in the game before Knowles turned smartly and fired narrowly wide (72 mins). With the hosts not being particulalrly adventurous, play was not indicative of two teams in good form.

With ten minutes left another Yeovil change brought on Greenslade for Oluwabori.

From a freekick awarded against Yeovil for a foot-up offence against Banks, the freekick came to Sassi who, again, was only narrowly wide of the target as his effort went past the post (83 mins). Most of Alty's better chance came to their defenders today.

Just after a Yeovil freekick for an Osborne foul had come to naught, three added minutes were decreed. Alty did win a corner in that added time and, also, Knowles fluffed a half-chance (90+2 mins), the Robins were unable to find an equaliser. So, they fell to a fourth successive defeat and, as a consequence, a drop of five places to eighteenth in the league table.