Altrincham went into their midweek clash at home to Tamworth, lying nineteenth in the league having lost their previous four matches. And a ninth defeat in 13 outings this season left them twentieth at the evening's end.

The Robins were still without the suspended Golden and Reddin as well as Barnes (concussion), Crankshaw (personal matters), Sass-Davies (injured) and Cooper (presumably unfit despite being an unused sub last Saturday). Just five were named on the bench.

Altrincham enjoyed more of the first-half possession but it was Hutchinson who was the busier keeper whilst his counterpart Jasbir Singh, at the other end, was virtually untested. Mis-passes also dogged the Alty performance before the break.

However, Alty did take the lead after 59 minutes when the incoming Banks headed home a corner from the right, taken by Osborne.

But Andy Peaks's triple substitution, after 72 minutes, altered the momentum of the game and the Lambs duly equalised when ex-Alty man Kennedy Digie headed home a corner in the 81st minute.

Not content with a point, Tamworth went forward again and, five minutes after equalising, they went ahead. Hutchinson punched away an aerial ball but it fell to Bates on the edge of the box and his low shot found its way into the net.

SCORERS:

• 59 mins: Lewis BANKS (ALTRINCHAM 1 Tamworth 0)
• 81 mins: Kennedy DIGIE (ALTRINCHAM 1 Tamworth 1)
• 86 mins: Alfie BATES (ALTRINCHAM 1 Tamworth 2)

REFEREE: Mr Harrison Blair

ATTENDANCE: 1,341 (71 in away section)

TEAM NEWS:

The previous Saturday Altrincham had been without the suspended Weaver, Golden and Reddin as well as Barnes (concussion), Crankshaw (personal matters) and Gale (ill), not to mention longer-term absentee Sass-Davies.

In addition Jake Cooper, who was named on the bench on Saturday, had yet to take to the field this season.

For this game against Tamworth, only Weaver of the remaining trio of red-carded players had completed his ban and was available for this game, for which he was named on the bench. However, Barnes and Crankshaw were still unavailable and, curiously, Cooper who had been named on the bench last Saturday but had not taken to the pitch, was omitted from tonight's substitutes' bench.

Gale returned to the starting eleven at the expense of Ward. He was one of just five substitutes named for this match; Alty only managed to name four on the bench on Saturday at Yeovil.

In contrast, Tamworth arrived with one of the most settled starting elevens in the league, with no fewer than four players having started all twelve previous league games this season and three more having just missed one start!

The Lambs also have an experienced squad with four of the above seven being aged 32 or older.

Amongst their squad were three players who, before tonight, had not missed a minute all season; they were ex-Alty man Digie, goalkeeper Singh and defender Fairlamb.

However, Tamworth made two changes tonight. One change from their last match was the omission from the squad of the prodigious long-throw exponent, Tom Tonks. Another change was the absence of Roberts. Into their places were drafted Sayer and Mols, who had been substitutes last time out. Goalkeeper Phillips and forward Ponticelli came into the squad in their place.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red shirts with white pinstripes, black shorts and white socks): 30 Luke Hutchinson, 2. Lewis Banks, 34. Dan Sassi, 4. Lewis Baines, 3. Sam Reed, 6. Elliot Osborne, 22. Tom Crawford, 8 Isaac Marriott, 40. Charlie Kirk, 11. Jimmy Knowles, 9. James Gale. Subs: 10. Keaton Ward, 14. Matty Kosylo, 27. Louie Fallon, 17. Lucas Weaver, 18. Owen German

TAMWORTH (All pale blue) 1. Jasbir Singh, 11. Luke Fairlamb, 26. Haydn Hollis, 5. Kennedy Digie, 15. Kwaku Donkor, 10. Beck-Ray Enoru, 8. Ben Milnes (c), 6. Alfie Bates, 7. Harvey Sayer, 14. Stefan Mols, 27. Oliver Lynch. Subs: 18. Jordan Cullinane-Liburd, 19. Tom McGlinchey, 9. Manny Duku, 16. Joe Riley, 12. Joe Rye, 21. Leon Phillips (gk), 38. Jordan Ponticelli

Altrincham had lost their previous four games whilst, in contrast, Tamworth had been unbeaten in their most recent four league fixtures. In fact, they had lost just once in their eight most recent National League games.

Alty started the night in 19th place whereas the Lambs lay eleventh, six points better off than their hosts

REPORT:

Altrincham kicked off towards the away end on a dry and mild evening at the J. Davidson Stadium.

Inside thirty seconds Kirk had a shot saved, which was to prove an exceptional occurrence in the rest of the gsme.

At the other end, Sayer's wild shot from 30 yards easily cleared the bar (3 mins). But a minute or so later Hutchinson was called into action after Lynch had got behind Banks and he forced an important save from the Alty keeper at his near post (4 mins). Alty then sruvived a Tamworth long throw though, with Tonks absent, it was not as long a throw as one of his famed projectiles.

End to end play continued as Crawford fed a Reed overlap and the resulting cross was just inches away from Crawford's head in the goalmouth (7 mins).

The game was being played at a good pace but, when Gale was clearly held right in front of the linesman, no flag was raised. The same linesman, moments later, was clearly guessing when the ball went out of play and he delayed his flag inordinately before raising it unconvincingly.

Altrincham were getting the upper hand as, next, Gale was unable to convert a Crawford corss from the right (13 mins). But, for the third time already in these opening stages, Alty gave away possession cheaply which allowed Enoru into the box where he forced a second important stop from Hutchinson (18 mins). Two more mis-passes followed in quick order before Alty rallied to win a corner, which came to nothing (19 mins).

Knowles was the next to give the ball away allowing Enoru to run fifty yards until Sassi made an important block at the cost of a corner (23 mins). Alty responded with a corner which was won from a Reed freekick (26 mins).

Alty did now get a sight of goal as the half-hour mark approached but, from it, Kirk hit a poor effort over the bar (29 mins). A foul in midfield by Bates on Gale, as he turned past the Tamworth man, earned him a deserved card (32 mins).

The Robins got forward to earn another corner as they continued to enjoy more of the attacking play but without seriously threatening to score (36 mins).

In fact, they won a further two corners as the interval approached but Singh had remained untroubled since his save in the first minute of the game (42 mins). No added time was played as the half ended goalless.

Although Tamworth kicked off, it was Alty who won an early corner, through Knowles (47 mins) Digie was also booked at this stage. Two minutes later Gale wasted an opening as he fired over the bar from twelve yards (49 mins). Soon afterwards it was Crawford's turn to miss the target as he steered a shot wide of the upright.

However, Crawford seemed to have made amends shortly afterwards when he headed home a cross from the right but the goal was ruled out by the officials (56 mins).

Soon after this, Tamworth gained their second corner of the half before a foul on Kirk gave Altrincham a freekick, thirty yards out, from which Osborne gained his side a corner. Taken by Osborne from the right, the incoming Banks met it with a firm header into the net to give Altrincham the lead (59 mins).

Altrincham looked fairly comfortable for the next ten minutes without themselvs threatening another goal but, just after Sayer had shot narrowly wide from 18 yards, Andy Peaks made a triple substitution, which included the removal of the number seven. He gave way to Duku, whilst McGlinchey and Ponticelli also came on, replacing Enoru and Mols (72 mins).

The changes induced more forward momentum for the visitors before Crawford shot well wide from 30 yards (76 mins). The Lambs' increased forward threat soon brought them a corner on the right, taken by Milnes. Digie rose unchallenged towards the back post to head home against his former club and make the score one apiece (81 mins).

Alty's profligacy in front of goal continued as Knowles lifted an effort over the bar (83 mins). Moments later Riley replaced Milnes (84 mins) befores the Alty defence was opened up as Lynch got behind Reed and into the box leading to Duku winning a corner from a deflection, which took the ball over the bar.

Following the corner, Hutchinson punched the ball out towards the edge of the box, where Bates struck a low shot which somehow found its way into the net in front of the delirious Tamworth supporters (86 mins).

Seven added minutes had been computed in which Tamworth went forward rather than sitting on their lead. Duku got himself booked (90+4 mins) before Ward's well-struck shot flew narrowly wide (90+5 mins)>

But it was Tamworth who ended on the front foot, winning two late corners to see out time, for which the whistle blew in the 98th minute.

Altrincham had seen plenty of the ball and had half a dozen reasonable openings but wayward shooting, combined with cheap losses of possession and, at times, porous defending left them facing a ninth defeat in thirteen outings this season, as they ended the night in twentieth place.