With Interim MaAnager Neil Gibson having made five changes from the eleven who started at Slough on Saturday, Altrincham were indebted to one of those restored to the side, goalkeeper Luke Hutchinson, for a series of excellent saves which kept out Boston who laid siege to the Altrincham goal in the second half. The loanee keeper had returned to the side for this game after serving a mandatory absence for concussion.

However, the game started less impressively than it finished for the young keeper when his poor clearance put a team-mate under pressure and possession was lost leading to a penalty when Hiwula was brought down. But Hutchinson made amends with a magnificent save from the same player from the spot-kick (32 mins).

Just a couple of minutes later Kahrel Redddin earned Altrincham a penalty which Osborne, only playing because his red card on Saturday had been rescinded, converted comfortably (36 mins).

Apart from Reddin, Alty looked far from potent going forward whilst Boston mounted increasing pressure on the home goal. Hutchinson excelled with at least four fine saves after the break and Alty also had to survive a couple of strong penalty appeals.

But the Robins hung on to record their first league win in nine games and their first win in thirteen against any side in a ninety-minute match.

SCORERS:

• 36 mins: Elliot OSBORNE (penalty) (ALTRINCHAM 1 Boston United 0)

REFEREE: Mr Matthew MacQuillan

ATTENDANCE: 1,273 (126 in away section)

TEAM NEWS:

Neil Gibson made five changes from the starting eleven which had lost at SLough four days earlier.

In came Gale, Hutchinson, Kosylo, Crawford and Kirk who had all started on the bench at Slough; they replaced Fallon, Marriott, Crankshaw, Ward and Knowles who replaced them on the sidelines tonight.

Four of Altrincham's first-team squad had previously played for Boston United; they were Sam Reed, James Gale, Keaton Ward and Jimmy Knowles.

However, Reed, along with Ethan Ross, Sam Barnes, Lewis Banks, Billy Sass-Davies and Matty Waters remained sidelined by injury but Elliot Osborne was available after his red card at Slough last Saturday had been overturned on appeal.

Richards replaced Sloggett in the Boston starting eleven. On the eve of the match, Boston had signed Norwich forward Ken Aboh on loan and he was named on the bench, where Ging dropped out and Norcott had been loaned out since the weekend. Into the squad came Maguire, John-Lewis, as well as Aboh.

Former Alty trialist, centre-back Zak Mills, captained the Pilgrims.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red shirts with white pinstripes, black shorts and white socks): 30. Luke Hutchinson, 34. Dan Sassi, 4. Lewis Baines (c), 5. Jake Cooper, 23. Tylor Golden, 6. Elliot Osborne, 22. Tom Crawford, 40. Charlie Kirk, 14. Matty Kosylo, 20. Kahrel Reddin, 9. James Gale. Subs: 8 Isaac Marriott, 7. Olly Crankshaw, 10. Keaton Ward, 11. Jimmy Knowles, 21. Jack Hinchy, 27. Louie Fallon (gk)

BOSTON UNITED (Black shirts and socks, pink shorts) 1. Rhys Lovett, 17. Alex Lankshear, 5. Zak Mills (c), 18. Tommy Fogarty, 40. Marcel Lavinier, 25. Liam Waldock, 19. Jordan Richards, 8. Dylan Hill, 15. Matty Carson, 16. Jordy Hiwula-Mayifuila, 11. Kieren Donnelly. Subs: 7. Rocco Coyle, 13. Harry French (gk), 24. Ken Aboh, 2. Ben Grist, 3. Michael Kelly, 10. Frankie Maguire, 24. Lenell John-Lewis

DAZN streaming requirements had moved this fixture back 24 hours to a Wednesday night.

This match was interim manager Neil Gibson's third fixture in charge and followed a goalless draw in the league at Braintree Town and a 2-1 defeat in the FA Cup at Slough Town since his appointment less than a fortnight ago.

It was Altrincham's thirteenth attempt to secure a win inside ninety minutes, following a run of eight ENL games without a win and four cup competition games without a victory in regulation time.

Alty had won their FA Cup replay at Harborough Town but that was only after extra-time and was a victory gained against a much lower ranked club which had played since the seventh minute with ten men.

Boston lay thirteenth before this week's midweek games. Altrincham had yet to defeat any team lying currently in the top fourteen places, having taken just a single point in nine fixtures against such clubs.

After a fairly wet week, the sprinklers were nevertheless applied copiously before kick off.

This fixture was the fourth of the season, so far, to be moved to accommodate the DAZN streaming service. Being Bonfire Night, numerous firework displays were visible and audible around the J. Davidson Stadium. Nevertheless, for a midweek game in November, Boston had brought good numbers to Altrincham for this game.

However, the rival attractions of family fireworks, Manchester City playing on TV, the change of date for the game and a run of poor form from the hosts, meant that the overall attendance at Moss Lane was the poorest since a Tuesday night in September, 2024 when Dagenham & Redbridge visited. On that occasion only 52 Daggers fans had travelled so the home contingent tonight was lower in number than on that occasion.

REPORT:

After a wet week, the sprinklers were nevertheless employed before kick off. There was also a minute's silence pre-match, presumably for Remembrance Day, though Altrincham are marking that date more formally at their next Saturday home game on 15 November.

After Altrincham had kicked off, defending the Golf Rpad end, it was Boston who started the brighter of the sides. Indeed, they had won a corner inside thirty seconds and enjoyed much of the forward momentum in the opening five minutes. However, in the sixth minute, an astute ball from Crawford allowed Reddin to get to the bye-line and put in a low cross from the right which flew across the Boston goalmouth unconverted.

Crawford and Reddin were soon involved, again, as the latter's shot rebounded to Gale, but the striker could not take advantage, shooting wide (9 mins).

The visitors were not afraid to commit petty fouls to hinder Altrincham and, from a resulting freekick by Kirk, from the right, a bullet-header from Crawford hit the back of he net but was ruled out, presumably for offside. (23 mins).

After reviewing the incident on a laptop at pitchside, Neil Gibson had words with the fourth official, a conversational pairing which was to become a regular feature throughout the game, with assistant manager Lee Jones also the recipient of the fourth official's "guidance" on several occasions.

However, a poor clearance by Hutchinson now put his team-mate, Hutchinson, receiving the ball under immediate pressure and possession was lost. This led to Hiwula getting into the box on the Boston left where he was brought down by Crawford as he atempted to make up for his loss of the ball (31 mins). Hiwula himself took the penalty kick but, diving low to his right, Hutchinson saved the spot-kick brilliantly (32 mins).

A dreadful mis-pass in midfield by Boston gave the ball to Reddin and he raced into the right-hand side of the box where Hill brought him down. Again it was a clear penalty decision for Mr McQuillan to make. Elliot Osborne took responsibility and sent Lovett the wrong way to give Altrincham the lead (36 mins).

Five minutes later Reddin, on defensive duty, thought he was guiding the ball out for a goalkick only to find a corner had been awarded. This was cleared but with all eleven home players in their own box, there was no outlet upfield to enable Altrincham to retain possession.

Five added minutes were computed but the score remained 1-0 at the interval.

Boston continued to dominate the corner count (47 mins) as the visitors had the better of the opening stages, just as they had in the first half.

Play was not of a great standard overall before Boston made a double change with Frankie Maguire and Lenell "Shop" John-Lewis replacing Waldock and Hiwula (54 mins).

After this Altrincham created a great chance as Reddin found Kirk but his shot flew miles over the bar (55 mins). Gale then charged down goalkeeper Lovett's attempted clearance and the keeper was relieved to paw the ball out for a corner, Altrincham's first of the night, one of only two corners won in what was to become 110 minutes of playing time this evening.

A foul on Gale earned Fogerty a yellow card (59 mins) and, as play drifted on, an adjacent spectator commented accurately to his neighbour, "there's not much quality in this game".

Hutchinson then made the first of what was to be a series of important saves by Hutchinson, blocking a Boston effort from Lankshear (64 mins). Two minutes later, the on-loan Bolton keeper made an even better block, diverting over the bar for a corner, a fierce effort from Donnelly (66 mins).

Alty now made their first change as one former Boston player, Gale, gave way to another, Knowles (68 mins).

Next, Kosylo found his way into the referee's book for a foul on Lavinier (71 mins). Moments later Kosylo was substituted by Ward, a third ex-Boston man in Alty's squad for this game (72 mins), whilst Pilgrims' manager Graham Coughlan brought on his new loanee from Norwich, Aboh, to replace Richards (73 mins).

This presaged an intense period of strong Boston pressure as they won four corners in a six-minute period.

After the second flag-kick in this period, Hutchinson produced a superb one-handed save to concede the third corner of the sequence (75 mins).

When Lavinier took out Knowles near the left touchline, he was fortunate to escape a booking (76 mins).

Soon, the fourth corner in this spell arrived when Aboh's shot was deflected over the bye-line (79 mins).

Lavinier rode his disciplinary luck again with a two-footed lunge at Kirk but, oddly, it was Kirk who got the lecture, though the referee did book someone on the Boston bench (85 mins).

Carson's poor shot over the bar spared Alty (86 mins) before the hosts made a double swap when Crankshaw and Marriott came on for Kirk and Osborne respectively (88 mins).

Seven added minutes were proclaimed and, three minutes into that spell, Kelly replaced Boston's Carson.

A minute later John-Lewis went down under a challenge in the box to cue appeals from behind the goal for a penalty, which Alty were relieved to see unanswered (90+4 mins). Moments later there was another appeal for a penalty, this time for handball on the line by Golden, which prompted Mr McQuillan to come over to the tehnical area and book a Boston coach (90+6 mins).

Alty were now largely constrained inside their own penalty area before they managed a rare counter-attack up the right. Spotting Lovett off his line, Crankshaw attempted an audacious chip from the right touchline which the Boston keeper just managed to divert out of play for what was only Alty's second corner of the night, neither of which had been gained through attacking pressure (90+7 mins).

In contrast, Boston soon got up the pitch to exert pressure at the other end in the Alty box but when, after a goalmouth melee, Maguire hit a shot well over the bar, the game was up for the Pilgrims (90+8 mins).

So, after eight league games without a win and four successive home defeats in the ENL, Altrincham had secured a vital three points which lifted them four points clear of a tightly packed bottom-five clubs, who are all covered by a single point.

Altrincham owed a huge debt to goalkeeper Hutchinson whose several excellent saves earned him a merited Man of the Match award.