Two goals from James Gale and Tom Crawford extended interim manager Neil Gibson's unbeaten run to three wins and a draw in the four National League matches played under his charge, to date.

The only blemish was a consolation goal in the sixth added minute for a Brackley side which, despite winning numerous corners, otherwise lived up to its reputation as the division's most goal-shy attack.

Altrincham took an early lead when a Charlie Kirk corner from the left was nodded down at the back post by Sassi and Gale, despite being held, poked the ball into the net (8 mins).

The second home goal also came from a corner and was scored by Crawford who cleanly headed home an Osborne corner from the right, early in the second half (49 mins).

Alty looked set to record a third clean sheet in four league games until the final minute of added time when substitute Pollock got to the right bye-line and his low cross was turned in by the burly former Chorley man, Connor Hall to make it 2-1 (90+6 mins).

Apart from the goals, the major talking-point in the game came after thirty minutes when Brackley's Roberts writhed on the ground as his side won a corner. Brackley manager Gavin Cowan took exception to something and went head to head with Alty boss Neil Gibson.

Altrincham's long-term injured keeper and coach, Ethan Ross, got involved and pushed the Saints' manager before referee Rollason showed both Cowan and Ross a red card.

SCORERS:

• 8 mins: James GALE (ALTRINCHAM 1 Brackley Town 0)
• 49 mins: Tom CRAWFORD (ALTRINCHAM 2 Brackley Town 0)
• 90(+6) mins: Connor HALL (Altrincham 2 Brackley Town 1)

REFEREE: Mr Greg Rollason

ATTENDANCE: 1,902 (60 in away section)

TEAM NEWS:

Altrincham remained without five defensive unit players in Ethan Ross, Sam Reed, Billy Sass-Davies, Lewis Banks and, new addition to the stricken, goalkeeper Louie Fallon.

Interim manager Neil Gibson named an unchanged starting eleven but there were three changes on the bench where Weaver, Beddow and Barnes replaced Hinchy and Fallon and brought the substitutes back up to the full complement of seven for the first time in weeks.

Although Hinchy was loaned to Altrincham until the end of the year, it would be no surprise if he has been recalled by Notts County given his lack of game time.

For Alty, Matty Kosylo was making his 150th apperance.

Brackley made three changes, as Lyttle, Nottingham and Pollock dropped out of the eleven onto the bench. Their replacements were Morrison, Stewart and Waldron. Also on the bench were Okafor and Donawa as Zak Brown and Haynes dropped out.

Donawa's inclusion was a big surprise given that he had been an unused substitute for Bermuda in their home World Cup qualifying match drubbing in the Caribbean by Curacao just the day before!

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, 17. Lucas Weaver, 24. Sam Barnes, 41. Max Beddow (gk)

BRACKLEY TOWN (Yellow shirts with black swirls, yellow shorts and socks) 1. Jonny Maxted, 19. Zak Lilly, 6. Gareth Dean (c), 3. Riccardo Calder, 23. Shane Byrne, 4. Jack Price, 5. Kyle Morrison, 24. Callum Stewart, 14. Danny Waldron. 10. Morgan Roberts, 11. Matt Lowe. Subs: 2. Tyler Lyttle, 12. Michael Nottingham, 7. Scott Pollock, 9. Miracle Okafor, 17. Justin Donawa, 21. Cameron Gregory, 27. Connor Hall

Altrincham had taken seven points from their three previous league games and had kept clean sheets in all of those games.

Brackley arrived just a place below 15th placed Altrincham but were the lowest scorers in the division with just 12 goals scored from 17 outings in the ENL.

After well over an inch of rain had fallen in the previous 24 hours, the pitch was in remarakably good condition, testimony to the work of the groundsman and his volunteeer staff.

Although Remembrance Day had passed three days earlier, this was Altrincham's designated match to honour The Fallen. Before kick-off wreaths were laid on the pitch, the Last Post was sounded pn the bugle and a minute's silence was observed.

The accompanying military musicians also performed during half-time.

Scheduled to kick off at 3.03pm as part of the National League's "3UP" campaign to increase the number of promotion slots to the EFL, the game actually kicked off a ittle later.

REPORT:

Brackley kicked off defending the away end on a dull afternoon, with the floodlights already on.

The visitors won the first corner but took it poorly (4 mins) and they also landed the first shot on target, a minute later, when Stewart gave Hutchinson catching practice (5 mins).

But Alty won themselves a corner on the left soon afterwards. Taken by Kirk, Sassi nodded it down at the back post towards Gale who, despite being manhandled by a defender, poked the ball home to give Alty an early lead, their quickest goal of the league season so far (8 mins).

An industrious Matty Kosylo was setting an example at right wing-back but Brackley won the next corner. In what was to be a scene repeated later in the half, Roberts went down with a scream as play continued but the Saints proceeded to win a flag-kick on their left (13 mins)

Altrincham responded with a corner of their own, won by Gale (17 mins). From this the ball was recycled and Cooper struck a superb shot from 25 yards on the right which narrowly missed the keeper's right upright (18 mins)

Reddin was beginning to prove himself a nuisance on the Alty right with his excellent close ball control and pacy runs up the right flank. But, as play passed the midway point of the half, there was little to perturb either of the goalkeepers.

Next, Kosylo was booked, perhaps harshly, for what appeared to be handball in midfield, his third yellow card in three successive league starts (29 mins). In fact, he has now been cautioned in all four league games that he has started.

Attention shifted to the technical areas when, for the second time in the game, Roberts writhed on the grass just as his side played on to gain a corner (29 mins). For some reason the two managers, Gavin Cowan and Neil Gibson, went face to face before Alty coach (and injured goalkeeper) Ethan Ross intervened and pushed the Brackley boss.

Mr Rollason came across and red-carded, first, Cowan and then Ross. Neil Gibson was also apparently the recipient of a yellow card.

In the last nine weeks, Alty games have now witnessed no fewer than eight red cards in the last 14 league and FA Cup games played. Six of those reds were shown to Alty personnel, albeit one of them was later rescinded on appeal!

Play resumed and Reddin laid two more unconverted, low crosses from the right across the goalmouth (32 and 34 mins).

Brackley continued to win corners but created little from any of them, with neither keeper being overworked (36 mins).

Soon, a slick move between Kirk and Osborne ended with the latter's scooped pass which Golden headed over the bar (38 mins).

Roberts then hit a 30 yarder out of the gorund (38 mins) before the sides exchanged corners, at which point the fourth official displayed 4 added minutes on the board.

Price got himself booked in the added time before Lilly feigned an injury from a Reddin high foot which didn't actually touch him, making a miraculous recovery when the referee did not give him a freekick.

Brackley brought on Pollock for the booked Price at the interval before Alty kicked off towards Golf Road.

There was then a collector's item, a second Altrincham goal scored by them from a corner in a single game, as Crawford headed home an Osborne flag-kick from the right (49 mins).

There was almost a bizarre third goal after the restart when goalkeeper Maxted attempted to kick clear but blasted the ball against Reddin. The Alty man was flattended and the ball rebounded towards goal but narrowly off target (50 mins).

After treatment, Reddin resumed as Altrincham enjoyed a dominant spell. However, Brackley then won a corner when a shot from long range was diverted by a defender over the bar for a visitors' corner (57 mins).

The Saints made a double change when two players with NW connections in Donawa and Hall came on for Stewart and Waldron (59 mins). Osborne was then penalized and booked (61 mins) before the hosts made a double swap with Knowles and Ward replacing Gale and Kosylo respectively (62 mins).

When Reddin was crudely upended the referee surprisingly kept his yellow card in his pocket. But soon the Alty wingman was up and threatening again with a low cross across the face of the Brackley goal (67 mins).

Marriott now replaced Osborne (70 mins) before Brackley won and, yet again, produced no threat from a corner kick (71 mins). Roberts got booed when Reddin was again taken out at pace (72 mins). The Man of the Match recovered to shoot narrowly wide (73 mins) before a foul by Donawa got the former Alty man cautioned too (75 mins).

Both sides made a change with Okafor replacing Lilly for the visitors and Crankshaw displacing Kirk for the host (81 mins).

Before the ninety minutes were up Brackley won another corner and Alty gained two corners for themselves.

With Altrincham looking comfortable and having not conceded in more than 360 minutes of league action under Neil Gibson, they were caught out in the final moments as Pollock got to the right byeline and set up a tap-in for Hall to make it 2-1, a closer scoreline than the overall blance of play had suggested (90+6 mins).

Alty moved up to thirteenth and, with three wins and a draw from his four league matches in charge, Neil Gibson is certainly making a strong case to be granted a longer spell in charge than that suggested by his current title of interim manager.