Altrincham secured a first win in seven league outings, and deservedly so, against title chasers Boreham Wood.

Neil Gibson named an unchanged squad from the one that secured a draw at Forest Green in midweek and, as in that game, they took an early lead this afternoon through Olly Crankshaw, who has now netted five times in the last seven league fixtures.

This time his goal came in the 13th minute from an excellent Crawford feed which saw the Alty winger outpace a defender to slot the ball, low, past keeper Curd.

Alty should have added to the lead before the interval with Knowles wasting a good chance but they made amends early in the second half when Knowles advanced up the right/centre channel and played the ball inside to Khan. The Pakistan international midfielder stepped inside a defender and fired a low shot past Curd (48 mins).

The game seemed to be wrapped up at 3-0 when, following a corner won by Weaver, a Crankshaw effort was parried by Curd for Jake Cooper to net (75 mins).

However, Luke Garrard's men showed commendable fight as they found themselves three down for the second time in a week. They got a goal back with a superb freekick by Regan Booty into the top corner of Luke Hutchinson's net (81 mins). Alty immediately withdrew two of their best players on the day in Liam Humbles and Tom Crawford and proceded to concede a series of freekicks as the Wood sought a way back into the game.

But Altrincham held out, with Hutchinson having to make a couple of important saves before they emerged 3-1 victors.

SCORERS:

• 13 mins: Olly CRANKSHAW (ALTRINCHAM 1 Boreham Wood 0)
• 48 mins: Otis KHAN (ALTRINCHAM Boreham Wood 0)
• 75 mins: Jake COOPER (ALTRINCHAM 3 Boreham Wood 0)
• 81 mins: Regan BOOTY (ALTRINCHAM 3 Boreham Wood 1)

REFEREE: Mr Garreth Rhodes

ATTENDANCE: 1,643 (91 in away section)

TEAM NEWS:

Having made four changes for each of the last two fixtures, this time Neil Gibson made no change at all to his squadthat had secured a draw at Forest Green Rovers in midweek.

Still missing from the squad were six of the defensive unit in Ross, Banks, Baines, Barnes, Sass-Davies and Reed. On the morning of the match it was announced that striker James Gale had moved on to Macclesfield.

Following their 3-1 home defeat in midweek, Luke Garrard made two changes for Boreham Wood as Robinson dropped to the bench to accommodate Marley-Miranda and Lewis Richardson replaced Clayden

LINE-UP:

ALTRINCHAM (Red shirts with white pinstripes, black shorts, white socks shorts and black socks): 30. Luke Hutchinson, 14. Matty Kosylo, 5. Jake Cooper, 34. Dan Sassi, 33. Eddy Jones, 8. Isaac Marriott, 28. Liam Humbles, 22. Tom Crawford (c), 7. Olly Crankshaw, 10. Otis Khan, 11. Jimmy Knowles. Subs: 6. Josh Grant, 26. Anthony Forde, 17. Lucas Weaver, 20. Kahrel Reddin, 23. Tylor Golden, 27. Louie Fallon (gk), 40. Charlie Kirk

BOREHAM WOOD (All pale blue) 22. Ted Curd, 12. Joe Newton, 5. Chris Bush, 16. Callum Reynolds (c), 20. Lewis Richardson, 21. Marley Marshall-Miranda, 23. Regan Booty, 6. Charlie O'Connell, 8. Zak Brunt, 10. Abdul Abdulmalik, 32. Matt Rush. Subs: 2. Cameron Coxe, 3. Femi Ilesanmi, 24. Junior Robinson, 25. Ollie Kensdale, 7. Erico Sousa 4. Jack Payne, 17. Charles Clayden, .

Altrincham were without a league win in six as they faced the season's surprise package in Boreham Wood who, not only had just regained their National League status but had returned to the division in far more expansive mood than in the years before their relegation when they had a repuation for a miserly defence and lack of flair.

The Wood lay third in the league at kick off with more than twice the points' haul of 17th placed Altrincham.

However, the Wood had been beaten last time out, 1-3 at home to Scunthorpe United who, coincidentally, were the last team beaten by Altrincham back at the end of November last year.

As Neil Gibson had pointed out, Altrincham were in a sequence of ten fixtures in which just one club lay outside the top ten. Indeed after today's encounter fourth-placed Carlisle United were the next opposition for the Robins.

Today's was Altrincham's first home match of 2026.

REPORT:

On a cold but bright afternoon, Boreham Wood kicked off towards the Golf Road end. In an otherwise quiet opening few minutes, the lively Abdulmalik got in the first meaningful shot which Hutchinson pushed away (5 mins).

For Alty, Liam Humbles was soon impressing in midfield and he won a freekick just outside the visitors' box but this came to nothing (11 mins).

However, it did not take much longer for the hosts to take the lead. Crawford played an astute ball forward for Crankshaw who, slightly left of centre, outpaced the defensive cover into the box before slotting home a low shot past Curd (13 mins).

The Wood's initial response amounted to no more than a corner (20 mins) though Abdulmalik continued to look potentially dangerous on the left flank. Following the corner, O'Connell fired a thirty-yarder out of the ground into Golf Road (22 mins).

Humbles was to be fouled several times and when Booty tripped him, the former Gateshead man was cautioned (24 mins). Then, curiously, Reynolds sat down for treatment only for Crankshaw to do the same almost next to him.

Both men were treated with Crankshaw's issue seeming to be his right hip, which 'physio' Tom Cadman manipulated for the Alty scorer. After getting on for a three-minute stoppage, Reynolds, the visitors' captain had to be substituted by Coxe (27 mins).

Bizarrely, whilst the Wood resumed the game with eleven men, Crankshaw was forced to wait the statutory 30 seconds leaving Alty to play on with ten men.

After resuming, Crankshaw was soon causing problems with a ball into the goalmouth from the right bye-line and, soon afterwards, another cross from Crankshaw just evaded Crawford but earned his side a corner. Taken by Eddy Jones this corner almost curled into the net as Alty remained good value for their lead (30 mins).

Just after this Neil Gibson called Lucas Weaver from the bench to stand with him on the touchline where he pointed out some tactical detail that he had obviously noted.

Humbles continued to impress and again this led to him being brought down by foul means. This time it was by Rush, who was duly booked (34 mins). Two minutes later, another foul on Humbles saw Marshall-Miranda likewise cautioned.

Following this, a Crankshaw cross gave Knowles a chance in the centre of the box but he sliced his effort poorly over the bar (36 mins)

As well as Humbles, the industrious Kosylo was also impressing in his new role at right-back but when he fed Knowles, the number eleven fired wildly over the bar from 20 yards (38 mins). Alty really should have been two-up at this stage.

Crawford then found himself harshly booked when he seemed to win possession fairly (42 mins).

Just three added minutes were decreed which was surprising after the lengthy stoppgae for Reynolds's injury, a substitution and a goal celebration in the first half.

Nevertheless there was time for Crawford to go close to scoring from the left bye-line and for Boreham Wood to win a late corner.

It had been the best 45 minutes of Altrincham football seen at Moss Lane for many weeks.

Although Boreham Wood started the second half by winning a corner, they found themselves 2-0 down moments later from a counter-attack. Humbles jinked his way past a couple of opponents as he emerged towards half way. He fed Knowles who got running up the centre before feeding Khan to his left.

The Pakistani international smartly made himself some space by moving inside and then he struck a low shot into the net to record his first goal for the club (48 mins).

It almost got even better as Crankshaw went close to adding a third goal (50 mins). Next it was Humbles who threatened as he shimmied past a challenge and forced Curd into a save (55 mins).

However, Boreham Wood came back and a Booty shot forced a corner off Sassi, followed by a second corner soon afterwards (57 mins).

With the visitors getting forward, Tom Crawford won possession just inside his own half on theright and he immediately launched an ambitious shot at goal. As Curd scurried back to his line, Crawford's effort dropped narrowly wide but a deflection at source earned his side a corner (59 mins).

Luke Garrard now made two changes as Ilesanmi and Clayden replaced Newton and Lewis Richardson (63 mins).

Not long after Humbles had won his side another corner, Alty made their first change with Weaver replacing Knowles (71 mins).

Weaver soon advanced up the right to win his side a corner. Jones took an excellent inswinging corner which was half cleared but Alty soon threatened again as Crankshaw got in a shot which Curd could only parry, allowing Cooper to score from close-range to make it 3-0 (75 mins).

But any hopes of a comfortable ride to the final whistle were soon dispelled. A challenge by Khan resulted in ham-acting by O'Connell who rolled around extravagantly until the award of a freekick prompted a miraculous recovery.

From some 25 yards out Booty struck a superb freekick into the top corner of Hutchinson's net, to the keeper's left, making it 3-1 (81 mins).

The goal did not change Alty's planned substitutions with Humbles and Crawford, two of the best performers in the match, were replaced by Forde and Golden (82 mins).

A needless push by Cranksahw started a sequence of freekicks awarded to the visitors which made the closing stages of the match more uncomfortabe than they should have been.

Having ridden their luck for the better part of ten minutes, Alty belatedly got up to the other end where they could wind down the clock to some extent. Four added minutes were announced during which Hutchinson had to make two significant saves.

But the final whistle confirmed a much needed and well-deserved win for Altrincham as they seek to climb away from the threat of relegation. Matty Kosylo was named Man of the Match, though Liam Humbles was every bit as impressive in the Alty midfield.