Not for the first time this season an added-time goal cost Altrincham points as, on this occasion, Boston United levelled the score in the fourth added minute. But Altrincham could have few real complaints after a first-half mauling which they survived with just a single goal conceded. Alty's two goals were their only efforts on target during the match, whereas the Pilgrims had nine such efforts.

With Knowles replacing Weaver and Barnes also starting, in place of Cooper, Alty faced a stiff wind in the first half and their discomfort was heightened by their own actions as they conceded four freekicks on the fringes of their penalty area as well as allowing a trio of goalbound shots from Hiwula.

The Pilgrims took a twelfth-minute lead when Barrington scored a fine goal from a good twenty yards out.

Altrincham were sent out early for the second half and, within two minutes, they were level. The goal was superbly constructed. Hutchinson fed Jones whose low, long ball up the left was skilfully let go by a clever Knowles dummy near half way.

This left Howe running free towards goal and the Scunthorpe loanee impressively dinked the ball past the advancing keeper and into the net (47 mins).

Altrincham took the lead with another well-made goal. This time, Humbles set Golden running on the left. He got past a defender and advanced along the left bye-line to feed Knowles who finished smartly from close range (63 mins).

It looked as if Altrincham were heading for just a fourth away win of the season until a corner from the Boston left appeared to be touched by Hutchinson but rather then diverting it over the bar, the ball fell for substitute Cursons to nod into the net from close range (90+5 mins). The Alty keeper was booked for protesting that the corner had curled out of play. SThat goal cost Alty three places as they had been up to eleventh place before it was scored but they ended the night back in fourteenth.

SCORERS:

• 12 mins: Luca BARRINGTON (Boston United 1 ALTRINCHAM 0)
• 47 mins: Declan HOWE (Boston United 1 ALTRINCHAM 1)
• 63 mins: Jimmy KNOWLES (Boston United 1 ALTRINCHAM 2)
• 90(+4) mins: Tom CURSONS (Boston United 2 ALTRINCHAM 2)

REFEREE: Mr Richie Watkins

ATTENDANCE: 1,465 (35 from Altrincham)

TEAM NEWS:

Once more, Altrincham were without numerous players. Nine were out injured (Ross, Banks, Sass-Davies, Breckin, Khan, Olson, Kosylo, Crankshaw and Forde) but Sassi was back in the squad after serving his four-match suspension.

Cooper and Weaver dropped to the bench as Knowles and Barnes started.

For Boston, Lavinier, Sloggett and John-Lewis came in for the injured Rooney, the suspended Maguire and for Cursons who moved to the bench where he was joined by former Alty trialist Zac Mills.

LINE-UP:

BOSTON UNITED (Amber shirts and socks, black shorts) 21, Dan Cameron, 40. Marcel Lavinier, 4. Connor Teale, 15. Matty Carson, 23. Jamie Grimes (c), 6. Greg Sloggett, 19. Jordan Richards, 26. Oisin Gallagher, 7. Luca Barrington, 16. Jordy Hiwula-Mayifuila, 14. Lenell John-Lewis. Subs: 24. Ken Aboh, 9. Jacob Hazel, 17. Alex Lankshear, 1. Rhys Lovett, 18. Tom Cursons, 5. Zac Mills, 22. A Raikhy.

ALTRINCHAM (Red shirts with with white pinstripes, black shorts and white socks): 30. Luke Hutchinson, 23. Tylor Golden, 24. Sam Barnes, 6. Josh Grant, 33. Eddy Jones, 22. Tom Crawford (c), 28. Liam Humbles, 8. Isaac Marriott, 20. Kahrel Reddin, 11. Jimmy Knowles, 9. Declan Howe. Subs: 3. Sam Reed, 5. Jake Cooper, 17. Lucas Weaver, 27. Louie Fallon (gk), 18. Owen German, 34. Dan Sassi, 40. Charlie Kirk

BACKGROUND:

Altrincham were in decent form having won four of their last six fixtures.

Boston had had an excellent 2026 to date, with six wins, two draws and just two defeats in their ten matches in 2026

REPORT:

Boston won the toss and elected to change ends so that Altrincham started the match playing into a strong, gusty wind. After a scrappy opening, Boston were awarded a freekick slightly outside the front edge of the Alty box, following a foul by Jones. However, the Pilgrims put the freekick over the bar (9 mins).

Just two minutes later another Alty foul, this time on Richards, gave the hosts a very similar freekick, once more just outside the box but this time a little more to the left of centre. The ball was laid off to Barrington whose shot struck Golden and went for a corner, the first of the match (11 mins).

Alty's attempts to clear the corner proved unsuccessful and the ball came to Barrington who lashed in an impressive goal across Hutchinson and into the top croner from 20 yards or so (12 mins).

Moments later Barrington forced a save from Hutchinson as Alty's defence proved inadequate (13 mins).

The pressure continued as a strong shot from Hiwula brought an excellent tip over the bar from Hutchinson as Alty remained under the cosh (15 mins). Incredibly, Altrincham conceded a third freekick in the territory just in front of their own box, which Carson struck into the defensive wall.

It was almost becoming farcical when Altrincham conceded a fourth freekick in the same area of the pitch, just oustide the front of their own penalty area, and this time, the offender, Golden, was booked though it was hard to see why heis offence was any worse than the preceding three transgressions. Fortunately, this freekick again hit the wall and was half cleared (19 mins).

But soon afterwards a ball fell for Hiwula who again struck a good shot at goal which Hutchinson did well to sdave at the cost of a corner (20 mins). Following the corner the busy Hutchinson was again called upon to make a save.

It would have not been surprising had Alty been three or more goals down at this stage given their total failure to threaten at the other end and their own ineffectual defending. The conditions were difficult but that was not a valid excuse for their performance in the opening quarter of the game.

It was only in the 26th minute that the Robins finally mounted a decent forward movement when Marriott advanced and found Reddin, to his right. The winger's cross had to be punched away by Cameron. A foul on Howe, soon afterwards, produced a freekick which Cameron again elected to punch clear (29 mins).

At this stage the statistics showed seven shots, five on target, by Boston versus Alty's single attempt.

However, with Altrincham now gaining a toehold in the game, Hutchinson sat down for one of those farcical tactical stoppages which blight modern-day football (33 mins).

Despite their tactical gathering at the technical area, on resumption Boston threatened again as Hiwula got in his third goalbound effort forcing yet another save from the overworked Hutchinson (35 mins). After a stoppage for treatment to Reddin there was a strange incident when the refree came over and had a protrected discussion with Neil Gibson which did not include a booking so quite what it was all about was a mystery (39 mins).

As the interval approached Humbles earned Altrincham their first corner (42 mins).

It was no surprise that as manay as six minutes of added time were decreed and, in the first of these, Boston's Gallagher saw yellow for a foul on Golden.

Altrincham's best chance of the half arrived when Golden's freekick found Reddin but he skied his effort miles off target from twelve yards or so (45+3 mins). Hutchcinson, already booked six times this season for timewasting was again chancing his arm before putting a goalkick into touch (45+4 mins)..

Altrincham got to half time just a goal adrift which was quite remarkable given their torrid first quarter of this match.

With rain falling, Boston kicked off into the wind. But, remarkably, inside two minutes Altrincham had equalised.

Jones played a low ball up the left channel and, around half way on the left wing, Knowles cleverly dummied his marker and the ball ran untouched to the unmarked Howe. From a good 35 yards out in the inside left channel Howe advanced on goal. As Cameron came out to meet him, the Scunthorpe loanee cleverly dinked the ball over the keeper, who got a slight touch on it, but it continued its trajectory into the net (47 mins). It was his fourth goal in 7(+1) appearances for Altrincham.

The hosts were unsettled to the extent that their captain Grimes now made a hash of a backpass which gave Altrincham an unearned corner (50 mins). This was badly overhit by Jones.

Next, a foul on Reddin earned Carson a booking and, from Golden's frekick, a smart swivel and shot by Barnes flew past the keeper's right upright (53 mins).

After a home corner both Crawford and Richards were booked for a spat (57 mins).

Boston then enjoyed a few minutes of pressure in which Barrington lashed a ball across the face of goal (62 mins). Boston spurned an almost immediate chance to equalise when Sloggett headed a cross over the bar (65 mins). Team-mate Richards did better as he forced yet another save from Hutchinson (69 mins). Paul Hurst made a change now as Aboh replaced Barrington (70 mins), after which John-Lewis picked up a caution for his foul on Grant (71 mina).

Neil Gibson made a double change on 75 minutes as Barnes and Reddin were replaced by Sassi, returning from suspension, and Kirk. In the same break in play John-Lewis was replaced by Boston's Cursons, who had been their most prolific striker since joining from Harrogate in January.

With the home crowd quietened since their side had fallen behind it looked good for Altrinchm before Sassi's poor pass gave away a needless corner. After this had been cleared, an error byCrawford yielded another corner for the hosts as a brief deluge of gusty rain now started (83 mins).

As time ticked on both sides made further changes. Reed and Weaver replaced Knowles and Humbles (84 mins) whilst Boston brought on Hazel and Raikhy for Sloggett and Gallagher (85 mins).

After Howe had won a throw-in at the Boston end, the Pilgrims' captain, Grimes, was booked for dissent (89 mins).

Alty wound time with a late short-corner (89 mins) before Cooper came on for Howe (90 mins).

Four added minutes were announced before it took a fine save by Hutchinson to stop a Cursons shot at the cost of a corner on the Boston left.

The corner seemd to be heading for Hutchinson's hands at the near post only for the ball to deceive the keeper who appeared to touch it but not out of play, over the bar, but rather into the goalmouth where Cursons nodded it into the net for an equaiser (90+3 mins). Hutcinson was booked for his protests which reportedly were based on his complaint that the ball had gone out of play before striking the bar; given it was an outswinger he had plausible grounds to complain.

It was the latest in a sequence of late goals conceded by Altrincham this season and, whilst hugely disappointing, it could not be plausibly argued that Boston did not deserve to take a point from the game especially given their near total dominance of the first quarter of the match.

Alty had climbed to eleventh during the match only to revert to fourteenth when Boston equalised.