A fourth 2-1 win of the season for Altrincham lifted them back up to twelfth in the National League despite the absence of seven injured players, including goalkeeper Evans.

Having made five changes from their last outing, Altrincham took the lead in the 28th minute when Kane Hemmings, one of four players making their first start of the season, netted from the spot after Lewis Banks had been fouled at a corner, taken by Kirk.

The referee might equally well have awarded a penalty a little earlier, as Tom Crawford had almost had his shirt removed in the box.

Shortly before the end of an entertaining first-half, Hartlepool levelled through Miley's header from a cross from the left by Ilunga, who had earlier got in three other dangerous crosses which had gone unconverted (43 mins)

Alty had the better of the second half before Pools were reduced to ten men when their captain, Hunter, saw a second yellow and was dismissed (73 mins).

The home pressure finally got its reward in the 81st minute when Crawford smartly netted his fourth goal of the season after playing a one-two with Humbles.

SCORERS:

• 28 mins: Kane HEMMINGS (penalty) (ALTRINCHAM 1 Hartlepool United 0)
• 44 mins: Jamie MILEY (ALTRINCHAM 1 Hartlepool United 1)
• 81 mins: Tom CRAWFORD (ALTRINCHAM 2 Hartlepool United 1)

REFEREE: Mr Declan Brown

ATTENDANCE: 1,466 (218 in away section)

TEAM NEWS:

Altrincham, without seven injured players, made five changes from their last outing. Out of the eleven were Cooper, Khan, Barlow, KNowles and Evans as Lopata-White, Reddin, Barnes, Hemmings and Firth came in. The last four named had not made a start previously this season.

Kian Breckin, who had been an absentee last Saturday, had recovered from illness, and Michael Acquah joined him on the bench, the latter being goalkeeping cover signed this week.

Pools had seen Eccleston sent off at the weekend so he was banned tonight. Cole Deeming made his full debut for Pools, and defender Jay Benn also came into the eleven.

LINE-UP:

ALTRINCHAM (Red shirts with white sleeves and trim, red shorts and white socks): 13. Andy Firth, 14. Matty Kosylo, 21. Reuben Lopata-White, 24. Sam Barnes 2. Lewis Banks, 15. Sam Taylor, 22. Tom Crawford (c), 8. Liam Humbles, 20. Kahrel Reddin, 23. Charlie Kirk, 28. Kane Hemmings. Subs: 4. Jack Hinchy, 5.Jake Cooper, 10. Aidan Barlow, 11. Jimmy Knowles, 12. Kian Breckin, 17. Lucas Weaver, 32. Michael Acquah (gk)

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (Blue and white striped shirts, blue shorts and socks) 32. Nathan Fisher, 2. Jay Benn, 27. Liam Gibson, 42. Cole Deeming, 6. Reiss. McNally, 4. Jack Hunter (c), 7. Brooklyn Ilunga, 8. Jamie Miley, 14. Nathan Sheron, 17. Jack Nolan, 10. Will Harris. Subs: 3. Cameron John, 30. Terry Bondo, 9. Jordan Hugill, 15. Charlie Penman, 19. Chris Popov, 41. Adam Smith (gk), 21. Charlie Thornton

BACKGROUND:

Both teams went into the match on the back of disappointing defeats last time out; Hartlepool had lost at Kiddermonster whilst Alty had been thrashed at Woking. Pools and Alty both had nine points and lay respectively fifteenth and sixteenth in the National League.

REPORT:

The visitors kicked off attacking the Golf Road end but it was Altrincham who started the better, aided by a foul by Miley just forty seconds into the game. Although the freekick initially came to nothing a subsequent nod down by Hemmings gave Crawford the opportunity to hit a well-struck volley, just inches wide of the keeper's right upright (2 mins).

However, the first save of the night was at the other end but it was a routine one for Firth, making his first start for the club (4 mins).

Alty then received an early warning of the danger from Ilunga on the Pools left as his excellent cross won his side a corner. From the corner, Banks missed an attempted headed clearance and, consequently, Alty twice in succession had to clear the ball off the line (6 mins).

Ilunga soon threatened again, getting behind Kosylo only for his cross from the left to narrowly evade a team-mate in the goalmouth (11 mins).

The game continued at pace with play switching ends with regularity.

Alty then enjoyed a good spell as Reddin and Taylor each won their side a corner (16 mins) and, next, Taylor got to the bye-line again but his pass inside was fractionally behind Hemmings (18 mins).

Nevertheless, Ilunga remained a danger at the other end, getting in his third excellent cross from the left, followed by a fourth soon afterwards (21 mins).

Visiting captain Hunter was now booked for clattering Reddin (24 mins) and from Kirk's freekick another Alty corner was won, on the left (25 mins); a further corner soon followed, won by Crawford.

And a third corner in as many minutes for Alty was won by Humbles (27 mins). The referee might well have awarded a penalty as Tom Crawford had almost had his shirt removed in the box but from the corner, from the left, Banks was hauled own and a spot-kick was indeed awarded.

Hemmings sent the keeper the wrong way, finishing into Fisher's bottom left corner (28 mins), his first goal for the club having put the Robins ahead (28 mins).

A couple more fouls by Hartlepool saw Reddin flattened (30 mins) and then Taylor, likewise (34 mins) as Alty enjoyed a spell of dominance after going ahead. Two Alty corners followed before a fine ball from Crawford got Kirk running into the box but he was seen off (37 mins).

Soon afterwards a Kirk cross was fractionally behind Hemmings in the goalmouth (38 mins).

But Alty were then caught napping at the back from a Pools freekick after Miley and Ilunga had combined on their left and, in the aftermath, Miley was booked for a crude challenge on Lopata-White, who was having a good game at the back for Altrincham (41 mins).

At the other end another fine ball from Crawford gave Reddin an opening but his curling shot from the right went comfortably wide of the back post (42 mins).

But Altrincham finally paid the price for allowing Ilunga the space to get in yet another cross from the left and, this time, Miley nodded the cross down and into the net at the back post as the game was ticking over into the 44th minute.

With drizzle falling the game went into three added minutes during which an impressive scissor-kick from Kirk flew across the face of goal (45+4 mins).

Half-time witnessed a somewhat chaotic shoot-out event at the Golf Road End as guests from Sale Sharks tried their hand at a different sport.

Humbles kicked off the second half for Altrincham but Pools were to go the nearer to an early goal when Miley was allowed to advance and his shot only narrowly cleared the bar (49 mins).

But Hemmings was then guilty of the miss of the match as Humbles and Kirk combined for the latter's low cross from the left to present the Alty striker with what looked like a tap in but he somehow failed to convert the chance to the incredulity of the Altrincham management (50 mins).

Talking of management, Pools boss Lee Calrk and his assistant spent most of the second half well outside their technical area and virtually on the pitch, much to the annoyance of the home crowd who also directed their ire at the laissez-faire approach of the fourth official!

It was Clark who made the first change introducing Cameron John for Gibson (52 mins).

Altrincham got into a tangle when a ball span up in the penlty area and landed on the crossbar before Hemmings picked up a booking for a foul (59 mins). Deeming followed him into the book for a late challenge on Banks a short while later (61 mins).

Alty's first change introduced Knowles to the game in place of Reddin (64 mins). Soon afterwards, Deeming hammered a shot over the bar from a Benn feed (65 mins).

A stoppage then ensued, for what appeared to be a shoulder injury for Harris, before Hemmings headed a Taylor cross over the bar (69 mins).

A smart dummy by Kirk drew applause for the home support before Kosylo flashed a cross-cum-shot across the face of goal from the right. A decisive moment arrived when the visiting captain Hunter picked up a second yellow for a foul on Hemmings, reducing his side to ten men (73 mins).

Alty should then have gone ahead when Knowles fired in a shot which Fisher could not hold but Hemmings miskicked what looked to be a simple chance (77 mins).

Both sides now made changes. Weaver replaced Hemmings (77 mins) followed by Popov for Deeming for the visitors (78 mins) and, with the fourth oficial labouring to work the substitutes' board, Thornton came on for Nolan (79 mins).

Soon afterwards Altrincham got their noses in front as Crawford and Humbles played a one-two inside the box before the Alty captain adjusted his feet smartly to score his side's second goal and his own fourth goal of the season (81 mins)

Hartlepool responded with a shot which went narrowly wide (84 mins) before Altrincham proceeded to wind down the clock with possession raher than penetration.

Five added minutes were announced in which Cooper replaced Barnes (90+1 mins) before Altrincham kept the ball in the corner at the Hartlepool end to aid their successful attempt to retain their 2-1 lead.

It was the fourth win for Alty this season, all of which had been 2-1 successes; the three points lifted the Robins to twelfth.