An excellent first-half performance from Altrincham saw them go into the interval deservedly a goal up. The goal arrived in the 26th minute when a long aerial ball up the inside-right inside channel by Kosylo was impressively brought down by Knowles, who rounded a defender and the keeper to slot the ball into the net (26 mins).

That arrived just a minute after the Wood's best effort so far, a deflected shot that won a corner after a rare lapse by Alty.

Earlier, a fine ball from the left by Kirk had skimmed the head of Kosylo in the centre of the box but it ran on harmlessly to keeper Curd (11 mins). And Barlow mishit a decent opening created by Kirk, again, as he pulled the ball back from the left by-line (20 mins).

The hosts forced a fine save by Firth in added time from Whitfield's twenty-yard effort from right of centre. An injury to Knowles just before the break robbed Alty of his involvement in the second half which turned into a more diffcult 45 minutes for the visitors.

A controversial freekick 40 yards out earned Cooper a dubious yellow card and when the freekick was nodded acoss the box from the left, Bush bundled it in at the back post (56 mins).

Boreham Wood went ahead in the 74th minute, again following a deadball situation, as a corner led to Whitfield driving home a deflected goal from right of centre.

Former Alty loanee Cashman made it 3-1 in the 89th minute controlling the ball well inside the box before poking his effort past Firth.

With nine players now out injured Alty can ill afford any suspensions but fourth yellow cards for Cooper and Khan in this match do not bode well.

SCORERS:

• 26 mins: Jimmy KNOWLES (Boreham Wood 0 ALTRINCHAM 1)
• 56 mins: Chris BUSH (Boreham Wood 1 ALTRINCHAM 1)
• 74 mins: Ben WHITFIELD (Boreham Wood 2 ALTRINCHAM 1)
• 89 mins: Danny CASHMAN (Boreham Wood 3 ALTRINCHAM 1)

REFEREE: Ms Kirsty Dowle

ATTENDANCE: 1,646 (126 in away section)

TEAM NEWS:

The Robins were without eight of their squad through injury (German, Jones, Olson, Dennis, Forde, Evans, Hemmings, Humbles. Apart from Kirk replacing the injured Hemmings, they named an unchanged eleven, whilst on the bench Barnes returned from injury.

The Wood named Curd in goal as Gunter dropped out, otherwise they were unchanged on the bench where ex-Alty duo Cashman and Golden were both named.

LINE-UP:

BOREHAM WOOD (White) 22. Ted Curd, 3. Oliver Bainbridge, 5. Chris Bush, 6. Charlie O'Connell, 2. James Clarke, 21. Marley Marshall-Miranda, 4. Tom White (c), 7. Lewis Richardson, 34. Ben Whitfield, 8. Zak Brunt, 27. Jay Bird. Subs: 9. Danny Cashman, 17. Tylor Golden, 25. Ollie Kensdale, 16. Callum Reynolds, 26. Hayden Stapelberg, 14. Conor Wilkinson. 30. Will Wright

ALTRINCHAM (Yellow shirts with black chest band, black shorts, yellow socks): 13. Andy Firth, 14. Matty Kosylo, 21. Reuben Lopata-White, 5.Jake Cooper, 2. Lewis Banks, 15. Sam Taylor, 22. Tom Crawford (c), 7. Otis Khan, 10. Aidan Barlow, 11. Jimmy Knowles, 23. Charlie Kirk. Subs: 4. Jack Hinchy, 12. Kian Breckin, 17. Lucas Weaver, 16. Remi Raymond, 20. Kahrel Reddin, 24. Sam Barnes, 34. Harry Isted (gk)

BACKGROUND:

Altrincham arrived on the back of a run of seven wins in their previous eight matches to face league leaders Boreham Wood, who were unbeaten and seven points clear at the top of the table

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REPORT:

Altrincham kicked off and were the better side in the opening stages. The first whiff of danger for them came from a familiar self-induced error this season as goalkeeper Firth emulated his predecssor Evans in dwelling too long on a ball at his feet and, on this occasion, he was lucky to clear the ball despite an opoonent getting a foot on the ball (8 mins).

Meanwhile his opposite number, Chelsea loanee Curd, returning to Boreham Wood after enjoying a lengthy loan spell there last season, kicked a long ball to his opposite number for the third time already in the first ten minutes.

The best chance to date came in the 11th minute when a great cross from the left by Kirk skimmed the head of Kosylo in the centre of the goalmouth and drifted on into the arms of Curd. A taller man might well have hit the target.

Kirk was imprssing on the left as Alty enjoyed the upper hand of the contest. When two Boreham players collided and needed treatment, play resumed with neither having to go off for the mandatory minute (18 mins)

The home fans' monotonous drum-beat was sounding as a rare Alty error allowed Bird to land the first shot of note which was deflected over the bar for the game's first corner (25 mins).

In the aftermath, Kosylo launched a long aerial ball up the right where Knowles took it down brilliantly before rounding both a defender and the keeper to score into an unguarded net to give his side a deserved lead (26 mins).

At the other end Boreham Wood responded with a Whitfield shot which was deflected over the bar by Banks, for a home corner (29 mins). Soon afterwards, another Whitfield effort again was deflected, this time into the arms of Firth. Altrincham were playing some excellent pasing football and seemed comfortable with their lead (37 mins).

When Boreham responded with a smart frekick routine it culminated in a point-blank save by Firth but offside was decreed in any case (39 mins).

Khan's lunge on Brunt brought the midfielder his fourth booking of the season (40 mins). As the interval approached, Knowles went down off the ball and needed treatment to his left leg (44 mins).

Three added minutes were computed, which included an excellent shot by Whitfield which was equally well saved by Firth at the cost of a corner, this happening whilst Knowles was off the pitch (45+1 mins). The hosts' strong finish to the half next saw Richardson shoot weakly wide from a decent opening.

The final act of significance was a booking for the home captain White after he had barged over Kirk at a throw-in (45+3 mins).

As feared, Knowles was unable to play the second half and he was replaced by Weaver (46 mins). Knowles's injury raised the total to nine of Altrincham players currently sidelined by injuries.

Five minutes into the half Firth again dawdled on a ball at his feet and again was closed down by an opponent but the keeper saved a resulting shot (50 mins). Soon, a Bush foul on Weaver earned him a yellow card (51 mins).

The home crowd remained subdued and the drummer had been silenced only for the Wood to be awarded a controversial freekick some forty yards from goal on the left. Cooper was clearly fouled but when he responded in kind the referee gave the hosts the freekick. The normally placid Cooper was irate at the decision and especially at being booked for it.

The freekick was played forward to the left area of the penalty box where it was nodded across the goalmouth for Bush to bundle in at the back post ae Firthtried to block the effort. So it was 1-1 (56 mins).

Someone on the Alty bench was also yellow-carded for their protests at this stage (58 mins).

As Wood pushed forward, Alty won a relieving corner (61 mins) before Tylor Golden came on to face his former team, replacing Clarke (63 mins). Yet another poor long kick from Curd flew into touch after which Kosylo was booked for a foul near the touchline (65 mins).

The hosts were now on top and a fine move led to a save from Firth (69 mins). Soon afterwards the Alty keeper had to dash out smartly to kick clear ahead of the incoming Golden, a corner resulting (73 mins).

Despite all eleven players defending their goal a shot from the right by Whitfield took a deflection and flew into the net to give the Wood a 2-1 lead (74 mins).

Both sides soon made changes. Alty introduced Reddin and Breckin for Barlow and Kirk (80 mins).

Then former Alty loanee Danny Cashman replaced Richarson for the hosts (81 mins).

Altrincham now got forward as Weaver won a freekick and then a corner, off Bush (85 mins).

A foul on Khan 45 yards out gave Alty more momentum but nothing came of this before the already booked Cooper was fortunate to emerge from commiting a clear foul without a second yellow card (87 mins)

Any hopes of retrieving a point for Altrincham were undone when Cashman was played into the box and he made space well before sliding ghe ball past Firth to make it 3-1 (89 mins). The two-goal margin was harsh on Alty but they had been second best after the interval.

Four added minutes were decreed with Alty making two changes as Hinchy and Raymond replaced the booked Cooper and Kosylo (90+1 mins).

Marshall-Miranda stupidly got himself booked for kicking the ball away (90+2 mins) before Luke Garrard made a pointless triple substitution with Wilkinson, Kensdale and Wright replacing Whitfield, Bush and White (90+4 mins).

The final whistle sounded shortly afterwards with Alty feeling hard done-by to have lost by a two-goal margin. They dropped to sixth which is till commendable for a side ravaged by injury and unfancied by the bookies who ranked them favourites to finish bottom before the season started.