REPORT

Above: Kieran Raynes (no.12 in blue) jumps the highest as Alty attack the Leigh RMI goal.

Altrincham were without midfielder Marcus Baxby who was away on a college trip, so into the side on the right flank came Jason Melling-Fong, with Danny Browne moving alongside Michael Simcock to replace Marcus in central midfield. Introduced onto the Alty bench were Joe Steenson and Steven Crane.

Leigh started the better of the two sides and had already threatened the Alty goal before they actually took the lead after just four minutes. Good work by the skilful Sutcliffe, on the left, led to the ball coming to the tall Lafferty, who got the better of Alex Murphy to power a shot past Lewis Bishop. Sutcliffe and Lafferty continued to prove a handful for the Alty defence as the visitors continued to dominate the opening stages. And then, just as Altrincham seemed to be improving when Bailey dug out a shot which the Leigh keeper gathered at the second attempt, Leigh went straight down to the oher end and, with two players seemingly offside, took advantage of the absence of a linesman's flag to make it 2-0 as Lafferty drove home his second goal (20 mins). Soon afterwards excellent skill and determination from Sutcliffe won Leigh a corner on the left, followed a few minutes later by another corner. However, between these corners, Altrincham did win a corner themselves. But it was not until the half hour mark that Altrincham at last went close to scoring when Barclay found Simcock in the centre of the pitch and the midfielder curled an excellent long pass out to Anthony Davies, advancing on the left. Davies's excellent, low shot beat the keeper but also went narrowly past the far upright.

Altrincham's improvement continued as another cross from Anthony Davies was delivered just too strongly but Simcock got the ball and, after executing a smart turn, curled a shot narrowly past the near post from right of goal (32 mins). Alty then suffered a double injury blow as both Browne and Simcock went down injured at the same time, albeit from seperate incidents. Whilst Browne recovered, Simcock had to hobble off with knee ligament damage (35 mins). In the few minutes that Alty were reduced to ten men, Leigh scored again as more skill from Sutcliffe saw him get the better of Howe with a superb turn inside the centre of the Alty box, before he drove the ball into the net (38 mins). Alty now brought on Steenson for Simcock, with Melling-Fong moving inside as the new player took up the right wing berth (39 mins).

Despite a couple of minutes of added time, Altrincham kept the score 0-3 at the interval and their hopes of progress in this competition, named after their late coach, Neil Thomason, looked slim indeed.

In the second half Altrincham were to have the advantage of a gusty breeze behind them but rather than rely solely on climatic conditions to help them get back into the game, they also made tactical changes at the break. Striker Lewis Davies was withdrawn and defender Kieran Raynes came on. Michael Howe moved to right-back and Tom Barclay to left-back, whilst Anthony Davies pushed forward as Rick Colulo moved to left midfield. Altrincham's changes soon produced a corner after a good shot from Bailey had been saved by the keeper (47 mins). A number of the officials' decisions continued to rile the Altrincham side but it was Alty's Steenson who was the first player to be booked in the second half (49 mins). When Leigh almost put through their own goal, the officials gave the visitors a goalkick which should have been a corner but moments later Leigh did actually score an own goal when a ball from Howe from the right drifted into the box and was sliced over his own keeper by a Leigh defender from 12 yards. So it was now 1-3 and Alty had gained a toehold in the match (52 mins).

Soon afterwards Howe and the visitors' Lafferty tangled on the deck but Alty got the freekick and following this the Leigh defence parted to leave Bailey free and he coolly took advantage to score and make it 3-2 to the visitors (54 mins). The game had been turned on its head as Alty now dominated a Leigh side which looked a shadow of that which had taken such a commanding lead in the first half. Whilst the wind was aiding Altrincham, it was the home side's improved performance which was the more important factor in Altrincham's recovery. Leigh made a substitution to try and stem the tide, soon afterwards, but Alty continued to press and won a corner soon after the hour mark. Davies curled this in, left-footed from the Alty right, and the ball evaded the keeper and landed on Raynes's head. He made no mistake from close range, having timed his run perfectly (65 mins). Though the otherwise dependable Murphy sliced a clearance to give Leigh a corner, Altrincham were soon back attacking the other end and got their fourth goal after 73 minutes when Bailey got behind the defence and took the ball round the keeper to score from left of goal. Seven goals had now been scored, all at the same end of the ground.

After Alty had taken the lead, Crane came on for Melling-Fong who had gone down injured on the far side of the pitch and was to remain there, receiving treatment at pitchside, for the remaining duration of the match (78 mins). Browne continued to impress in the Alty midfield and, soon, Bailey was given a great chance to seal the match when, once again, he was put through, one-on-one against the keeper. But this time he shot against the keeper's legs (83 mins). There was a threat at the other end when a defensive error allowed Sutcliffe to advance on the right but his cross was unproductive (87 mins). Colulo was making good inroads on the Alty left as Altrincham continued to go forwards. After three minutes of injury time the final whistle went to seal a remarkable win which had seemed out of the question at half-time.