LINE-UP

WARRINGTON TOWN (Blue) 1. Lucas Barnes, 2. Nathaniel McCarroll, 3. Michael Mitchell, 4. Jack Mason, 5. Niall Ford, 6. Oliver Fleming, 7. Conor Silver, 8. Joshua Hayes, 9. Benjamin Collins, 10. Rhys Bowers, 11. Alex Stott. Subs: 12. Callum Wallace, 14. Ryan Fitzpatrick, 15. Mathew Hailes, 16. Aron McGrath, 17.Alex Massey.

REPORT

Altrincham were without Aaron Goldman, who was involved with his college side, and both James Campion and Boris Melingui were only fit enough to start on the bench.

From the kick off, Altrincham had a great chance to go ahead after barely thirty seconds. Folagbade did well and, via Taylor, Cain found himself with an opening, deep inside the box, but he fired over the bar.

Next, a Dwyer run was halted as Altrincham had the better of the early stages. But it was Warrington who won the game's first corner as they began to get into the game (10 mins). At the other end, when Clancy went down in the box, appeals for a spot kick were disregarded.

Generally, however, the visitors were generally held in check by the Altrincham back line, where Folagbade had an encouraging game. Taylor was his customary calming influence in midfield and, up front, Alty were a constant threat. Not longer after Dwyer had smashed a shot against the crossbar, Arrowsmith won a corner (19 mins). Although this was cleared, Alty soon scored. The breakthrough was engineered by the pace of Arrowsmith, who got past his marker on the right wing. His low cross was comfortably turned into the net by Dwyer (23 mins).

Dwyer had the ball in the net again, five minutes later, but was offside. The referee was allowing one or two questionable challenges to go unpunished as the half hour mark passed. alty's pressure continued as Foy now took four corners in quick succession but none of them produced a serious goal threat (33 mins).

Though Altrincham were dominating, they were failing to translate this into a comfortable lead. Indeed, Warrington won themselves a corner (38 mins) before half-time arrived.

THe visitors brought on Wallace for Collins at the break. Altrincham continued to create but not convert chances, as in the first half. One such case arrived from a Cain cross; Arrowsmith rose well but headed wide (50 mins). The second half was, however, proving a little more of an even contest than the first period and Foster now had to be alert to concede a corner from a Town attack (57 mins).

When the Warrington keeper came out of his box and collided with a team-mate, Cain tried to lob them from the left wing but his effort went narrowly wide of the vacant net (60 mins).

Next, following a freekick, Arrowsmith went close and Davis fired over the bar. A corner was soon earned by the lively Arrowsmith from a driven cross. From Arrowsmith's kick from the right, Foster rose beyond the back post and headed the ball back into the goalmouth. Here, Clancy pounced to head home Altrincham's second goal (66 mins).

Immediately afterwards, a great chance to make it 3-0 went begging as Clancy played in Dwyer but he shot wide. Goalkeeper Burrows was a spectator as Altrincham won four further corners in an eight minute spell (68 to 76 mins).

Twelve minutes from time, Bellingham replaced Clancy and Melingui came on for Dwyer. Though the visitors used more substitutes they were unable to threaten a comeback. Alty continued to press as a fine run by Cain ended with a ball across the face of goal before Bellingham lashed a shot across the box. In the final minute of normal time another fine run by Cain ended with a cross which only just evaded Arrowsmith in the goalmouth.

This was Altrincham's fourteenth game without defeat. They take on Morecambe at the J Davidson stadium (7pm) next Tuesday and if they can win that, their final game, against league leaders Chester should decide the destination of the NWYA Premier League title.