Jackson 16, 33,

McKearney 59

Russell 24, Morrell 37,

Landon 86

Attendance - 1,230

ROBINS had to contend with delays on a blocked motorway and falling behind three times at Christie Park, before Ricard Landon provided another late strike to salvage a precious point

The sight of the strapping Landon warming up on the touchline must be one of the least welcome for other Conference sides.

Not since the days of Liverpool's David Fairclough has there been a player so adept at coming off the bench to score vital goals, and so it was against a Morecambe side still looking for its first victory of the Millennium.

With just four minutes remaining, Landon's looping header over the stranded Banks kept the Robin's revivial on track, and despite having played more games than most of the sides below them, Alty have vital points already in the bag.

Suspension and injuries continue to tie at least one of the manager's hands behind his back.

On Saturday, Danny Aams joined Phil Power in the sin-bin, with pre-match preparation made even more difficult by the petrol tanker crash on the M6 which delayed both teams and forced the kick-off to be delayed for an hour.

When the match did get underway, Robins played the first fifteen minutes as if they were still in a traffic jam.

Unbalanced by having to switch Simeon Hodson to left back for Adams, and Jason Gallagher dropping to right back, Morecambe had a free run in midfield, and capped their early supremacy with a goal on 16 minutes.

Alty failed to pick up Justin Jackson at a corner, and the Shrimps' leading scorer showed why he has consistently commanded big transfer fees by stabbing the ball home from close range.

Eight minutes later Robins were level, when Keith Russell marked another hard-running show with a shot from the inside left position to which eluded keeper Banks.

One area of the current squad which does need attention both now and over the summer is a failure to kill teams off when they are on top.

At Morecambe, first Andy Lovelock hit the base of a post with a left foot drive, and then Mick Morrell nutmegged Hardiker on the half way line before racing away with Banks to beat.

Trying to pick his spot, Morrell saw his effort saved, but worse was to follow as the home side broke up-field and Jackson beat Lance Key from close range. Really, the scoreline should have been precisely the opposite.

There is no dampening of the Alty spirit though, and Bernard Taylor's men struck back again within ten minutes.

This time Morrell made up for his earlier miss with a powerful header from a left wing corner. 2-2.

Robins just got better and better as the half wore on, and you always had the feeling that the interval would bring greater relief to Morecambe than the visitors, who by now had cast off their motorway blues.

Lack of concentration was to cost a third goal however, as Dave McKearney was allowed to run for fully 25 yards before beating Key with a long range effort which the Alty keeper was honest enough to admit afterwards that he thought was going wide. Unfortunately, it wasn't.

Fears that the revival which had notched six points out of six might be prematurely ended were dispelled by the arrival of Landon with 12 minutes remaining.

Somehow you knew he would score - and Dickie is not in the business of letting anyone down.

ALTRINCHAM - Key, Gallagher, Hodson, Timons, Talbot, Hawse, Goodwin, Russell, Chambers, (sub. Landon), Morrell (sub. Skelton), Lovelock. Subs (not used) Loft, Kielty, Senior.

TRICKY DICKIE'S BACK

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