Altrincham 3 Oxford City 1 (From Messenger Newspapers)

Altrincham 3 Oxford City 1

1:54pm Sunday 3rd March 2013 in Sport

ALTHOUGH it was only in the final 10 minutes that two quick-fire goals settled this game, Altrincham had earlier dominated the second half.

Both Duncan Watmore and James Lawrie had seen good efforts come back off the woodwork midway through that second period before two strikes in a minute from Reeves and Watmore secured the points.

On their first ever visit to Moss Lane, Oxford City had taken a 20th minute lead when Alty keeper Stuart Coburn's block from a testing right-wing cross had fallen for Brazilian winger Felipe Barcelos to drill home a goal from 12 yards. City, already without leading striker, the injured Steve Basham, then lost another forward as Ashun Holgate went off with some kind of medical problem.

In an open first half, Altrincham regained parity five minutes before the break when James Lawrie did well on the by-line, to the right of goal.

He hooked the ball back across the goal towards the back post, where Damian Reeves was on hand to nod the ball home to end his relative drought of four score-less games.

The second forty-five minutes were a much more one-sided affair as Altrincham applied sustained pressure on the visitors' defence. Duncan Watmore and Nicky Clee were a constant threat but it was beginning to look as if their side's luck was out when chance after chance was off target, saved or struck the frame of the goal.

However, Alty's superiority was finally rewarded when another close-range Reeves header made it 2-1 after good work from substitute Carl Rodgers and Nicky Clee. And, moments later, it was 3-1 when Reeves laid the ball inside for Watmore to hammer a shot into the net, with nine minutes remaining.

Oxford kept going till the end but Alty's defence held tight.

Watmore was a deserved man of the match as his side kept their seventh position in the table ahead of a midwek trip to Droylsden, followed by a journey to Bradford Park Avenue next Saturday, the Yorkshiremen having beaten Droylsden 7-0 this weekend!

ALTRINCHAM- Coburn, Densmore (capt), Havern, Leather, Clee, Richman, Lacey, Lawrie, Watmore, Mills, Reeves. Subs: Bullen, Doughty, Moult, Rodgers and Hall