Altrincham 0 Alfreton Town 1

ALTRINCHAM produced a very disappointing display as they failed to take any points from an Alfreton team which lay second bottom in the league table.

However, without the suspended Adam Griffin and the injured Ryan Crowther, the Robins started the game quite well. Had James Lawrie's header from a Shaun Densmore cross not cleared the bar in the seventh minute, there might have been a different outcome to the game. Instead, after being the better side for fifteen minutes, Alfreton came into the match and won two corners. From the second of these, their captain Luke Graham rose to head the ball home and give the visitors the lead.

The goal lifted the visitors and it took Altrincham a while to get back into the game. Altrincham suffered a further blow when left-winger Nicky Clee had to go off, injured, following a foul.

The nearest to an equalizer before the interval came when keeper Dawson had to smother the ball smartly at the feet of Alty captain Shaun Densmore.

The second half began fairly scrappily. A low cross from Densmore was almost turned home a stretching Damian Reeves but the visitors' keeper Dawson was barely tested throughout the match until injury time. In the fourth and final added minute, Alty substitute Steven Gillespie was brought down and a penalty kick awarded. Gillespie himself took the spot kick but keeper Dawson dived athletically to his right to save the ball.

So, the game ended with Altrincham having failed to score for the sixth time in nine outings. On Tuesday, they travel to Lincoln City followed by two more away trips. Next Sunday (2pm), Alty are away at Blyth Spartans before they face another away game, a league match at AFC Telford United on Tuesday, November 11.

TASC is running supporters' transport to all three games and bookings can be made by ringing the club on 0161 928-1045 during weekday office hours.

Altrincham: Coburn, Densmore (capt), Havern, Marshall, Leather, Moult, Cavanagh, Lawrie, Clee, Perry, Reeves. Subs: Parton, Wilkinson, Gillespie, Richman, S Williams