ALTRINCHAM all-but secured another season in the Vanarama Conference with five matches still to play after returning from their third trip to Kent this campaign with all three points.

The visitors adapted better to a bobbly surface at Dartford to run out comfortable 2-1 winners.

Alty were unable to maintain their customary passing game, but still seized control of the game early on after top scorer Damian Reeves finished off an excellent counter-attacking move.

He slotted the ball across the keeper and into the bottom corner in only the seventh minute following good work from Peter Cavanagh and Nicky Clee.

Altrincham were initially unable to build on their lead, gifting their relegation-threatened opponents a fair share of possession.

But Dartford were equally unable to test Altrincham's veteran goalkeeper Stuart Coburn to any significant degree.

The visitors did survive a scare, though, when the referee turned down strong appeals for a penalty against centre-back Tom Marshall before the interval.

Alty made the most of their reprieve by scoring early in the second half.

Reeves added another cool finish, beating the offside trap to race on to a long pass from Jordan Sinnott before sliding the ball into the far corner with just 51 minutes on the clock.

Dartford made a couple of attacking substitutions and it was one of their new men, Ryan Hayes, who got his side back into the match, beating Coburn with the help of a deflection.

The goal re-ignited the Kent side but Altrincham defended well, with captain Luca Havern having a fine match.

Referee Colin Lymer produced seven yellow cards in the final 30 minutes, nine in total, of what had not been a bad tempered game.

Cavanagh picked up two of those, with his second coming in the 90th minute.

Despite being down to 10 men, Altrincham saw out the game to lift themselves to 14th in the table.

They entertain Southport at the J. Davidson Stadium tomorrow, kick off 3pm, before travelling to Gateshead on Easter Monday.

ALTRINCHAM: Coburn, Leather, Havern (capt), Marshall, Griffin, Moult, Cavanagh, Sinnott, Clee, Lawrie, Reeves. Subs: Parton, Williams, Gillespie, Crowther, Perry.