ALTRINCHAM'S one-season stay in National League North ended with a narrow 2-1 defeat at Tamworth.

Relegation means that Alty will compete in the Evo-Stik Premier League next season, a division in which new manager Phil Parkinson has vital experience as he plots the club's revival after a season to forget.

The game at Tamworth started well for Altrincham who had the better of the first half.

By the interval they could easily have been leading by more than one goal, netted impressively by James Lawrie after 34 minutes.

Alty's leading scorer in the league this season made the most of a fine through ball from Nicky Clee to fire home from the edge of the box.

Tamworth lifted their game in the second half and equalised seven minutes after the break.

Alty failed to challenge left-winger Callum Powell as he drifted in and he fired an unstoppable shot past Tim Deasy.

The Robins were dealt a blow 15 minutes later when keeper Deasy injured his leg and had to be replaced by Alty's most creative player, Clee.

He was in no way to blame as Tamworth netted a 74th-minute winner from a free kick which the hosts' Danny Newton hammered home at the back post.

The Robins continued to fight as their new manager looked on from the stands.

And Alty substitute Craig Hobson was unlucky to see a well-struck shot from outside the box hit the junction of bar and upright in the closing stages.

The summer looks likely to be a busy one for Altrincham as the new manager moulds a squad whose target will be immediate promotion back to National League North.

ALTRINCHAM: Deasy, Densmore, Brownhill, Taylor, Heathcote, Moult, Lawrie, Richman, Evans, Reeves, Clee. Subs Hobson, Williams, Owens, McDonald, Hannigan.