Goals Should Have Counted For More (From Messenger Newspapers)

Goals Should Have Counted For More

11:53am Wednesday 2nd May 2012 in Sport

ALTRINCHAM manager Lee Sinnott believes that he knows exactly what needs to be done to mount a promotion challenge next season as his team finished the season with a 3-2 defeat to Gainsborough Trinity, who now take on FC Halifax Town in a two-leg play-off semi-final.

“Having scored 90 goals and been the joint leading scorers in the league, we really should have been able to achieve a top five position, but we’ve flirted with the play-offs.

"We know where the problem is and we have to address that in the summer. Today’s game was a like a micro-shot of the season. We played really well at times but having got in front just before half-time, a defensive lapse has cost us dear and we have ended up losing the game.”

The Robins have been the great entertainers in the Blue Square Bet North League this season, but a goals against column of more than 70 goals shows that Sinnott must sort out a defence that has been consistently leaky throughout the campaign.

Sinnott paid tribute to Duncan Watmore, who scored his first senior goal for the club with an audacious chip to put Altrincham 2-1 up just before the interval.

”The supporters have really taken to him, but we must remember that he is only just 18.

"Duncan is a raw talent and his goal was Messi-like. We have been encouraging him to be a bit greedier and he was today, I like that.”

Damian Reeves had a very rare off day and finished the season with 44 league goals in 42 games, an achievement acknowledged by his manager. ”Damian played in every minute of every game, scored almost half of our goals and has had a phenomenal season”.

Despite the defeat, there was another bumper crowd of almost 1,000 on Saturday as Altrincham finished in eighth place.