HAVING opened the season with a 4-1 win at Moss Lane, Brackley Town put an end to Altrincham's campaign with another win by a three-goal margin on Saturday, this time at the Saints' Northamptonshire home.

The Robins had won this play-off's first leg 2-1 at Moss Lane, last Tuesday, but they were always second best in this return tie.

It took the home side fewer than five minutes to take the lead. The goal arrived when big Jefferson Louis, Brackley's much-travelled 34-year-old striker, got behind Alty's Scott Leather and fired an impressive, low shot past Stuart Coburn from outside the box.

After Izak Reid had hit the crossbar from a freekick, the same Brackley player doubled their lead after 24 minutes. Having been left in too much space, his shot from the right, 30 yards out, was diverted into the net off an Alty defender.

However, on aggregate, Alty trailed by just a single goal at the interval and they came out for the second half in better form. But hope of a comeback was extinguished just eight minutes into the second period as a ball from the right allowed Glenn Walker to score with a firm shot from the edge of the box.

Altrincham almost got a goal back soon after the hour-mark when a Luca Havern header, from a right-sided corner, came back off the Brackley crossbar.

Though Alty had to substitute striker Duncan Watmore and his forward partner Damian Reeves was kept shackled by the home defence, the visitors did force a couple of good saves from the Brackley keeper, Billy Turley.

But there was no way back for the Robins, who had brought very strong and vocal support to the modest ground at Brackley.

Nevertheless, it has been an entertaining and impressive season for Altrincham who netted 100 league goals, excluding the play-off games, and they also won more league games than they had done for 33 years.

With at least seven of the current squad contracted for next season, manager Lee Sinnott has a strong basis for another tilt at promotion in 2013-14.

ALTRINCHAM: Coburn, Densmore (capt), Havern, Leather, Doughty, Lawrie, Rodgers, Richman, Clee, Reeves, Watmore. Subs: McMillan, Hall, Lacey, Moult, Brooke