ALTRINCHAM moved up to third place after this comfortable win at bottom-placed Workington on Tuesday night.

The original fixture had been postponed an hour before kick off and the hosts must have wished that this match had not been played either.

It took Altrincham less than four minutes to take the lead as captain, Shaun Densmore, fired a free kick into the top corner of the net from outside the penalty area.

It became 2-0 10 minutes later when James Lawrie was tripped as he rounded keeper Jamieson and a penalty was awarded. James Walshaw scored from the spot.

Two goals just before half time sealed the outcome. First, Walshaw netted after a defender knocked the ball to him as he attempted to clear and then a Lawrie free kick was headed home by Kyle Perry as the keeper came out but failed to get to the ball.

Jake Moult added a fifth early in the second half after Nicky Clee had made a good run on the left.

The scoring was completed midway through the second half when Perry headed home a Lawrie orner at the near post.

After a triple substitution the hosts got a consolation goal as right-back Fernandes split the Alty defence and Godwin Abadaki converted the resulting chance, after 76 minutes. But the hosts were simply outplayed for most of the game.

With Telford beaten by Oxford City, Alty's relative position in the table improved but the Robins face stiff opposition in promotion rivals North Ferriby on Saturday before they themselves travel to improving Oxford next Tuesday.

ALTRINCHAM Coburn, Densmore, Griffin, Rodgers, Havern, Leather, Lawrie, Moult, Perry, Walshaw, Clee Subs: Wilkinson, Doughty, Marshall, Richman, Saunders