Blyth Spartans 4 Altrincham 1

FA Cup First Round

BILLED by the BBC as "The Clash of the Giantkillers", only one team lived up to its FA Cup heritage in this match at Croft Park and, sadly, it was not Altrincham. Against a Northumberland side lying in the relegation zone of a league two levels below that in which Altrincham compete, the Robins blew the chance of £18,000 prize money and potential further FA and TV rewards in this competition.

Right from the off, Alty were second best. Having already provoked a desperate goalmouth clearance and a freekick on the edge of the box, the Spartans were then awarded a penalty, in just the third minute of the match. James Lawrie had brought down Rivers and Robbie Dale stepped up to beat Stuart Coburn comprehensively from the spot.

Alty laboured for much of the half yet should have equalised when Damian Reeves was put through by Simon Richman but the Altrincham top scorer hit his shot wide. Then, just before the break, a thunderous 35 yarder from Tom Marshall cannoned back off the upright.

Just after the hour mark Rivers and Maguire combined well for the latter to score a second for Blyth, with a low shot off the post. But substitute Kyle Perry gave Alty some home when he expertly lobbed keeper Jeffries from outside the box to make it 2-1 after 73 minutes.

However, the Spartans refuesed to fold and secured the win with a third goal after 84 minutes when Altrincham were caught with just two men at the back. Blyth captain Robbie Dale got through Havern's challenge to score. It got even worse in the 88th minute when a through ball drew Coburn out of his net but the advancing Maguire just beat him to the ball to make it 4-1.

Next Saturday Alty host Grimsby Town at the J. Davidson Stadium.

Altrincham: Coburn, Densmore (capt), Havern, Marshall, Leather, Moult, Richman, Williams, Griffin, Lawrie, Reeves. Subs: Parton, Wilkinson, Gillespie, Cavanagh, Crowther, Perry, Swift