BRAINTREE TOWN 3 ALTRINCHAM 0

TO avoid relegation Altrincham needed to win at Braintree Town on Saturday evening and hope FC Halifax and Guiseley also failed to win their fixtures.

But none of the outcomes went Alty's way and by full time, the Robins had returned to the National League North following their fourth descent from the top flight of non-League football since 1997.

In contrast, Essex club Braintree were seeking to confirm their place in the play-offs for promotion to the Football League. And what looked an unequal contest on paper, turned out to be so on the pitch.

Altrincham conceded three times to balls played across their goalmouth which led to close-range goals.

They fell behind in the 17th minute when the otherwise impressive Simeon Akinola miscued a shot, which flew across the box towards the back post, where Braintree's leading scorer Michael Cheek converted comfortably.

The visitors fell further behind three minutes before the interval when Mitch Brundle got clear to the right of goal and his cross was converted, once more, by Cheek.

Alty did not threaten at all in the first half, Josh Ginnelly's 20-yard effort being their only strike on target and that was comfortably saved.

Half time scores elsewhere further deepened Alty's woes as it became clear that even a win for the Robins would be unlikely to save themselves from relegation.

After 63 minutes, Braintree cemented a top-six finish for themselves and a bottom-three place for Altrincham when Akinola got to the bye-line and laid on his side's third goal, for Brundle.

Following the game, caretaker boss Neil Tolson said: "It's an awful day for the club. We've just not turned up."

Long-term injuries to four senior players had a major effect on Alty's season but it was a generally poor second half to the season.

With a new manager at the helm it will be a busy close season at the J. Davidson Stadium as Alty prepare for a challenge for promotion from the National League North next season.

ALTRINCHAM: Deasy, Leather, Havern, Holness, Griffin, Moult, Sinnott, Lawrie (Richman), Ginnelly, Reeves, Rankine. Unused subs: Williams, Heathcote, Savill, O'Keefe.