GLOUCESTER CITY 5 ALTRINCHAM 0

AFTER 10 games of the National League North season Altrincham remain without a win after a heavy 5-0 defeat at mid-table Gloucester City.

It was new manager Jim Harvey's first official game in charge and he will now be under no illusions at the size of the task he has taken on.

The new boss was severely hampered in his defensive line-up with three centre-backs out injured as well as right-back Shaun Densmore.

It meant Alty took to the field with striker Danny Hattersley at centre-back alongside loanee Jon Moran and fellow 19-year-old Sam Heathcote.

On a dismal day at Gloucester's adopted home at Cheltenham Town, Altrincham were soon on the back foot but did not fall behind until the 26th minute.

From a corner, Deasy did well to beat out a Luke Hopper shot but the ball fell to Chris Knowles who scored from close range.

A minute before the interval the Tigers doubled their lead when Deasy again did well to stop a goalbound effort – this time a Knowles header – but Joe Parker was on hand to knock the loose ball into the net.

After a defensive reshuffle at the interval, Altrincham were just beginning to get a bit of sustained possession when they fell apart and conceded three times in 10 minutes.

Striker Hopper outmuscled the Alty defence to fire past Deasy, who from the start of the second half had been hampered by a leg injury, to make it 3-0 in the 64th minute and it was four three minutes later as Tom Webb fed Hopper, who volleyed home from eight yards.

Hopper completed his rapid hat-trick seven minutes later as the injured Deasy limped off to be replaced by substitute Andy Dawber.

Harvey clearly has a major job on his hands to instil confidence in a side which, week after week this season, has seen changes in personnel prompted both by injury and managerial choice.

ALTRINCHAM: Deasy, Patterson, Moran, Heathcote, Hattersley, Goodall, Lawrie, Moult, Hobson, Reeves, Lynch. Subs: Richman, Dawber, Joyce, Cain and Miller.