ALTRINCHAM extended their unbeaten run to six matches with a well-deserved 3-1 win against a physical Barwell side in the Evo-Stik Premier Division.

Once again manager Phil Parkinson had to shuffle his pack, with James Poole having to drop out following the warm-up and defender Shaun Densmore also nursing a knock.

So there were full debuts for winger Max Harrop and new signing, right-back Joel Bembo-Leta.

And it was one of the new starters, Harrop, who put Altrincham ahead after 17 minutes against a Leicestershire side which had won its midweek match at Sutton Coldfield Town 6-0.

The goal came from quick-thinking by left-back Lewis Short, whose swiftly-taken throw-in caught out Barwell.

John Johnston got in a shot which keeper Liam Castle could only parry into the path of Harrop and he calmly steered the ball into the bottom corner from 15 yards.

The lead was doubled five minutes before the interval when one of Barwell's many physical challenges, this time on Josh Hancock, gave Alty a free kick 25 yards out. Hancock got up and hit a superb effort into the net for his fifth goal of the campaign.

Some lenient refereeing and eccentric decisions by the assistant did not protect Alty from a number of crude challenges and, when the home side got back into the game in the second half, the visitors had to show character.

Barwell's goal arrived in the 64th minute when a chip over the defence deceived the Alty back line and their former striker, the burly Kyle Perry, poked the ball into the net.

Alty then weathered a tricky few minutes, which featured a very strong penalty appeal, before reasserting their superiority.

However, Altrincham did not finally put the game beyond Barwell until the fifth minute of stoppage time.

Jordan Hulme, who had energetically chased lost causes all afternoon, got behind the defence and from the left byline he laid the ball inside for substitute Tom Peers to convert a simple chance.

The win lifted Alty to eighth in the table ahead of last night's long-distance trip to Workington.

A further lengthy journey follows on Saturday when Altrincham visit Durham side, Shildon, in the FA Cup second qualifying round.

ALTRINCHAM: Deasy, Bembo-Leta, Short, Jones, Harrison, Moult, Johnston, Sheridan, Hulme, Harrop, Hancock. Subs: Densmore, Hannigan, Peers, Thompson.