A WEAKENED Altrincham team, lacking five men through injury and suspension, earned a deserved 1-0 win against a Grantham side which had lost its three previous matches.

But, in an entertaining Evo-Stik Premier game, the men from Lincolnshire showed plenty of positive intent with the pacey Lee Shaw a particular threat.

The Alty victory was all the more impressive for being won with only 10 fit players on the pitch for the final 10 minutes. Centre-back Ben Harrison had to hobble through in midfield and then further forward as all the home substitutes had been deployed.

Referee Elliott Swallow had two important decisions to make in the game which had an impact.

Firstly, before half time he failed to show a second yellow card to Grantham's Michael Hollingsworth.

Having just clattered Jake Moult to earn a booking, the big Grantham player then brought down Tom Peers but stayed on the pitch.

The second controversial moment came when Alty scored the only goal in the 51st minute.

Gingerbreads goalkeeper Kieran Preston went up three times to deal with an aerial ball following an Altrincham corner. Having failed to get the ball away twice, Preston appeared to be jostled as he tried again and the ball fell for Jordan Hulme to score from close range.

Despite Harrison's injury, the lame Altrincham centre-back laid on a late chance to John Johnston, whose thunderous shot beat Preston but came back off the bar but 1-0 was enough for all three points.

Results elsewhere left Altrincham in eighth place but they have one or two games in hand on almost all of the clubs above them.

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